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he relates of the soul:

11.36.1 37. PLUTARCH, CONCERNING THE SAME "We ourselves were with this Antyllus; but let us relate the story to Sositeles and Heracleon. For recently, being sick, he seemed to the physicians to be hopelessly ill; but having recovered a little from a not violent coma, he neither did nor said anything else that was deranged, but said that he had died and had been sent back again and would not die at all from that illness, but that those who had brought him had been rebuked by their lord; for having been sent for Nicandas, they had come bringing him instead of that man. Now this Nicandas was a shoemaker, but otherwise one of those who had been in the wrestling-school and was a familiar acquaintance to many. Therefore the young men coming to him mocked him as if he had run away and corrupted the servants from there. He himself, however, was clearly immediately troubled and displeased; finally, a fever suddenly coming on, he died on the third day. But this man came back to life, and is still living and doing well, a most excellent host to us." 11.36.2 Let these things be set down by me because in the Hebrew scriptures also the revivals of the dead are recorded. And since they also contain promises that a certain land will be given to the friends of God alone, according to the oracle that says, "But the meek shall inherit the earth," and the Word clarifies that this land is heavenly, saying, "But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother," and the prophet hints by way of allegory that this same land is composed of costly and precious stones, saying, "Behold, I prepare carbuncle for your stone, and I will make your battlements of jasper, and your foundations of sapphire, and your wall of choice stones," see how Plato also confesses in his work On the Soul to be persuaded that these very things or similar things are true, attributing the argument to Socrates somewhat as follows:

11.37.1 38. HOW ALSO CONCERNING THE SO-CALLED HEAVENLY EARTH

PLATO DISCOURSES IN A SIMILAR MANNER TO THE HEBREWS "But indeed, Simmias, it does not seem to me to be the art of Glaucus to describe what they are; but that they are true, seems to me more difficult than the art of Glaucus. And at the same time I should perhaps not be able, and at the same time, even if I knew, my life, Simmias, seems to me not long enough for the length of the argument. But the form of the earth, such as I am persuaded it is, and its regions, nothing prevents me from speaking of. But," said Simmias, "even this is enough." 11.37.2 "I am persuaded, then," said he, "first, that if it is in the middle of the heaven, being spherical, it needs neither air to keep it from falling, nor any other such necessity, but that the uniformity of the heaven with itself in every part and the equilibrium of the earth itself is sufficient to hold it; for a thing in equilibrium placed in the middle of something uniform will not be able to incline more or less in any direction, 11.37.3 but being in a like condition, it remains without inclination. First, then," said he, "I am persuaded of this." "And rightly so," said Simmias. "Furthermore, then," he said, "that it is something exceedingly large, and that we who live from the Phasis to the Pillars of Hercules inhabit a small portion of it, like ants or frogs about a marsh, living about the sea, 11.37.4 and that many others live elsewhere in many such places. For there are everywhere about the earth many hollows of all sorts, both in form and in size, into which have flowed together the water and the mist and the air; but the earth itself pure and

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ψυχῆς ἱστορεῖ·

11.36.1 λζʹ. ΠΛΟΥΤΑΡΧΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΟΜΟΙΟΥ «Ἀντύλλῳ δὲ τούτῳ καὶ αὐτοὶ παρῆμεν· ἀλλὰ Σωσιτέλει καὶ Ἡρακλέωνι διηγησώμεθα. νοσῶν γὰρ ἔναγχος ἀβιώτως ἔχειν ἐδόκει τοῖς ἰατροῖς· ἀνενεχθεὶς δὲ μικρὸν ἔκ τινος οὐ βιαίου καταφορᾶς, ἄλλο μὲν οὐδὲν οὔτ' ἔπραξεν οὔτ' εἶπε παρακινητικόν, ἔλεγε δὲ τεθνάναι καὶ πάλιν ἀφεῖσθαι καὶ μὴ τεθνήξεσθαι τὸ παράπαν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀρρωστίας ἐκείνης, ἀλλὰ καὶ κακῶς ἀκηκοέναι τοὺς ἀγαγόντας αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου· πεμφθέντας γὰρ ἐπὶ Νικανδᾶν αὐτὸν ἥκειν ἀντ' ἐκείνου κομίζοντας. ὁ δὲ Νικανδᾶς ἦν σκυτοτόμος, ἄλλως δὲ τῶν ἐν παλαίστρᾳ γεγονότων καὶ πολλοῖς συνήθης καὶ γνώριμος. ὅθεν οἱ νεανίσκοι προσιόντες ἔσκωπτον αὐτὸν ὡς ἀποδεδρακότα καὶ διεφθαρκότα τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν ὑπηρέτας. αὐτὸς μέντοι δῆλος ἦν εὐθὺς ὑποθραττόμενος καὶ δυσχε ραίνων· τέλος δὲ πυρετοῦ προσπεσόντος ἐξαίφνης ἀπέθανε τριταῖος. οὗτος δὲ ἀνεβίω, καὶ περίεστιν εὖ γε ποιῶν, ἡμῖν ξένων ἐπιεικέστατος.» 11.36.2 Ταῦτά μοι κείσθω διὰ τὸ καὶ ἐν ταῖς Ἑβραίων γραφαῖς νεκρῶν ἀναβιώσεις φέρεσθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ γῆν τινα ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις μόνοις τοῖς θεοφιλέσι δοθήσεσθαι περιέχουσι, κατὰ τὸ φάσκον λόγιον· «Οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν,» ταύτην δὲ ἐπουράνιον ὑπάρχειν διασαφεῖ ὁ φάσκων λόγος· «Ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστίν, ἥτις ἐστὶ μήτηρ ἡμῶν» ὅ τε προφήτης τὴν αὐτὴν δὴ ταύτην ἐκ πολυτελῶν καὶ τιμίων συνεστάναι λίθων ἐν τρόπῳ ἀλληγορίας αἰνίττεται λέγων· «Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἑτοιμάζω σοι ἄνθρακα τὸν λίθον σου καὶ θήσω τὰς ἐπάλξεις σου ἴασπιν καὶ τοὺς θεμελίους σου σάπφειρον καὶ τὸν περίβολόν σου λίθους ἐκλεκτούς,» θέα ὡς καὶ ὁ Πλάτων αὐτὰ δὴ ταῦτα ἢ τὰ παραπλήσια πεπεῖσθαι εἶναι ἀληθῆ ἐν τῷ Περὶ ψυχῆς ὁμολογεῖ, Σωκράτει ἀνατιθεὶς τὸν λόγον ὧδέ πη·

11.37.1 ληʹ. ΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΑ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΛΕΓΟΜΕΝΗΣ ΕΠΟΥΡΑΝΙΟΥ ΓΗΣ Ο

ΠΛΑΤΩΝ ΟΜΟΙΩΣ ΕΒΡΑΙΟΙΣ ∆ΙΕΞΕΙΣΙΝ «Ἀλλὰ μέντοι, ὦ Σιμμία, οὐχὶ ἡ Γλαύκου τέχνη γέ μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι διηγήσασθαι ἅ γ' ἐστίν· ὡς μέντοι ἀληθῆ, χαλεπώτερόν μοι φαίνεται ἢ κατὰ τὴν Γλαύκου τέχνην. καὶ ἅμα μὲν ἐγὼ ἴσως οὐδ' ἂν οἷός τε εἴην, ἅμα δέ, καὶ εἰ ἠπιστάμην, ὁ βίος μοι δοκεῖ ὁ ἐμός, ὦ Σιμμία, τῷ μήκει οὐκ ἐξαρκεῖν. τὴν μέντοι ἰδέαν τῆς γῆς, οἵαν πέπεισμαι εἶναι, καὶ τοὺς τόπους αὐτῆς οὐδέν με κωλύει λέγειν. Ἀλλ', ἔφη ὁ Σιμμίας, καὶ ταῦτα ἀρκεῖ. 11.37.2 Πέπεισμαι τοίνυν, ἦ δ' ὅς, ἐγὼ πρῶτον μέν, εἰ ἔστιν ἐν μέσῳ τῷ οὐρανῷ περιφερὴς οὖσα, μηδὲν αὐτῇ δεῖν μήτε ἀέρος πρὸς τὸ μὴ πεσεῖν μήτε ἄλλης ἀνάγκης μηδεμιᾶς τοιαύτης, ἀλλ' ἱκανὴν ἴσχειν αὐτὴν εἶναι τὴν ὁμοιότητα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ αὐτοῦ αὑτῷ πάντη καὶ τῆς γῆς αὐτῆς τὴν ἰσορροπίαν· ἰσόρροπον γὰρ πρᾶγμα ὁμοίου τινὸς ἐν μέσῳ τεθὲν οὐχ ἕξει μᾶλλον οὐδ' ἧττον οὐδαμόσε 11.37.3 κλιθῆναι, ὁμοίως δ' ἔχον ἀκλινὲς μένει. Πρῶτον μὲν δή, ἦ δ' ὅς, τοῦτο πέπεισμαι. Καὶ ὀρθῶς γε, ἔφη ὁ Σιμμίας. Ἔτι τοίνυν, ἔφη, πάμμεγά τι εἶναι αὐτό, καὶ ἡμᾶς οἰκεῖν τοὺς μέχρι Ἡρακλείων στηλῶν ἀπὸ Φάσιδος ἐν μικρῷ τινι μορίῳ, ὥσπερ περὶ τέλμα μύρμηκας ἢ βατράχους περὶ τὴν θάλατταν 11.37.4 οἰκοῦντας, καὶ ἄλλους ἄλλοθι πολλοὺς ἐν πολλοῖς οἰκεῖν. εἶναι γὰρ πανταχῆ περὶ τὴν γῆν πολλὰ κοῖλα καὶ παντοδαπὰ καὶ τὰς ἰδέας καὶ τὰ μεγέθη, εἰς ἃ ξυνερρυηκέναι τό τε ὕδωρ καὶ τὴν ὁμίχλην καὶ τὸν ἀέρα· αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν γῆν καθαρὰν τε