Pagina 471 van 1391

The vision of another world is ascribed to Er, the son of

Armenius, who is said by Clement of Alexandria to have been

Zoroaster. The tale has certainly an oriental character, and may

be compared with the pilgrimages of the soul in the Zend Avesta

(Haug, Avesta). But no trace of acquaintance with Zoroaster is

found elsewhere in Plato's writings, and there is no reason for

giving him the name of Er the Pamphylian. The philosophy of

Heracleitus cannot be shown to be borrowed from Zoroaster, and

still less the myths of Plato.