The theory of Simmias has now been disposed of, and Socrates turns to the contentions of Cebes, of which he gives a clear and forceful recapitulation, culminating in the expression of his conviction that to answer them it will be necessary to investigate the whole question of coming-to-be and perishing. To this end he makes a proposal, readily accepted by Cebes, that he should narrate his own experiences in early life as a student of ‘natural science’. The narrative, notable amongst other things for the mention by name of Anaxagoras, and of the initial delight and subsequent disappointment which Socrates had felt on becoming acquainted with that philosopher's work, ends with the announcement of his total dissatisfaction with the methods of the scientists, and his adoption of a ‘second-best’ course of his own.

‘Very well, then’, said Socrates; ‘we seem to have more or less propitiated the tuneful goddess of Thebes; but now comes the question of Cadmus: What sort of argument shall we use to propitiate him, Cebes?’

‘I expect you will discover one’, replied Cebes; ‘at all events your argument against the tuneful lady came as a wonderful surprise to me; for while Simmias was telling us of his difficulties I was wondering very much whether anyone would be able to cope with his argument, and so I was quite taken aback by his apparent inability to withstand your first attack for a moment.