ecome homicides in a
similar manner, these must fall into Tartarus, but after they have
fallen, and have been there for a year, the wave casts them forth, the
homicides into Cocytus, but the parricides and matricides into
Pyriphlegethon; but when, being borne along, they arrive at the
Acherusian lake, there they cry out to and invoke, some those whom
they slew, others those whom they injured, and invoking them, they
entreat and implore them to suffer them to go out into the lake, and
to receive them, and if they persuade them, they go out, and are freed
from their sufferings, but if not, they are borne back to Tartarus,
and thence again into the rivers, and they do not cease from suffering
this until they have persuaded those whom they have injured; for this
sentence was imposed upon them by the judges. But those who are found
to have lived an eminently holy life, these are they, who, being freed
and set at large from these regions in the earth, as from prison,
arrive at the pure abode above, and dwell on the upper parts of the
earth. And among these, they who have sufficiently purified themselves
by philosophy shall live without bodies, throughout all future time,
and shall arrive at habitations yet more beautiful than these, which
it is neither easy to describe, nor at present is there sufficient
time for the purpose.
"But for the sake of these things which we have described, we should
use every endeavor, Simmias, so as to acquire virtue and wisdom in
this life; for the reward is noble, and the hope great.
"To affirm positively, indeed, that these things are exactly as I have
described them, does not become a man of sense; that however either
this, or something of the kind, takes place with respect to our souls
and their habitations--since our soul is certainly immortal--this
appears to me most fitting to be believed, and worthy the hazard for
one who trusts in its reality; for the hazard is noble, and it is
right to allure ourselves with such things, as with enchantments; for
which reason I have prolonged my story to such a length. On account of
these things, then, a man ought to be confident about his soul, who
during this life has disregarded all the pleasures and ornaments of
the body as foreign from his nature, and who, having thought that they
do more harm than good, has zealously applied himself to the
acquirement of knowledge, and who having adorned his soul not with a
foreign but its own proper ornament,
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