Republic

”For he said that this spectacle was worth seeing, how each of the souls chose their lives; for it was pitiful, ridiculous, and wonderful to see. For they chose for the most part according to the habit of their former life. For he said he saw the soul that had once been Orpheus’ choosing the life of a swan, because of his hatred of the female race on account of his death at their hands, not wishing to be born of a woman. And he saw that of Thamyras choosing that of a nightingale; and he saw also a swan changing to the choice of a human life, and other musical animals likewise. And the soul that drew the twentieth lot chose the life of a lion; and it was that of Ajax, son of Telamon, fleeing from becoming a human, remembering the judgment of the arms. And the one after this was Agamemnon’s; and this one too, out of enmity toward the human race because of his sufferings, exchanged its life for that of an eagle. And the soul of Atalanta, having drawn a lot in the middle, seeing the great honors of an athletic man, could not pass it by, but took it. And after her, he saw the soul of Epeius, son of Panopeus, passing into the nature of an artistic woman; and far off among the last, he saw that of the buffoon Thersites putting on the form of an ape. And by chance the soul of Odysseus, having drawn the very last lot of all, went to make its choice, and from memory of its former labors, having recovered from ambition, went about for a long time seeking the life of a private man who minded his own business, and with difficulty found one lying somewhere, neglected by the others; and said on seeing it that it would have done the same even if it had drawn the first lot, and chose it gladly. And indeed from the other beasts likewise they passed into humans and into one another, the unjust changing into wild beasts and the just into tame ones, and all kinds of mixtures being mixed. But when all the souls had chosen their lives, they went forward to Lachesis in the order in which they had drawn their lots; and she sent along with each the daemon he had chosen, as a guardian of his life and a fulfiller of his choices. Who first led the soul to Clotho, under her hand and the turn of the whirl of her spindle, ratifying the fate which it had chosen when it drew its lot; and having touched this, he led it again to the spinning of Atropos, making the things spun irreversible;

​and from there, without turning back, they went under the throne of Necessity, and having passed through it, when the others also had passed, they all marched to the plain of Lethe through terrible heat and choking; for indeed it was bare of trees and all that the earth grows. So they encamped, when evening came, by the river Ameles, whose water no vessel can hold. Now it was necessary for all to drink a certain measure of the water, but those who were not saved by wisdom drank more than the measure; and he who drank was ever forgetful of all things. But when they had fallen asleep and it became midnight, there was thunder and an earthquake, and from there suddenly they were carried upward, one this way, one that, to their birth, shooting like stars. But he himself was prevented from drinking the water; however, in what way and how he returned to his body, he did not know, but suddenly opening his eyes, he saw himself lying at dawn upon the pyre. And thus, Glaucon, the myth was saved and not lost, and it would save us, if we believe it, and we shall cross the river of Lethe well and not defile our soul. But if we believe me, holding that the soul is immortal and capable of enduring all evils and all goods, we shall always hold to the upward path and practice justice with wisdom in every way, so that we may be friends both to ourselves and to the gods, both while we remain here, and when we receive its rewards, like victors going about gathering prizes, and both here and in the thousand-year journey which we have described, we may fare well.”