SimmiasandCebesremainindoubt; , who, havingsungthepraisesofApolloallhislifelong, .‘Andiftruthdivineandinspiredisnottobehad, thenletamantakethebestofhumannotions, anduponthisfrailbarklethimsailthroughlife.’ Heproceedstostatehisdifficulty: Ithasbeenarguedthatthesoulisinvisibleandincorporeal, andthereforeimmortal, , andhasshenotthesamerelationtothebody, astheharmony—whichlikeherisinvisible—hastothelyre? , ; forafterhavingwornoutmanybodiesinasinglelife, andmanymoreinsuccessivebirthsanddeaths, shemayatlastperish, or, asSocratesafterwardsrestatestheobjection, theveryactofbirthmaybethebeginningofherdeath, andherlastbodymaysurviveher, justasthecoatofanoldweaverisleftbehindhimafterheisdead, , mustprovenotonlythatthesouloutlivesoneormanybodies, butthatsheoutlivesthemall.

Theaudience, likethechorusinaplay, foramomentinterpretthefeelingsoftheactors; thereisatemporarydepression, , likemen, areapttobedeceivers; , , whoisabouttodie, issensibleofhisownweakness; hedesirestobeimpartial, , iftheythinkthatheisinerror.