"Must not all things at the last be swallowed up in death?"

Plato’s haunting question touches on the universality of death and the inevitable end that awaits all things. His phrasing evokes a sense of both melancholy and philosophical depth, prompting contemplation about the impermanence woven through existence. In pondering whether all things must ultimately be “swallowed up in death,” he suggests that no matter the vibrancy, complexity, or beauty of life, mortality casts a long, unyielding shadow over every aspect of reality.

Death, according to this line of thought, does not discriminate, it comes for both the trivial and the profound, the humble and the grand. Everything that comes into being is bounded by time and destined to pass away. This perspective engenders humility, as it dissolves the illusions of permanence that people sometimes cling to in their possessions, achievements, or even relationships. It also brings unity; since mortality is inescapable, it stands as one of the most profound shared experiences for all living things.

Yet, Plato’s philosophical investigations consistently grapple with whether such finality is truly total. While corporeal forms and material entities perish, there is the suggestion within his wider works that something immutable, the soul, the essence of justice, or abstract Forms, may persist beyond the reach of physical death. This line contemplates the tension between what is perishable and what, if anything, could be eternal. It raises questions about meaning: If all things are consumed by death, does that render life and endeavor futile, or does it rather intensify the preciousness and significance of each fleeting moment? The inevitability of death may encourage deeper reflection on how to live, prompting individuals to search for purpose that persists beyond transitory accomplishments.

Ultimately, by confronting the certainty of death, Plato encourages a deeper consideration of what it means to exist, what one should value, and whether there is something enduring that survives beyond the demise of all things material.