| Let us consider in another way also
how good reason there is to hope that
it is a good thing. For the state of death
is one of two things: either it is virtually
nothingness, so that the dead has no
consciousness of anything, or it is, as
people say, a change and migration of
the soul from this to another place.
And if it is unconsciousness, like a
sleep in which the sleeper does not
even dream, death would be a
wonderful gain. For I think if any one
were to pick out that night in which he
slept a dreamless sleep and, comparing
with it the other nights and days of his
life, were to say, after due
consideration, how many days and
nights in his life had passed more
pleasantly than that night,—I believe
that not only any private person, but
even the great King of Persia himself
would find that they were few in
comparison with the other days and
nights. So if such is the nature of
death, I count it a gain; for in that case,
all time seems to be no longer than one
night. But on the other hand, if death is,
as it were, a change of habitation from
here to some other place, and if what
we are told is true, that all the dead are
there, what greater blessing could there
be, judges? For if a man when he
reaches Hades, after leaving behind
these who claim to be judges, shall find
those who are really judges who are
said to sit in judgment there, Minos
and Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus and
Triptolemus, and all the other
demigods who were just men in their
lives, would the change of habitation be
undesirable? Or again, what would any
of you give to meet with Orpheus and
Musaeus and Hesiod and Homer? I
am willing to die many times over, if
these things are true; for I personally
should find the life there wonderful,
when I met Palamedes or Ajax, the
son of Telamon, or any other men of
old who lost their lives through an
unjust judgement, and compared my
experience with theirs. I think that
would not be unpleasant. And the
greatest pleasure would be to pass my
time in examining and investigating the
people there, as I do those here, to find
out who among them is wise and who
thinks he is when he is not. What price
would any of you pay, judges, to
examine him who led the great army
against Troy, or Odysseus, or
Sisyphus, or countless others, both
men and women, whom I might
mention? To converse and associate
with them and examine them would be
immeasurable happiness. At any rate,
the folk there do not kill people for it;
since, if what we are told is true, they
are immortal for all future time, besides
being happier in other respects than
men are here. | Student name:
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