24.  Such was the case, and his galleon was laden with all the learning attainable by the nature of man; for beyond Cadiz41    Beyond Cadiz.  The Atlantic Ocean beyond Cadiz was reputed impassable by the ancients. there is no passage.  There was left no other need but that of rising to a more perfect life, and grasping those hopes upon which we were agreed.  The day of our departure was at hand, with its attendant speeches of farewell, and of escort, its invitations to return, its lamentations, embraces and tears.  For there is nothing so painful to any one, as is separation from Athens and one another, to those who have been comrades there.  On that occasion was seen a piteous spectacle, worthy of record.  Around us were grouped our fellow students and classmates and some of our teachers, protesting amid entreaties, violence, and persuasion, that, whatever happened, they would not let us go; saying and doing everything that men in distress could do.  And here I will bring an accusation against myself, and also, daring though it be, against that divine and irreproachable soul.  For he, by detailing the reasons of his anxiety to return home, was able to prevail over their desire to retain him, and they were compelled, though with reluctance, to agree to his departure.  But I was left behind at Athens, partly, to say the truth, because I had been prevailed on—partly because he had betrayed me, having been persuaded to forsake and hand over to his captors one who refused to forsake him.  A thing incredible, before it happened.  For it was like cutting one body into two, to the destruction of either part, or the severance of two bullocks who have shared the same manger and the same yoke, amid pitiable bellowings after one another in protest against the separation.  However, my loss was not of long duration, for I could not long bear to be seen in piteous plight, nor to have to account to every one for our separation:  so, after a brief stay at Athens, my longing desire made me, like the horse in Homer, to burst the bonds of those who restrained me, and prancing o’er the plains, rush to my mate.

Εἶχε μὲν οὖν οὕτω ταῦτα, καὶ πλήρης παιδεύσεως ἡ φορτίς, ὡς γοῦν ἐφικτὸν ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει: τὸ γὰρ ἐπέκεινα Γαδείρων οὐ περατόν: ἔδει δὲ λοιπὸν ἐπανόδου καὶ βίου τελεωτέρου καὶ τοῦ λαβέσθαι τῶν ἐλπιζομένων ἡμῖν καὶ συγκειμένων. Παρῆν ἡ τῆς ἐκδημίας ἡμέρα καὶ ὅσα τῆς ἐκδημίας: ἐξιτήριοι λόγοι, προπόμπιοι, ἀνακλήσεις, οἰμωγαί, περιπλοκαί, δάκρυα. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως οὐδενὶ λυπηρόν, ὡς τοῖς ἐκεῖσε συννόμοις Ἀθηνῶν καὶ ἀλλήλων τέμνεσθαι. Γίνεται δὴ τότε θέαμά τι ἐλεεινὸν καὶ ἱστορίας ἄξιον. Περιστάντες ἡμᾶς ὁ τῶν ἑταίρων καὶ ἡλίκων χορός, ἔστι δὲ ὧν καὶ διδασκάλων, οὐδ' ἂν εἴ τι γένοιτο μεθήσειν ἔφασκον, ἀντιβολοῦντες, βιαζόμενοι, πείθοντες: τί γὰρ οὐ λέγοντες; τί δ' οὐ πράττοντες, ὧν τοὺς ἀλγοῦντας εἰκός; Ἐνταῦθά τι κατηγορήσω μὲν ἐμαυτοῦ, κατηγορήσω δὲ τῆς θείας ἐκείνης καὶ ἀλήπτου ψυχῆς, εἰ καὶ τολμηρόν. Ὁ μὲν γάρ, τὰς αἰτίας εἰπὼν τῆς περὶ τὴν ἐπάνοδον φιλονεικίας, κρείττων ὤφθη τῶν κατεχόντων: καὶ βίᾳ μέν, συνεχωρήθη δ' οὖν ὅμως τὴν ἐκδημίαν: ἐγὼ δὲ ὑπελείφθην Ἀθήνησι: τὸ μέν τι μαλακισθείς, εἰρήσεται γὰρ τἀληθές, τὸ δέ τι προδοθεὶς παρ' ἐκείνου, πεισθέντος ἀφεῖναι μὴ ἀφιέντα καὶ παραχωρῆσαι τοῖς ἕλκουσι. Πρᾶγμα, πρὶν γενέσθαι, μὴ πιστευόμενον: γίνεται γὰρ ὥσπερ ἑνὸς σώματος εἰς δύο τομὴ καὶ ἀμφοτέρων νέκρωσις, ἢ μόσχων συντρόφων καὶ ὁμοζύγων διάζευξις γοερὸν μυκωμένων ἐπ' ἀλλήλοις καὶ οὐ φερόντων τὴν ἀλλοτρίωσιν. Οὐ μὴν μακρότερόν μοι τὸ τῆς ζημίας: οὐ γὰρ ἠνειχόμην ἐπὶ πλέον ἐλεεινὸς ὁρᾶσθαι καὶ πᾶσι λόγον ὑπέχειν τῆς διαστάσεως: ἀλλ' ἐπιμείναντά με ταῖς Ἀθήναις χρόνον οὐχὶ συχνόν, ποιεῖ τὸν Ὁμηρικὸν ἵππον ὁ πόθος: καὶ τὰ δεσμὰ ῥήξας τῶν κατεχόντων κροαίνω κατὰ πεδίων καὶ πρὸς τὸν σύννομον ἐφερόμην.