Forafterdeaththesouliscarriedawaytojudgment, , andfollowstheattendantangelwhoguidesherthroughthewindingsoftheworldbelow; buttheimpuresoulwandershitherandthitherwithoutcompanionorguide, andiscarriedatlasttoherownplace, asthepuresoulisalsocarriedawaytohers.‘Inorderthatyoumayunderstandthis, Imustfirstdescribetoyouthenatureandconformationoftheearth.’

Nowthewholeearthisaglobeplacedinthecentreoftheheavens, , whereincollectthemistsandwatersandthethicklowerair; butthetrueearthisabove, , likebirds, wecouldflytothesurfaceoftheair, inthesamemannerthatfishescometothetopofthesea, ; andeventhelandwhichisfairerthanthesea, forthatisamerechaosorwasteofwaterandmudandsand, , sparklingwithjewelsbrighterthangoldandwhiterthananysnow, , othersin ‘isletsoftheblest,’ andtheyholdconversewiththegods, andbeholdthesun, moonandstarsastheytrulyare, andtheirotherblessednessisofapiecewiththis.

Thehollowsonthesurfaceoftheglobevaryinsizeandshapefromthatwhichweinhabit: , intowhichstreamsoffireandwaterandliquidmudareeverflowing; , intheircourseforminglakesandrivers, butneverdescendingbelowthecentreoftheearth; , andtherearefourprincipalones, Oceanus, Acheron, Pyriphlegethon, ; Acherontakesanoppositedirection, andafterflowingundertheearththroughdesertplaces, atlastreachestheAcherusianlake,—, , Cocytus, isthatwhichiscalledbythepoetstheStygianriver, andpassesintoandformsthelakeStyx, , too, fallsintoTartarus.