meno   

cannot; for he does not know the, very subject about which he is to

enquire.

Men. Well, Socrates, and is not the argument sound?

Soc. I think not.

Men. Why not?

Soc. I will tell you why: I have heard from certain wise men and

women who spoke of things divine that-

Men. What did they say?

Soc. They spoke of a glorious truth, as I conceive.

Men. What was it? and who were they?

Soc. Some of them were priests and priestesses, who had studied

how they might be able to give a reason of their profession: there,

have been poets also, who spoke of these things by inspiration, like

Pindar, and many others who were inspired. And they say-mark, now, and

see whether their words are true-they say that the soul of man is

immortal, and at one time has an end, which is termed dying, and at

another time is born again, but is never destroyed. And the moral

is, that a man ought to live always in perfect holiness. "For in the

ninth year Persephone sends the souls of those from whom she has

received the penalty of ancient crime back again from beneath into the

light of the sun above, and these are they who become noble kings

and mighty men and great in wisdom and are called saintly heroes in

after ages." The soul, then, as being immortal, and having been born

again many times, rand having seen all things that exist, whether in

this world or in the world below, has knowledge of them all; and it is

no wonder that she should be able to call to remembrance all that

she ever knew about virtue, and about everything; for as all nature is

akin, and the soul has learned all things; there is no difficulty in

her eliciting or as men say learning, out of a single recollection

-all the rest, if a man is strenuous and does not faint; for all

enquiry and all learning is but recollection. And therefore we ought

not to listen to this sophistical argument about the impossibility