ABSTRACT
In all of Platos dialogues hitherto Socrates had played the leading part, and if one was now to be written on the subject of death, it was natural that Plato should choose the last hours of his hero Socrates as the setting of such a discussion. Platos attribution to Socrates of the two central doctrines of the Academy, the twin pillars of Platonism, as they have been called, was no doubt intended as a grateful tribute and a recognition of his debt. The composition of dialogues is attributed to Simmias and Cebes. Simmias is mentioned in the Phaedrus as outstandingly keen on writing discourses himself and persuading others to compose them. Platos doctrine of Recollection became, therefore, the basis of his argument for the existence of forms and they in their turn are made in our dialogue the ground of the final proof of the souls immortality.
