Γ. Ταῦτα δέ μου διεξιόντος μεταξὺ κατασείσασα τῇ χειρὶ ἡ διδάσκαλος
_ Γ. Τί οὖν ἂν εἴη, φημὶ, τὸ πῦρ, ἢ τὸ χάσμα, ἢ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν εἰρημένων, ἢ μὴ ἃ λέγεται
Γ. Τί οὖν, εἶπον, ἐν τούτοις ἐστὶ τὸ δόγμα
_ Γ. Τί οὖν χρὴ λέγειν, εἶπον, πρὸς τοὺς μικροψύχως ταῖς συμβολαῖς διακειμένους
_ Μ. Τί οὖν, φησὶ, τούτων ἀμνημόνευτον ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐστίν
_ Γ. Αὐτὸ, φημὶ, τὸ δόγμα τῆς ἀναστάσεως.
Μ. Καὶ μὴν πολλὰ, φησὶ, τῶν νῦν διεξοδικῶς εἰρημένων, πρὸς τοῦτον τὸν σκοπὸν φέρει.
She ceased after this statement and allowed the discussion a short interval, in which I reviewed mentally all that had been said; and reverting to that former course of proof in her discourse, that it was not impossible that the soul after the body’s dissolution should reside in its atoms, I again addressed her. Where is that much-talked-of and renowned Hades62 ᾅδου ὄνομα., then? The word is in frequent circulation both in the intercourse of daily life, and in the writings of the heathens and in our own; and all think that into it, as into a place of safe-keeping, souls migrate from here. Surely you would not call your atoms that Hades.
_Γ. Ἐγὼ, ταῦτα διεξελθούσης, ἐπειδὴ παυσαμένη βραχύ τι ἔδωκε τῷ λόγῳ διαλιπεῖν, καὶ συνελεξάμην τῇ διανοίᾳ τὰ εἰρημένα, πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν προτέραν διέδραμον ἀκολουθίαν τοῦ λόγου, ἐν ᾧ κατεσκευάζετο, μὴ ἀδύνατον εἶναι τὴν ψυχὴν διαλυθέντος τοῦ σώματος ἐν τοῖς στοιχείοις εἶναι. Καὶ τοῦτο εἶπον πρὸς τὴν διδάσκαλον: Ποῦ ἐκεῖνο τὸ πολυθρύλλητον τοῦ ᾅδου ὄνομα: πολὺ μὲν ἐν τῇ συνηθείᾳ τοῦ βίου, πολὺ δὲ ἐν ταῖς συγγραφαῖς ταῖς τε ἔξωθεν καὶ ταῖς ἡμετέραις περιφερόμενον, εἰς ὃ πάντες οἴονται καθάπερ δοχεῖον ἐνθένδε τὰς ψυχὰς μετανίστασθαι; Οὐ γὰρ ἂν τὰ στοιχεῖα τὸν ᾅδην λέγοις.