phaedo-第14部分

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soul　which　desires　the　body；　and　which；　as　I　was　relating　before；



has　long　been　fluttering　about　the　lifeless　frame　and　the　world　of



sight；　is　after　many　struggles　and　many　sufferings　hardly　and　with



violence　carried　away　by　her　attendant　genius；　and　when　she　arrives　at



the　place　where　the　other　souls　are　gathered；　if　she　be　impure　and



have　done　impure　deeds；　or　been　concerned　in　foul　murders　or　other



crimes　which　are　the　brothers　of　these；　and　the　works　of　brothers　in



crime…from　that　soul　everyone　flees　and　turns　away；　no　one　will　be　her



companion；　no　one　her　guide；　but　alone　she　wanders　in　extremity　of



evil　until　certain　times　are　fulfilled；　and　when　they　are　fulfilled；



she　is　borne　irresistibly　to　her　own　fitting　habitation；　as　every　pure



and　just　soul　which　has　passed　through　life　in　the　company　and　under



the　guidance　of　the　gods　has　also　her　own　proper　home。



　　Now　the　earth　has　divers　wonderful　regions；　and　is　indeed　in



nature　and　extent　very　unlike　the　notions　of　geographers；　as　I　believe



on　the　authority　of　one　who　shall　be　nameless。



　　What　do　you　mean；　Socrates？　said　Simmias。　I　have　myself　heard　many



descriptions　of　the　earth；　but　I　do　not　know　in　what　you　are　putting



your　faith；　and　I　should　like　to　know。



　　Well；　Simmias；　replied　Socrates；　the　recital　of　a　tale　does　not；　I



think；　require　the　art　of　Glaucus；　and　I　know　not　that　the　art　of



Glaucus　could　prove　the　truth　of　my　tale；　which　I　myself　should



never　be　able　to　prove；　and　even　if　I　could；　I　fear；　Simmias；　that



my　life　would　come　to　an　end　before　the　argument　was　completed。　I



may　describe　to　you；　however；　the　form　and　regions　of　the　earth



according　to　my　conception　of　them。



　　That；　said　Simmias；　will　be　enough。



　　Well；　then；　he　said；　my　conviction　is　that　the　earth　is　a　round　body



in　the　center　of　the　heavens；　and　therefore　has　no　need　of　air　or



any　similar　force　as　a　support；　but　is　kept　there　and　hindered　from



falling　or　inclining　any　way　by　the　equability　of　the　surrounding



heaven　and　by　her　own　equipoise。　For　that　which；　being　in　equipoise；



is　in　the　center　of　that　which　is　equably　diffused；　will　not　incline



any　way　in　any　degree；　but　will　always　remain　in　the　same　state　and



not　deviate。　And　this　is　my　first　notion。



　　Which　is　surely　a　correct　one；　said　Simmias。



　　Also　I　believe　that　the　earth　is　very　vast；　and　that　we　who　dwell　in



the　region　extending　from　the　river　Phasis　to　the　Pillars　of　Heracles；



along　the　borders　of　the　sea；　are　just　like　ants　or　frogs　about　a



marsh；　and　inhabit　a　small　portion　only；　and　that　many　others　dwell　in



many　like　places。　For　I　should　say　that　in　all　parts　of　the　earth



there　are　hollows　of　various　forms　and　sizes；　into　which　the　water　and



the　mist　and　the　air　collect；　and　that　the　true　earth　is　pure　and　in



the　pure　heaven；　in　which　also　are　the　stars…that　is　the　heaven



which　is　commonly　spoken　of　as　the　ether；　of　which　this　is　but　the



sediment　collecting　in　the　hollows　of　the　earth。　But　we　who　live　in



these　hollows　are　deceived　into　the　notion　that　we　are　dwelling



above　on　the　surface　of　the　earth；　which　is　just　as　if　a　creature



who　was　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea　were　to　fancy　that　he　was　on　the



surface　of　the　water；　and　that　the　sea　was　the　heaven　through　which　he



saw　the　sun　and　the　other　stars…he　having　never　come　to　the　surface　by



reason　of　his　feebleness　and　sluggishness；　and　having　never　lifted



up　his　head　and　seen；　nor　ever　heard　from　one　who　had　seen；　this



region　which　is　so　much　purer　and　fairer　than　his　own。　Now　this　is



exactly　our　case：　for　we　are　dwelling　in　a　hollow　of　the　earth；　and



fancy　that　we　are　on　the　surface；　and　the　air　we　call　the　heaven；



and　in　this　we　imagine　that　the　stars　move。　But　this　is　also　owing



to　our　feebleness　and　sluggishness；　which　prevent　our　reaching　the



surface　of　the　air：　for　if　any　man　could　arrive　at　the　exterior　limit；



or　take　the　wings　of　a　bird　and　fly　upward；　like　a　fish　who　puts　his



head　out　and　sees　this　world；　he　would　see　a　world　beyond；　and；　if　the



nature　of　man　could　sustain　the　sight；　he　would　acknowledge　that



this　was　the　place　of　the　true　heaven　and　the　true　light　and　the



true　stars。　For　this　earth；　and　the　stones；　and　the　entire　region



which　surrounds　us；　are　spoilt　and　corroded；　like　the　things　in　the



sea　which　are　corroded　by　the　brine；　for　in　the　sea　too　there　is



hardly　any　noble　or　perfect　growth；　but　clefts　only；　and　sand；　and



an　endless　slough　of　mud：　and　even　the　shore　is　not　to　be　compared



to　the　fairer　sights　of　this　world。　And　greater　far　is　the　superiority



of　the　other。　Now　of　that　upper　earth　which　is　under　the　heaven；　I　can



tell　you　a　charming　tale；　Simmias；　which　is　well　worth　hearing。



　　And　we；　Socrates；　replied　Simmias；　shall　be　charmed　to　listen。



　　The　tale；　my　friend；　he　said；　is　as　follows：　In　the　first　place；　the



earth；　when　looked　at　from　above；　is　like　one　of　those　balls　which



have　leather　coverings　in　twelve　pieces；　and　is　of　divers　colors；　of



which　the　colors　which　painters　use　on　earth　are　only　a　sample。　But



there　the　whole　earth　is　made　up　of　them；　and　they　are　brighter　far



and　clearer　than　ours；　there　is　a　purple　of　wonderful　luster；　also　the



radiance　of　gold；　and　the　white　which　is　in　the　earth　is　whiter　than



any　chalk　or　snow。　Of　these　and　other　colors　the　earth　is　made　up；　and



they　are　more　in　number　and　fairer　than　the　eye　of　man　has　ever



seen；　and　the　very　hollows　（of　which　I　was　speaking）　filled　with　air



and　water　are　seen　like　light　flashing　amid　the　other　colors；　and　have



a　color　of　their　own；　which　gives　a　sort　of　unity　to　the　variety　of



earth。　And　in　this　fair　region　everything　that　grows…trees；　and



flowers；　and　fruits…is　in　a　like　degree　fairer　than　any　here；　and



there　are　hills；　and　stones　in　them　in　a　like　degree　smoother；　and



more　transparent；　and　fairer　in　color　than　our　highly　valued



emeralds　and　sardonyxes　and　jaspers；　and　other　gems；　which　are　but



minute　fragments　of　them：　for　there　all　the　stones　are　like　our



precious　stones；　and　fairer　still。　The　reason　of　this　is　that　they　are



pure；　and　not；　like　our　precious　stones；　infected　or　corroded　by　the



corrupt　briny　elements　which　coagulate　among　us；　and　which　breed



foulness　and　disease　both　in　earth　and　stones；　as　well　as　in　animals



and　plants。　They　are　the　jewels　of　the　upper　earth；　which　also



shines　with　gold　and　silver　and　the　like；　and　they　are　visible　to



sight　and　large　and　abundant　and　found　in　every　region　of　the　earth；



and　blessed　is　he　who　sees　them。　And　upon　the　earth　are　animals　and



men；　some　in　a　middle　region；　others　dwelling　about　the　air　as　we



dwell　about　the　sea；　others　in　islands　which　the　air　flows　round；　near



the　continent：　and　in　a　word；　the　air　is　used　by　them　as　the　water　and



the　sea　are　by　us；　and　the　ether　is　to　them　what　the　air　is　to　us。



Moreover；　the　temperament　of　their　seasons　is　such　that　they　have　no



disease；　and　live　much　longer　than　we　do；　and　have　sight　and　hearing



and　smell；　and　all　the　other　senses；　in　far　greater　perfection；　in　the



same　degree　that　air　is　purer　than　water　or　the　ether　than　air。　Also



they　have　temples　and　sacred　places　in　which　the　gods　really　dwell；



and　they　hear　their　voices　and　receive　their　answers；　and　are



conscious　of　them　and　hold　converse　with　them；　and　they　see　the　sun；



moon；　and　stars　as　they　really　are；　and　their　other　blessedness　is



of　a　piece　with　this。



　　Such　is　the　nature　of　the　whole　earth；　and　of　the　things　which　are



around　the　earth；　and　there　are　divers　regions　in　the　hollows　on　the



face　of　the　globe　everywhere；　some　of　them　deeper　and　also　wider



than　that　which　we　inhabit；　others　deeper　and　with　a　narrower



opening　than　ours；　and　some　are　shallower　and　wider；　all　have　numerous



perforations；　and　passages　broad　and　narrow　in　the　interior　of　the



earth；　connecting　them　with　one　another；　and　there　flows　into　and



out　of　them；　as　into　basins；　a　vast　tide　of　water；　and　huge



subterranean　streams　of　perennial　rivers；　and　springs　hot　and　cold；



and　a　great　fire；　and　great　rivers　of　fire；　and　streams　of　liquid　mud；



thin　or　thick　（like　the　rivers　of　mud　in　Sicily；　and　the



lava…streams　which　follow　them）；　and　the　regions　about　which　they



happen　to　flow　are　filled　up　with　them。　And　there　is　a　sort　of　swing



in　the　interior　of　the　earth　which　moves　all　this　up　and　down。　Now　the



swing　is　in　this　wise：　There　is　a　chasm　which　is　the　vastest　of　them



all；　and　pierces　right　through　the　whole　earth；　this　is　that　which



Homer　describes　in　the　words；







　　　〃Far　off；　where　is　the　inmost　depth　beneath　the　earth〃；







and　which　he　in　other　places；　and　many　other　poets；　have　called



Tartarus。　And　the　swing　is　caused　by　the　streams　flowing　into　and



out　of　this　chasm；　and　they　each　have　the　nature　of　the　soil　through



which　they　flow。　And　the　reason　why　the　streams　are　always　flowing



in　and　out　is　that　the　watery　element　has　no　bed　or　bottom；　and　is



surging　and　swinging　up　and　down；　and　the　surrounding　wind　and　air



do　the　same；　they　follow　the　water　up　and　down；　hither　and　thither；



over　the　earth…just　as　in　respiring　the　air　is　always　in　process　of



inhalation　and　exhalation；　and　the　wind　swinging　with　the　water　in　and



out　produces　fearful　and　irresistible　blasts：　when　the　waters　retire



with　a　rush　into　the　lower　parts　of　the　earth；　as　they　are　called；



they　flow　through　the　earth　into　those　regions；　and　fill　them　up　as



with　the　alternate　motion　of　a　pump；　and　then　when　they　leave　those



regions　and　rush　back　hither；　they　again　fill　the　hollows　here；　and



when　these　are　filled；　flow　through　subterranean　channels　and　find



their　way　to　their　several　places；　forming　seas；　and　lakes；　and



rivers；　and　springs。　Thence　they　again　enter　the　earth；　some　of　th