Phaedrus — Plato

p. 407And this was what the Interpreter said at the time, as the messenger from the other world reported him to have spoken : ** Even for the last comer, if he chooses wisely and will live diligently, there is appointed a happy and not undesirable existence. Let not the first be careless in his choice, and let not the last despair.

" As he spoke these words he who had the first choice drew near and at once chose the greatest tyranny ; his mind, having been darkened by folly and sensuality, he did not well consider, and therefore did not see at first that he was fated, among other evils, to devour his own children.

But, when he came to himself and saw what was in the lot, he began to beat his breast and lament over his choice, forgetting the proclamation of the Interpreter ; for, instead of blaming himself as the author of his calamity, he accused chance and the gods, and everything rather than himself.

Now he was one of those who came from heaven, and in a former life had dwelt in a well-ordered State, but his virtue was a matter of habit only, and he had no philosophy. And this was more often the fortune of those who came from heaven, because they had no experience of life ; whereas, in general, the dwellers upon earth, who had seen and known trouble, were not in a hurry to choose.

And owing to this inexperience of theirs, and also because the lot was a chance, many of the souls exchanged a good destiny for an evil or an evil for a good.

For if a man had always from the first dedicated himself to sound philosophy, and had been moderately fortunate in the number of the lot, he might, as the messenger reported, be happy in this life, and also his passage to another life and return to this, instead of being rugged and underground, would be smooth and heavenly.

Most curious, he saidy was the spectacle of the election — sad and laughable and strange ; the souls generally choosing according to ^ their condition in a previous life. There he saw the soul that was once Orpheus * choosing the life of a swan out of enmity to the race of women, hating to be born of a woman ^ See Apology, note 51.

By the power of his music Orpheus succeeded in entering the world of the dead and regaining his beautiful young wife Eurydice (G-r^'df-ce) on condition that he should not turn back to see if she were following until they reached the upper air. He looked back, however, and Eurydice was taken from him. In his grief he is said to have hated all women and repelled the advances of those who tried to captivate him. Angered by this, the Thracian women, under the excitement of certain religious rites, tore him to pieces.

p. 408because they had been his murderers ; he saw also the soul of Thamyris* choosing the life of a nightingale; birds, on the other hand, like the swan and other musicians, choosing to be men. The soul which obtained the twentieth lot chose the life of a lion, and this was the soul of Ajax i® the son of Telamon, who would not be a man, remembering the injustice which was done him in the judgment of the arms.

The next was Agamemnon,^^ who took the life of an eagle, because, like Ajax, he hated human nature on account of his sufferings.

About the middle was the lot of Atalanta,^^ she seeing the great fame of an athlete, was unable to resist the temptation ; and after her there came the soul of Epeus ^^ the son of Panopeus passing into the nature of a woman cunning in the arts ; and far away among the last who chose, the soul of the jester Thersites ^* was putting on the form of a monkey.

There came also the soul of Odysseus ^^ having yet to make a choice, and his lot happened to be the last of them all.

Now the recollection of former toils had disenchanted him of ambition, and he went about for a considerable time in search of the life of a private man who had nothing to do ; he had some difficulty in finding this which was lying about and had been neglected by everybody else ; and when he saw it he said that he would have done the same had he been first instead of last, and that he was delighted at his choice.

And not only did men pass into animals, but I must also mention that there were animals tame and wild who changed into one another and into corresponding human natures, the good into the gentle and the evil into the savage, in all sorts of combinations. • Thamyris (tham'y-ris) : a legendary Thracian bard. He challenged the Muses to a trial of skill, was defeated, and deprived by them of sight and the power of song. 10 See Apology, note 56.

He is said to have killed himself because of his defeat in the contest with Odysseus for the armor of Achilles. " Leader in the expedition of the Greeks against Troy.

See Apology, note 21. ^3 Atalanta (St'a-lSn'ta) : a huntress, beautiful and swift of foot " Epeus [(e-pe'us), son of Panopeus (pSn'o-peus)] : maker of the famous wooden horse, which, filled with armed Greeks, was carried by; the unsuspecting Trojans within their walls and proved their destruction. For at night the men concealed within, opened the gates of Troy to the Greeks.

See Apology, note 21. »* Thersites (ther-si'-tez) : one of the Greeks who went to Troy; noted for his impudent talk and insolent brawling ; said to have been kiUed by Achilles because he ridiculed that hero's lament over a fallen foe, " See Apology, note 58.

p. 409All the souls had now chosen their lives, and they went in the order of their choice to Lachesis, who sent with them the genius whom they had severally chosen, to be the guardian of their lives and the fulfiller of the choice ; this genius led the souls first to Clotho, and drew them within the revolution of the spindle impelled by her hand, thus ratifying the destiny of each ; and then, when they were fastened, carried them to Atropos, who spun the threads and made them irreversible ; whence without turning round they passed beneath the ^ throne of Necessity ; and when they had all passed, they marched on in a scorching heat to the plain of Forgetfulness, which was a barren waste destitute of trees and verdure ; and then towards evening they encamped by the river of Negligence, the water of which no vessel can hold ; of this they were all obliged to drink a certain quantity, and those who were not saved by wisdom drank more than was necessary ; and those who drank forgot all things.

Now after they had gone to rest, about the middle of the night there was a thunderstorm and earthquake, and then in an instant they were driven all manner of ways like stars shooting to their birth. He himself was hindered from drinking the water. But in what manner or by what means he returned to the body he could not say ; only, in the morning awaking suddenly, he saw himself lying on the pyre.

And thus, Glaucon, the tile has been saved and has not perished, and may be our salvation if we are obedient to the word spoken ; and we shall pass safely over the river of Forgetfulness and our soul will not be defiled. Wherefore my counsel is, that we hold fast to the heavenly way and follow after jusice and virtue always, considering that the soul is immortal and able to endure every sort of good and every sort of evil.

Thus shall we live dear to one another and to the gods, both while remaining here and when, like conquerors in the games who go round to gather gifts, we receive our reward. And it shall be well with us both in this life and in the pilgrimage of a thousand years which we have been reciting.