Book X, 619–621

619a One must go down to Hades holding fast to this conviction, so that even there one may remain undazzled by wealth and other such evils, and not fall into tyrannies and other deeds of that kind, doing many irreparable wrongs and suffering still greater ones oneself. One must learn always to choose the life that lies between such extremes, and to flee what exceeds the measure in either direction, so far as one can in this life and in every life to come. For in this way 619b a human being becomes happiest.

And so, the messenger from that world reported, the prophet spoke even then in these words: “Even for the one who comes forward last, if he chooses with understanding and lives earnestly, there lies a life to be loved, not a wretched one. Let the first to choose not be careless, nor the last lose heart.”

When he had said this, the soul that had drawn the first lot, Er said, came straight forward and chose the greatest tyranny. In folly and greed he made his choice without examining everything closely enough; 619c he failed to notice that it held the fated eating of his own children and other evils. But when he had time to look at it, he beat his breast and lamented his choice, refusing to abide by the prophet’s warning. He blamed his evils not on himself but on chance, on divine powers, and on everything rather than himself. He was one of those who had come down from heaven: in his former life he had lived in a well-ordered city and had shared in virtue through habit, 619d without philosophy. Broadly speaking, no fewer of those who came from heaven were caught in such choices, for they had no training in suffering; most of those who had come up from the earth, having suffered themselves and seen others suffer, did not make their choices in a rush. That, together with the chance of the lot, was why most souls exchanged evil for good or good for evil. For if a person, whenever he arrived in this life, always practiced philosophy soundly, 619e and if his lot for choosing did not fall among the very last, then, judging from the reports from that world, he would likely not only be happy here, but would make his journey from here to there and back again not by a rough road under the earth, but by a smooth and heavenly one.

This, he said, was a sight worth seeing: how each 620a soul chose its life. It was a sight at once pitiable, laughable, and astonishing. For most chose according to the habits of their former lives. He saw, he said, the soul that had once been Orpheus choosing the life of a swan. Because he hated womankind for having died at their hands, he would not be conceived and born of a woman. He saw the soul of Thamyris choose the life of a nightingale; he also saw a swan pass over to the choice of a human life, and other musical creatures do the same. 620b The soul that drew the twentieth lot chose a lion’s life: it was the soul of Ajax, son of Telamon, who fled becoming a human being again, remembering the judgment over the arms. Next came Agamemnon’s soul; his own hatred of humankind, born of what he had suffered, led him to take an eagle’s life instead. The soul of Atalanta drew a lot somewhere in the middle. When she saw the great honors of a male athlete, she could not pass them by, but took that life. After 620c her he saw the soul of Epeius, son of Panopeus, entering the nature of a craftswoman. Far away, among the last, he saw the soul of Thersites the buffoon putting on the life of a monkey. By chance the soul of Odysseus drew the very last lot of all, and came forward to choose. Remembering his former hardships, his ambition now spent, he went about for a long time seeking the life of a private man who kept clear of public affairs. At last he found it lying somewhere, overlooked 620d by the others. When he saw it he said he would have done the same if he had drawn the first lot, and chose it with delight. In the same way, souls passed from the other beasts into human beings and into one another, the unjust changing into savage creatures, the just into gentle ones, and every kind of mixture was made.

When all the souls had chosen their lives, they approached Lachesis in the order of their lots. She sent with each the divine spirit it had chosen, to guard its life 620e and bring its choice to fulfillment. This spirit first led the soul to Clotho, beneath her hand and the turning of her spindle, confirming the fate that the soul had drawn and chosen. After touching her, it led the soul again to the spinning of Atropos, making what had been spun irreversible.

From there, without turning back, each passed beneath the throne of 621a Necessity. Once all had passed through, they traveled together to the Plain of Forgetfulness, through terrible heat and stifling air; the plain was bare of trees and of everything else the earth brings forth. As evening fell, they camped by the River of Negligence, whose water no vessel can hold. All were obliged to drink a certain measure of its water, but those who were not kept safe by wisdom drank more than the measure. Whoever drank forgot everything. When they had fallen asleep 621b and it was midnight, thunder and an earthquake came, and suddenly each was carried away in a different direction, upward into birth, darting like stars. Er himself was prevented from drinking the water. How or by what path he returned to his body he did not know; but suddenly he opened his eyes and saw himself lying on the funeral pyre at dawn.

And so, Glaucon, the tale was saved and not lost; 621c it may save us too, if we heed it. We shall cross the River of Forgetfulness safely and keep our souls unstained. If we heed my counsel, believing the soul immortal and able to endure every evil and every good, we shall always hold to the upward road and practice justice with wisdom in every way. Then we shall be friends to ourselves and to the gods, both while we remain here and when we carry off the prizes 621d of justice, as victors gather their rewards. And both here and on that thousand-year journey we have described, we shall fare well.

619a A person must go to the world of the dead with this belief. Then, even there, wealth and other such evils will not throw him off course. He will not fall into a tyrant’s life or similar activities, do many terrible things that cannot be undone, and suffer even worse things himself. Instead, he will know how to choose a life between these extremes and avoid going too far in either direction, as far as he can in this life and in every life after it. For that is how 619b a person becomes happiest.

And the messenger from that place reported that the spokesman then said this: “Even for the person who comes forward last, if he chooses wisely and lives with determination, a life worth having is available, not a bad one. Let the first chooser be careful, and let the last not lose heart.”

After he said this, the messenger told us, the person who drew the first place came straight forward and chose the greatest tyranny. In his foolish greed he made the choice without examining everything carefully. He failed 619c to notice that his allotted fate included eating his own children and other evils. When he had time to look it over, he beat his breast and grieved over his choice. He did not follow the spokesman’s earlier warning. He blamed his troubles not on himself but on chance, the divine spirits, and anything else rather than himself. He was one of those who had come from heaven. In his previous life he had lived in a well-ordered city and had acquired virtue by habit, 619d without philosophy. On the whole, no fewer of those caught in such choices had come from heaven, since they had no practice in suffering. Most of those who came from the earth had suffered themselves and seen others suffer, so they did not make their choices in a rush. This, along with the luck of the draw, is why most souls experience a reversal of good and bad fortune. But if someone always practiced philosophy soundly whenever he came into this life, 619e and if his turn to choose did not fall among the very last, then, judging by the reports from that other place, he would probably be happy not only here. His journey from here to there and back again would also take him not along a rough path beneath the earth but along a smooth path through heaven.

The messenger said that this was a sight worth seeing: how each 620a soul chose its life. It was sad, funny, and astonishing to watch. Most made their choices according to the habits of their former lives. He said he saw the soul that had once been Orpheus choose the life of a swan. Women had caused his death, and he hated them so much that he would not be born from a woman and become human again. He saw the soul of Thamyris choose the life of a nightingale. He also saw a swan choose to change to a human life, and other musical animals do the same. 620b The soul that drew the twentieth turn chose a lion’s life. It was the soul of Ajax, son of Telamon. He remembered the judgment about the armor and did not want to become human again. Agamemnon’s soul came next. It too hated the human race because of what it had suffered, and exchanged its life for an eagle’s. Atalanta’s soul drew a turn somewhere in the middle. She saw the great honors given to a male athlete and could not pass them up, so she chose that life. 620c After her, he saw the soul of Epeius, son of Panopeus, go into the life of a woman skilled at crafts. Far back among the last, he saw the soul of Thersites, the clown, take on the life of a monkey. As chance would have it, Odysseus’ soul drew the very last turn. The memory of his past troubles had put an end to his ambition. He went around for a long time looking for the life of an ordinary man who kept out of public affairs. With difficulty he found it lying somewhere, overlooked 620d by everyone else. When he saw it, he said that he would have made the same choice even if he had drawn the first turn, and he chose it gladly. Other animals also turned into humans and into one another. The unjust changed into wild animals and the just into tame ones. Every kind of mixture occurred.

When all the souls had chosen their lives, they went up to Lachesis in the order in which their turns had been drawn. She sent with each of them the divine spirit that soul had chosen, to guard its life 620e and carry out what it had chosen. This spirit first led the soul to Clotho. Beneath her hand and the turning of her spindle, it confirmed the fate the soul had received by lot and chosen. After touching her spindle, the spirit led the soul to the spinning of Atropos, making what had been spun impossible to undo. From there the soul went on, without turning back, beneath the throne of 621a Necessity. Once it had passed through, and all the others had passed through too, they all traveled to the Plain of Forgetfulness in terrible heat that made it hard to breathe. The plain had no trees or anything else that grows from the earth. As evening came, they camped beside the River of Neglect, whose water no vessel can hold. Each of them had to drink a certain amount of its water. Those who lacked the sense to restrain themselves drank more than that amount. Anyone who drank it 621b forgot everything. When they fell asleep and midnight came, there was thunder and an earthquake. Suddenly they were carried upward in different directions to be born, shooting like stars. The messenger himself had been prevented from drinking the water. He did not know where or how he got back into his body. He suddenly opened his eyes at dawn and saw himself lying on the funeral pyre.

And so, Glaucon, the story was saved and did not perish. 621c It can save us too if we believe it. We will cross the River of Forgetfulness safely and keep our souls unstained. If we take my advice, we will believe that the soul is immortal and can endure every evil and every good. We will always follow the upward path and practice justice together with wisdom in every way. Then we will be friends to ourselves and to the gods, both while we remain here and when we receive the rewards 621d for justice, like victorious athletes going around to collect their prizes. And we will do well both here and on the thousand-year journey that we have described.