Plato And Socrates Ideas Of The Afterlife Analysis

Homer, Plato, and Cicero were three ancient writers. They each had disagreeing ideas about the afterlife. These three explained their ideas of the afterlife through literature. Homer expressed his ideas through The Odyssey. Plato expressed his ideas through Socrates’ Apology. Cicero explained his ideas of the afterlife though “On Friendship.” These ideas are both similar and different. The Odyssey is a narrative written by Homer. In this narrative, Homer references the afterlife and explains his ideologies about the afterlife. This idea of the afterlife is the most developed. This is because a part of this narrative actually involves Odysseus visiting the afterlife. Homer wrote that in the afterlife, people who died deserved …show more content…
In this piece of literature, Plato have two view points of the afterlife. In Plato’s and Socrates’ ideas of the afterlife, when an individual dies, he or she is put to what is considered a deep sleep. In Plato’s and Socrates’ view of the afterlife, death is good and peaceful and should not be something to be afraid of. Socrates eventually is put to death because he was challenging many people’s beliefs of the afterlife. Socrates was also challenging the presence of God which then led to the people wanting him to be put to death. Plato and Socrates believed that dying is a good thing because once they enter the afterlife, they will be able to go and talk to all of the famous dead people of the past. Both deaths are considered good in Plato’s and Socrates’ view of the afterlife. “On Friendship” was written by Cicero. Cicero had two viewpoints of the afterlife. When an individual dies, it is almost like he or she never existed. The soul is also considered immortal. Cicero has an idea that the afterlife is similar to that of Christianity. There is a heaven and hell. An individual can be rewarded if he or she is a good person. If person is good, they enter heaven and once in “heaven,” the individual is to be treated like a god for …show more content…
There is a separation of good and bad in the underworld. The conditions of the underworld are explained in the underworld. In The Odyssey, Odysseus actually visits the underworld. Here, Odysseus is able to go around and communicate with the immortal spirits that exist in the afterlife. The second most developed view of the afterlife is that of “On Friendship.” Like The Odyssey, there is a destination for both good and bad souls. There is a reward for good souls and “punishment” for bad. The least developed view of the afterlife is from Socrates’ Apology. This is because Socrates challenge the presence of a god. He denies the existence of a heaven or hell. Instead, the soul of the deceased individual falls into a deep