Plato and His Employment Of Myth

"All mean is that every man loathes the thought that he might be taken captive by a lie which would prevent him from distinguishing between reality and unreality. That his soul should be possessed by a lie whereby he is continually deceived and irrevocably ignorant is something that no man wants to accept". -Socrates Plato's Republic, Book II Muthos for the ancient Greeks held many meanings, both as a word itself and as a tradition. …

…the republic were Plato's armament against the atomist social philosophy of "survival of the fittest." Without a strong metaphysical foundation, Plato believed, the morality supporting social structure would collapse. Metaphysics was the call for philosophers, ensuring the continued prosperity of society. Therefore, since metaphysics had proven most difficult and problematic in philosophical discourse, he found it easiest to convey his ideas through mythical language in order to stimulate the intellect as well as the spirit.