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



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



making　a　long　circuit　into　many　lands；　others　going　to　few　places



and　those　not　distant；　and　again　fall　into　Tartarus；　some　at　a　point　a



good　deal　lower　than　that　at　which　they　rose；　and　others　not　much



lower；　but　all　in　some　degree　lower　than　the　point　of　issue。　And



some　burst　forth　again　on　the　opposite　side；　and　some　on　the　same



side；　and　some　wind　round　the　earth　with　one　or　many　folds；　like　the



coils　of　a　serpent；　and　descend　as　far　as　they　can；　but　always



return　and　fall　into　the　lake。　The　rivers　on　either　side　can　descend



only　to　the　center　and　no　further；　for　to　the　rivers　on　both　sides　the



opposite　side　is　a　precipice。



　　Now　these　rivers　are　many；　and　mighty；　and　diverse；　and　there　are



four　principal　ones；　of　which　the　greatest　and　outermost　is　that



called　Oceanus；　which　flows　round　the　earth　in　a　circle；　and　in　the



opposite　direction　flows　Acheron；　which　passes　under　the　earth　through



desert　places；　into　the　Acherusian　Lake：　this　is　the　lake　to　the



shores　of　which　the　souls　of　the　many　go　when　they　are　dead；　and　after



waiting　an　appointed　time；　which　is　to　some　a　longer　and　to　some　a



shorter　time；　they　are　sent　back　again　to　be　born　as　animals。　The



third　river　rises　between　the　two；　and　near　the　place　of　rising



pours　into　a　vast　region　of　fire；　and　forms　a　lake　larger　than　the



Mediterranean　Sea；　boiling　with　water　and　mud；　and　proceeding　muddy



and　turbid；　and　winding　about　the　earth；　comes；　among　other　places；　to



the　extremities　of　the　Acherusian　Lake；　but　mingles　not　with　the



waters　of　the　lake；　and　after　making　many　coils　about　the　earth



plunges　into　Tartarus　at　a　deeper　level。　This　is　that



Pyriphlegethon；　as　the　stream　is　called；　which　throws　up　jets　of



fire　in　all　sorts　of　places。　The　fourth　river　goes　out　on　the　opposite



side；　and　falls　first　of　all　into　a　wild　and　savage　region；　which　is



all　of　a　dark…blue　color；　like　lapis　lazuli；　and　this　is　that　river



which　is　called　the　Stygian　River；　and　falls　into　and　forms　the　Lake



Styx；　and　after　falling　into　the　lake　and　receiving　strange　powers



in　the　waters；　passes　under　the　earth；　winding　round　in　the　opposite



direction　to　Pyriphlegethon；　and　meeting　in　the　Acherusian　Lake　from



the　opposite　side。　And　the　water　of　this　river　too　mingles　with　no



other；　but　flows　round　in　a　circle　and　falls　into　Tartarus　over



against　Pyriphlegethon；　and　the　name　of　this　river；　as　the　poet



says；　is　Cocytus。



　　Such　is　the　name　of　the　other　world；　and　when　the　dead　arrive　at　the



place　to　which　the　genius　of　each　severally　conveys　them；　first　of　all



they　have　sentence　passed　upon　them；　as　they　have　lived　well　and



piously　or　not。　And　those　who　appear　to　have　lived　neither　well　nor



ill；　go　to　the　river　Acheron；　and　mount　such　conveyances　as　they　can



get；　and　are　carried　in　them　to　the　lake；　and　there　they　dwell　　and



are　purified　of　their　evil　deeds；　and　suffer　the　penalty　of　the　wrongs



which　they　have　done　to　others；　and　are　absolved；　and　receive　the



rewards　of　their　good　deeds　according　to　their　deserts。　But　those



who　appear　to　be　incurable　by　reason　of　the　greatness　of　their



crimes…who　have　committed　many　and　terrible　deeds　of　sacrilege；



murders　foul　and　violent；　or　the　like…such　are　hurled　into　Tartarus；



which　is　their　suitable　destiny；　and　they　never　come　out。　Those



again　who　have　committed　crimes；　which；　although　great；　are　not



unpardonable…who　in　a　moment　of　anger；　for　example；　have　done　violence



to　a　father　or　mother；　and　have　repented　for　the　remainder　of　their



lives；　or　who　have　taken　the　life　of　another　under　like　extenuating



circumstances…these　are　plunged　into　Tartarus；　the　pains　of　which　they



are　compelled　to　undergo　for　a　year；　but　at　the　end　of　the　year　the



wave　casts　them　forth…mere　homicides　by　way　of　Cocytus；　parricides　and



matricides　by　Pyriphlegethon…and　they　are　borne　to　the　Acherusian



Lake；　and　there　they　lift　up　their　voices　and　call　upon　the　victims



whom　they　have　slain　or　wronged；　to　have　pity　on　them；　and　to



receive　them；　and　to　let　them　come　out　of　the　river　into　the　lake。　And



if　they　prevail；　then　they　come　forth　and　cease　from　their　troubles；



but　if　not；　they　are　carried　back　again　into　Tartarus　and　from



thence　into　the　rivers　unceasingly；　until　they　obtain　mercy　from　those



whom　they　have　wronged：　for　that　is　the　sentence　inflicted　upon　them



by　their　judges。　Those　also　who　are　remarkable　for　having　led　holy



lives　are　released　from　this　earthly　prison；　and　go　to　their　pure　home



which　is　above；　and　dwell　in　the　purer　earth；　and　those　who　have



duly　purified　themselves　with　philosophy　live　henceforth　altogether



without　the　body；　in　mansions　fairer　far　than　these；　which　may　not



be　described；　and　of　which　the　time　would　fail　me　to　tell。



　　Wherefore；　Simmias；　seeing　all　these　things；　what　ought　not　we　to　do



in　order　to　obtain　virtue　and　wisdom　in　this　life？　Fair　is　the



prize；　and　the　hope　great。



　　I　do　not　mean　to　affirm　that　the　description　which　I　have　given　of



the　soul　and　her　mansions　is　exactly　true…a　man　of　sense　ought



hardly　to　say　that。　But　I　do　say　that；　inasmuch　as　the　soul　is　shown



to　be　immortal；　he　may　venture　to　think；　not　improperly　or　unworthily；



that　something　of　the　kind　is　true。　The　venture　is　a　glorious　one；　and



he　ought　to　comfort　himself　with　words　like　these；　which　is　the　reason



why　lengthen　out　the　tale。　Wherefore；　I　say；　let　a　man　be　of　good



cheer　about　his　soul；　who　has　cast　away　the　pleasures　and　ornaments　of



the　body　as　alien　to　him；　and　rather　hurtful　in　their　effects；　and　has



followed　after　the　pleasures　of　knowledge　in　this　life；　who　has



adorned　the　soul　in　her　own　proper　jewels；　which　are　temperance；　and



justice；　and　courage；　and　nobility；　and　truth…in　these　arrayed　she



is　ready　to　go　on　her　journey　to　the　world　below；　when　her　time　comes。



You；　Simmias　and　Cebes；　and　all　other　men；　will　depart　at　some　time　or



other。　Me　already；　as　the　tragic　poet　would　say；　the　voice　of　fate



calls。　Soon　I　must　drink　the　poison；　and　I　think　that　I　had　better



repair　to　the　bath　first；　in　order　that　the　women　may　not　have　the



trouble　of　washing　my　body　after　I　am　dead。



　　When　he　had　done　speaking；　Crito　said：　And　have　you　any　commands　for



us；　Socrates…anything　to　say　about　your　children；　or　any　other



matter　in　which　we　can　serve　you？



　　Nothing　particular；　he　said：　only；　as　I　have　always　told　you；　I



would　have　you　look　to　yourselves；　that　is　a　service　which　you　may



always　be　doing　to　me　and　mine　as　well　as　to　yourselves。　And　you



need　not　make　professions；　for　if　you　take　no　thought　for



yourselves；　and　walk　not　according　to　the　precepts　which　I　have



given　you；　not　now　for　the　first　time；　the　warmth　of　your



professions　will　be　of　no　avail。



　　We　will　do　our　best；　said　Crito。　But　in　what　way　would　you　have　us



bury　you？



　　In　any　way　that　you　like；　only　you　must　get　hold　of　me；　and　take



care　that　I　do　not　walk　away　from　you。　Then　he　turned　to　us；　and　added



with　a　smile：　I　cannot　make　Crito　believe　that　I　am　the　same



Socrates　who　have　been　talking　and　conducting　the　argument；　he　fancies



that　I　am　the　other　Socrates　whom　he　will　soon　see；　a　dead　body…and　he



asks；　How　shall　he　bury　me？　And　though　I　have　spoken　many　words　in　the



endeavor　to　show　that　when　I　have　drunk　the　poison　I　shall　leave　you



and　go　to　the　joys　of　the　blessed…these　words　of　mine；　with　which　I



comforted　you　and　myself；　have　had；　I　perceive；　no　effect　upon



Crito。　And　therefore　I　want　you　to　be　surety　for　me　now；　as　he　was



surety　for　me　at　the　trial：　but　let　the　promise　be　of　another　sort；



for　he　was　my　surety　to　the　judges　that　I　would　remain；　but　you　must



be　my　surety　to　him　that　I　shall　not　remain；　but　go　away　and　depart；



and　then　he　will　suffer　less　at　my　death；　and　not　be　grieved　when　he



sees　my　body　being　burned　or　buried。　I　would　not　have　him　sorrow　at　my



hard　lot；　or　say　at　the　burial；　Thus　we　lay　out　Socrates；　or；　Thus



we　follow　him　to　the　grave　or　bury　him；　for　false　words　are　not　only



evil　in　themselves；　but　they　infect　the　soul　with　evil。　Be　of　good



cheer；　then；　my　dear　Crito；　and　say　that　you　are　burying　my　body　only；



and　do　with　that　as　is　usual；　and　as　you　think　best。



　　When　he　had　spoken　these　words；　he　arose　and　went　into　the　bath



chamber　with　Crito；　who　bade　us　wait；　and　we　waited；　talking　and



thinking　of　the　subject　of　discourse；　and　also　of　the　greatness　of　our



sorrow；　he　was　like　a　father　of　whom　we　were　being　bereaved；　and　we



were　about　to　pass　the　rest　of　our　lives　as　orphans。　When　he　had　taken



the　bath　his　children　were　brought　to　him…（he　had　two　young　sons　and



an　elder　one）；　and　the　women　of　his　family　also　came；　and　he　talked　to



them　and　gave　them　a　few　directions　in　the　presence　of　Crito；　and　he



then　dismissed　them　and　returned　to　us。



　　Now　the　hour　of　sunset　was　near；　for　a　good　deal　of　time　had



passed　while　he　was　within。　When　he　came　out；　he　sat　down　with　us



again　after　his　bath；　but　not　much　was　said。　Soon　the　jailer；　who



was　the　servant　of　the　Eleven；　entered　and　stood　by　him；　saying：　To



you；　Socrates；　whom　I　know　to　be　the　noblest　and　gentlest　and　best



of　all　who　ever　came　to　this　place；　I　will　not　impute　the　angry



feelings　of　other　men；　who　rage　and　swear　at　me　when；　in　obedience



to　the　authorities；　I　bid　them　drink　the　poison…indeed；　I　am　sure　that



you　will　not　be　angry　with　me；　for　others；　as　you　are　aware；　and　not



I；　are　the　guilty　cause。　And　so　fare　you　well；　and　try　to　bear　lightly



what　must　needs　be；　you　know　my　errand。　Then　bursting　into　tears　he



turned　away　and　went　out。



　　Socrates　looked　at　him　and　said：　I　return　your　go