e；　the　consequences　will　be…　　　Soc。　Do　not　repeat　the　old　story…that　he　who　likes　will　kill　me　and　get　my　money；　for　then　I　shall　have　to　repeat　the　old　answer；　that　he　will　be　a　bad　man　and　will　kill　the　good；　and　that　the　money　will　be　of　no　use　to　him；　but　that　he　will　wrongly　use　that　which　he　wrongly　took；　and　if　wrongly；　basely；　and　if　basely；　hurtfully。　　　Cal。　How　confident　you　are；　Socrates；　that　you　will　never　come　to　harm！　you　seem　to　think　that　you　are　living　in　another　country；　and　can　never　be　brought　into　a　court　of　justice；　as　you　very　likely　may　be　brought　by　some　miserable　and　mean　person。　　　Soc。　Then　I　must　indeed　be　a　fool；　Callicles；　if　I　do　not　know　that　in　the　Athenian　State　any　man　may　suffer　anything。　And　if　I　am　brought　to　trial　and　incur　the　dangers　of　which　you　speak；　he　will　be　a　villain　who　brings　me　to　trial…of　that　I　am　very　sure；　for　no　good　man　would　accuse　the　innocent。　Nor　shall　I　be　surprised　if　I　am　put　to　death。　Shall　I　tell　you　why　I　anticipate　this？　　　Cal。　By　all　means。　　　Soc。　I　think　that　I　am　the　only　or　almost　the　only　Athenian　living　who　practises　the　true　art　of　politics；　I　am　the　only　politician　of　my　time。　Now；　seeing　that　when　I　speak　my　words　are　not　uttered　with　any　view　of　gaining　favour；　and　that　I　look　to　what　is　best　and　not　to　what　is　most　pleasant；　having　no　mind　to　use　those　arts　and　graces　which　you　recommend；　I　shall　have　nothing　to　say　in　the　justice　court。　And　you　might　argue　with　me；　as　I　was　arguing　with　Polus：　…I　shall　be　tried　just　as　a　physician　would　be　tried　in　a　court　of　little　boys　at　the　indictment　of　the　cook。　What　Would　he　reply　under　such　circumstances；　if　some　one　were　to　accuse　him；　saying；　〃O　my　boys；　many　evil　things　has　this　man　done　to　you：　he　is　the　death　of　you；　especially　of　the　younger　ones　among　you；　cutting　and　burning　and　starving　and　suffocating　you；　until　you　know　not　what　to　do；　he　gives　you　the　bitterest　potions；　and　compels　you　to　hunger　and　thirst。　How　unlike　the　variety　of　meats　and　sweets　on　which　I　feasted　you！〃　What　do　you　suppose　that　the　physician　would　be　able　to　reply　when　he　found　himself　in　such　a　predicament？　If　he　told　the　truth　he　could　only　say；　〃All　these　evil　things；　my　boys；　I　did　for　your　health；〃　and　then　would　there　not　just　be　a　clamour　among　a　jury　like　that？　How　they　would　cry　out！　　　Cal。　I　dare　say。　　　Soc。　Would　he　not　be　utterly　at　a　loss　for　a　reply？　　　Cal。　He　certainly　would。　　　Soc。　And　I　too　shall　be　treated　in　the　same　way；　as　I　well　know；　if　I　am　brought　before　the　court。　For　I　shall　not　be　able　to　rehearse　to　the　people　the　pleasures　which　I　have　procured　for　them；　and　which；　although　I　am　not　disposed　to　envy　either　the　procurers　or　enjoyers　of　them；　are　deemed　by　them　to　be　benefits　and　advantages。　And　if　any　one　says　that　I　corrupt　young　men；　and　perplex　their　minds；　or　that　I　speak　evil　of　old　men；　and　use　bitter　words　towards　them；　whether　in　private　or　public；　it　is　useless　for　me　to　reply；　as　I　truly　might：…〃All　this　I　do　for　the　sake　of　justice；　and　with　a　view　to　your　interest；　my　judges；　and　to　nothing　else。〃　And　therefore　there　is　no　saying　what　may　happen　to　me。　　　Cal。　And　do　you　think；　Socrates；　that　a　man　who　is　thus　defenceless　is　in　a　good　position？　　　Soc。　Yes；　Callicles；　if　he　have　that　defence；　which　as　you　have　often　acknowledged　he　should　have…if　he　be　his　own　defence；　and　have　never　said　or　done　anything　wrong；　either　in　respect　of　gods　or　men；　and　this　has　been　repeatedly　acknowledged　by　us　to　be　the　best　sort　of　defence。　And　if　anyone　could　convict　me　of　inability　to　defend　myself　or　others　after　this　sort；　I　should　blush　for　shame；　whether　I　was　convicted　before　many；　or　before　a　few；　or　by　myself　alone；　and　if　I　died　from　want　of　ability　to　do　so；　that　would　indeed　grieve　me。　But　if　I　died　because　I　have　no　powers　of　flattery　or　rhetoric；　I　am　very　sure　that　you　would　not　find　me　repining　at　death。　For　no　man　who　is　not　an　utter　fool　and　coward　is　afraid　of　death　itself；　but　he　is　afraid　of　doing　wrong。　For　to　go　to　the　world　below　having　one's　soul　full　of　injustice　is　the　last　and　worst　of　all　evils。　And　in　proof　of　what　I　say；　if　you　have　no　objection；　I　should　like　to　tell　you　a　story。　　　Cal。　Very　well；　proceed；　and　then　we　shall　have　done。　　　Soc。　Listen；　then；　as　story…tellers　say；　to　a　very　pretty　tale；　which　I　dare　say　that　you　may　be　disposed　to　regard　as　a　fable　only；　but　which；　as　I　believe；　is　a　true　tale；　for　I　mean　to　speak　the　truth。　Homer　tells　us；　how　Zeus　and　Poseidon　and　Pluto　divided　the　empire　which　they　inherited　from　their　father。　Now　in　the　days　of　Cronos　there　existed　a　law　respecting　the　destiny　of　man；　which　has　always　been；　and　still　continues　to　be　in　Heaven…that　he　who　has　lived　all　his　life　in　justice　and　holiness　shall　go；　when　he　is　dead；　to　the　Islands　of　the　Blessed；　and　dwell　there　in　perfect　happiness　out　of　the　reach　of　evil；　but　that　he　who　has　lived　unjustly　and　impiously　shall　go　to　the　house　of　vengeance　and　punishment；　which　is　called　Tartarus。　And　in　the　time　of　Cronos；　and　even　quite　lately　in　the　reign　of　Zeus；　the　judgment　was　given　on　the　very　day　on　which　the　men　were　to　die；　the　judges　were　alive；　and　the　men　were　alive；　and　the　consequence　was　that　the　judgments　were　not　well　given。　Then　Pluto　and　the　authorities　from　the　Islands　of　the　Blessed　came　to　Zeus；　and　said　that　the　souls　found　their　way　to　the　wrong　places。　Zeus　said：　〃I　shall　put　a　stop　to　this；　the　judgments　are　not　well　given；　because　the　persons　who　are　judged　have　their　clothes　on；　for　they　are　alive；　and　there　are　many　who；　having　evil　souls；　are　apparelled　in　fair　bodies；　or　encased　in　wealth　or　rank；　and；　when　the　day　of　judgment　arrives；　numerous　witnesses　come　forward　and　testify　on　their　behalf　that　they　have　lived　righteously。　The　judges　are　awed　by　them；　and　they　themselves　too　have　their　clothes　on　when　judging；　their　eyes　and　ears　and　their　whole　bodies　are　interposed　as　a　well　before　their　own　souls。　All　this　is　a　hindrance　to　them；　there　are　the　clothes　of　the　judges　and　the　clothes　of　the　judged…What　is　to　be　done？　I　will　tell　you：…In　the　first　place；　I　will　deprive　men　of　the　foreknowledge　of　death；　which　they　possess　at　present：　this　power　which　they　have　Prometheus　has　already　received　my　orders　to　take　from　them：　in　the　second　place；　they　shall　be　entirely　stripped　before　they　are　judged；　for　they　shall　be　judged　when　they　are　dead；　and　the　judge　too　shall　be　naked；　that　is　to　say；　dead…he　with　his　naked　soul　shall　pierce　into　the　other　naked　souls；　and　they　shall　die　suddenly　and　be　deprived　of　all　their　kindred；　and　leave　their　brave　attire　strewn　upon　the　earth…conducted　in　this　manner；　the　judgment　will　be　just。　I　knew　all　about　the　matter　before　any　of　you；　and　therefore　I　have　made　my　sons　judges；　two　from　Asia；　Minos　and　Rhadamanthus；　and　one　from　Europe；　Aeacus。　And　these；　when　they　are　dead；　shall　give　judgment　in　the　meadow　at　the　parting　of　the　ways；　whence　the　two　roads　lead；　one　to　the　Islands　of　the　Blessed；　and　the　other　to　Tartarus。　Rhadamanthus　shall　judge　those　who　come　from　Asia；　and　Aeacus　those　who　come　from　Europe。　And　to　Minos　I　shall　give　the　primacy；　and　he　shall　hold　a　court　of　appeal；　in　case　either　of　the　two　others　are　in　any　doubt：…then　the　judgment　respecting　the　last　journey　of　men　will　be　as　just　as　possible。〃　　　From　this　tale；　Callicles；　which　I　have　heard　and　believe；　I　draw　the　following　inferences：…Death；　if　I　am　right；　is　in　the　first　place　the　separation　from　one　another　of　two　things；　soul　and　body；　nothing　else。　And　after　they　are　separated　they　retain　their　several　natures；　as　in　life；　the　body　keeps　the　same　habit；　and　the　results　of　treatment　or　accident　are　distinctly　visible　in　it：　for　example；　he　who　by　nature　or　training　or　both；　was　a　tall　man　while　he　was　alive；　will　remain　as　he　was；　after　he　is　dead；　and　the　fat　man　will　remain　fat；　and　so　on；　and　the　dead　man；　who　in　life　had　a　fancy　to　have　flowing　hair；　will　have　flowing　hair。　And　if　he　was　marked　with　the　whip　and　had　the　prints　of　the　scourge；　or　of　wounds　in　him　when　he　was　alive；　you　might　see　the　same　in　the　dead　body；　and　if　his　limbs　were　broken　or　misshapen　when　he　was　alive；　the　same　appearance　would　be　visible　in　the　dead。　And　in　a　word；　whatever　was　the　habit　of　the　body　during　life　would　be　distinguishable　after　death；　either　perfectly；　or　in　a　great　measure　and　for　a　certain　time。　And　I　should　imagine　that　this　is　equally　true　of　the　soul；　Callicles；　when　a　man　is　stripped　of　the　body；　all　the　natural　or　acquired　affections　of　the　soul　are　laid　open　to　view。　And　when　they　come　to　the　judge；　as　those　from　Asia　come　to　Rhadamanthus；　he　places　them　near　him　and　inspects　them　quite　impartially；　not　knowing　whose　the　soul　is：　perhaps　he　may　lay　hands　on　the　soul　of　the　great　king；　or　of　some　other　king　or　potentate；　who　has　no　soundness　in　him；　but　his　soul　is　marked　with　the　whip；　and　is　full　of　the　prints　and　scars　of　perjuries　and　crimes　with　which　each　action　has　stained　him；　and　he　is　all　crooked　with　falsehood　and　imposture；　and　has　no　straightness；　because　he　has　lived　without　truth。　Him　Rhadamanthus　beholds；　full　of　all　deformity　and　disproportion；　which　is　caused　by　licence　and　luxury　and　insolence　and　incontinence；　and　despatches　him　ignom