In Plato's Republic, Er is the main character of the myth of Er. Through this myth, Plato expresses his ideas about the human freedom and the immortality of the soul.

Er was a warrior who died in battle and was brought back to life after twelve days. After the resurrection he told everybody what he saw in the world after death. After the death every soul is led in front of four judges who decide whether the soul is worth of going toward heaven or it is damned to go down in the bowels of the earth, where it will pay ten times every sin it commited. After a one-thousand journey in this place, every soul reaches a green meadow where it can rest for seven days. Later the souls gathered in the meadow begin a journey toward a marvellous column of light, the "hinge of the Universe", Parcae's spindle. Here every soul is free of choosing his future human fate. Finally, after the choice, the souls reach a hot plain where they drink the water of two rivers, Lete and Amelete, forgetting everything. They fall asleep and in the middle of the night they are thrown on earth like falling stars. Everyone except Er, who has the privilege of returning back home remembering what he has seen.

The main topic of this myth is the human freedom. This idea is clearly expressed in the speech made by Lachesis, a Parca, in front of the souls ready to choose their destiny: "Virtue is free for everyone; everyone can choose it according to his interest for it. Everyone is responsible for its own fate, not the divinity.". So every man can freely choose a virtuous life, even if a lot of them are deceived by some lifes, which seem shining, but hides sins and unhappiness, or they are too much influenced by experiences made in the previous life.

Greek Mythology

See also : Greek Mythology. Paintings, Drawings