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So then the souls of the departed have some power after they have died and take care of human affairs. These are true, but the arguments containing them are long. But one must believe the other reports about such things, since they are so many and very ancient, and one must also believe the lawgivers that these things are so, unless they appear to be utterly foolish.” 12.3.2 And in the book of the Maccabees it is said that Jeremiah the prophet was seen praying for the people after his departure from life, as one who takes care of the people on earth. And Plato says that one must believe these things. 12.4.1 4. THAT IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO HAND DOWN THE FIRST INTRODUCTIONS TO CHILDREN IN THE FORM OF MYTHS; FROM THE SECOND BOOK OF THE REPUBLIC

“There are two kinds of stories: the one true, and the other false. Yes. And we must educate in both, but first in the false ones? I do not understand, he said, what you mean. You do not understand, I said, that we first tell myths to children. This, to speak generally, is false, but there are also true things in it. And we use myths with children before we use physical exercises. That is so.” 12.4.2 These things Plato says. And among the Hebrews too it is the custom to hand down the histories of the inspired Scripture to those who are children in soul more simply, as if they were certain myths, but to those who are trained in their disposition, the deeper and dogmatic theories of the words through what is called the ‘repetition’ and clarification of the meanings hidden from the many.

12.5.1 5. THAT NOT THE HARMFUL MYTHS ALONE TO CHILDREN

BUT THE BENEFICIAL ONES IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO TEACH “Don’t you know, then, that the beginning of any work is the most important part, especially for any young and tender thing? For it is then that it is best molded and receives the impression that 12.5.2 one wishes to stamp on each. Entirely so. Shall we then lightly allow children to hear any chance myths fashioned by chance persons and to receive into their souls opinions for the most part contrary to those which, 12.5.3 when they are grown up, we shall think they ought to have? We shall not allow it at all. First, then, it seems, we must supervise the myth-makers, and what they make that is beautiful, we must approve, and what is not, we must reject. And the ones we have approved we will persuade the nurses and mothers to tell to the children and to mold their souls with the myths much more than their bodies with their hands. And most of those they now tell must be thrown out.” 12.5.4 And these things were observed among the Hebrews before Plato. For those who had a divine spirit, a spirit of discernment, would approve the things rightly said and written from the holy spirit, and would reject those that were not such, just as also the words of the false prophets. But also it was the custom for parents and nurses to charm their infant children with the most beneficial narratives from the divine scriptures, as with certain myths, for the sake of preparation for the piety that would be theirs when they became men.

12.6.1 6. THAT PLATO ACCEPTED FAITH NOT BY REASON ALONE BUT ALSO BY THE VERY DISPOSITION TO BELIEVE AND BE PERSUADED OF THESE THINGS

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ἄρα αἱ τῶν τελευτησάντων ψυχαὶ δύναμιν ἔχουσί τινα τελευτήσασαι καὶ τῶν κατὰ ἀνθρώπους πραγμάτων ἐπιμελοῦνται. ταῦτα ἀληθεῖς μέν, μακροὶ δέ εἰσι περιέχοντες λόγοι. πιστεύειν δὲ ταῖς τε ἄλλαις φήμαις χρεὼν περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, οὕτω πολλαῖς καὶ σφόδρα παλαιαῖς οὔσαις, πιστεύειν δὲ καὶ τοῖς νομοθετοῦσι ταῦθ' οὕτως ἔχειν, ἄνπερ μὴ παντάπασιν ἄφρονες φαίνωνται.» 12.3.2 Καὶ ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ δὲ τῶν Μακκαβαίων λέγεται Ἱερεμίας ὁ προφήτης μετὰ τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τοῦ βίου εὐχόμενος ὁρᾶσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ, ὡς φροντίδα ποιούμενος τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώπων. δεῖν δέ φησι καὶ ὁ Πλάτων τούτοις πιστεύειν. 12.4.1 δʹ. ΟΤΙ ∆ΕΗΣΕΙ ΕΝ ΣΧΗΜΑΤΙ ΜΥΘΩΝ ΤΑΣ ΠΡΩΤΑΣ ΕΙΣΑΓΩΓΑΣ ΤΟΙΣ

ΠΑΙΣΙ ΠΑΡΑ∆Ι∆ΟΝΑΙ· ΑΠΟ ΤΟΥ ∆ΕΥΤΕΡΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΛΙΤΕΙΑΣ «Λόγων δὲ δισσὸν εἶδος· τὸ μὲν ἀληθές, ψεῦδος δὲ ἕτερον. Ναί. Παιδευτέον δὲ ἐν ἀμφοτέροις, πρότερον δὲ ἐν τοῖς ψευδέσιν; Οὐ μανθάνω, ἔφη, πῶς λέγεις. Οὐ μανθάνεις, ἦν δ' ἐγώ, ὅτι πρῶτον τοῖς παιδίοις μῦθον λέγομεν. τοῦτο δέ που ὡς τὸ ὅλον εἰπεῖν ψεῦδος, ἔνι δὲ καὶ ἀληθῆ. πρότερον δὲ μύθοις πρὸς τὰ παιδία ἢ γυμνασίοις χρώμεθα. Ἔστι ταῦτα.» 12.4.2 Ταῦτα ὁ Πλάτων. καὶ παρ' Ἑβραίοις δὲ τὰς τῆς ἐνθέου γραφῆς ἱστορίας τοῖς νηπίοις τὰς ψυχὰς ἁπλούστερον ὥσπερ τινὰς μύθους ἔθος ἐστὶ παραδιδόναι, τοῖς δὲ ἐγγεγυμνασμένοις τὴν ἕξιν τὰς τῶν λόγων βαθυτέρας καὶ δογματικὰς θεωρίας διὰ τῆς καλουμένης δευτερώσεως καὶ σαφηνείας τῶν λανθανόντων τοὺς πολλοὺς νοημάτων.

12.5.1 εʹ. ΟΤΙ ΜΗ ΤΟΥΣ ΕΠΙΒΛΑΒΕΙΣ ΜΥΘΟΥΣ ΤΟΙΣ ΠΑΙΣΙ ΜΟΝΟΥΣ

∆Ε ΤΟΥΣ ΩΦΕΛΙΜΟΥΣ ∆ΕΗΣΕΙ ΚΑΤΕΠΑΙ∆ΕΙΝ «Οὐκοῦν οἶσθ' ὅτι ἀρχὴ παντὸς ἔργου μέγιστον, ἄλλως τε δὴ καὶ νέῳ καὶ ἁπαλῷ ὁτῳοῦν; μάλιστα γὰρ δὴ τότε πλάττεται καὶ ἐνδύεται τύπος, ὃν 12.5.2 ἄν τις βούληται ἐνσημήνασθαι ἑκάστῳ. Κομιδῇ μὲν οὖν. Ἆρ' οὖν ῥᾳδίως οὕτω παρήσομεν τοὺς ἐπιτυχόντας μύθους πλασθέντας ἀκούειν τοὺς παῖδας καὶ λαμβάνειν ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὡς ἐπιτοπολὺ ἐναντίας δόξας ἐκείναις ἅς, 12.5.3 ἐπειδὰν τελεωθῶσιν, ἔχειν οἰησόμεθα δεῖν αὐτούς; Οὐδ' ὁπωστιοῦν παρήσομεν. Πρῶτον μὲν δὴ ἡμῖν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐπιστατητέον τοῖς μυθοποιοῖς καὶ ὃν μὲν ἂν καλὸν ποιήσωσιν, ἐγκριτέον, ὃν δ' ἂν μή, ἀποκριτέον. τοὺς δ' ἐγκριθέντας πείσομεν τὰς τροφούς τε καὶ μητέρας λέγειν τοῖς παισὶ καὶ πλάττειν τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν τοῖς μύθοις πολὺ μᾶλλον ἢ τὰ σώματα ταῖς χερσίν. ὧν δὲ νῦν λέγουσι τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐκβλητέον.» 12.5.4 Καὶ ταῦτα πρὸ τοῦ Πλάτωνος πεφύλακτο παρ' Ἑβραίοις. οἱ γὰρ ἔχοντες πνεῦμα θεῖον, διακριτικὸν πνευμάτων, ἐδοκίμαζον τὰ ὀρθῶς καὶ ἐξ ἁγίου πνεύματος λεγόμενά τε καὶ γραφόμενα, τὰ δὲ μὴ τοιαῦτα ἀπεδοκίμαζον, ὥσπερ καὶ τοὺς τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν λόγους. ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς νηπίους ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν θείων γραφῶν ὠφελιμωτάταις διηγήσεσιν, ὥσπερ τισὶ μυθολογίαις, γονεῦσί τε καὶ τροφοῖς ἔθος ἦν κατεπᾴδειν, προπαρασκευῆς ἕνεκα τῆς εἰς ἄνδρας αὐτοῖς ἐσομένοις θεοσεβείας

12.6.1 ʹ. ΟΤΙ ΜΗ ΛΟΓΩΙ ΜΟΝΟΝ ΑΠΕ∆ΕΧΕΤΟ ΤΗΝ ΠΙΣΤΙΝ Ο ΠΛΑΤΩΝ ΑΛΛΑ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΤΗΙ ∆ΙΑΘΕΣΕΙ ΤΟΥΤΟΙΣ ΠΙΣΤΕΥΕΙΝ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΠΕΙΣΘΑΙ