phaedo-第13章

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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　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　dwel