Plato, using Socrates as his voice in the Phaedrus, narrates a captivating story of a chariot drawn by two horses, one mortal and one immortal, to illustrate the intricate and multi-dimensional nature of human soul.
The mortal horse is a big, burly creature that's crooked and stubborn. Its fur is dark, and it has gray eyes and a blood-red complexion.
The horse is also prideful and insolent, with shaggy ears and poor hearing. It doesn't like to be whipped or prodded, and it's difficult to control.
The immortal horse, in contrast, is an elegant and impressive creature. Its body is upright and well-formed, with a clean appearance. Its coat is bright white, and its eyes are dark and striking.
This horse has a love for honor, modesty, and self-control, and it follows true greatness. It doesn't require any whipping or spurring to stay on course, as it's guided solely by words of advice and caution.
The charioteer, at the helm, faces the daunting task of taming these opposing horses and directing them towards their ultimate destination - the summit of heaven, where the Forms await.
The Forms encompass the essence of virtues like Beauty, Wisdom, Courage, Justice, and Goodness. They provide sustenance to the horses' wings, allowing the chariot to soar with grace and agility.
As the charioteer journeys into the heavens with a group of gods led by Zeus, he realizes that unlike the immortals who have two immortal horses, mortals have only one mortal and one immortal horse to pull their chariots.
This makes the journey for mortals more tumultuous, with the white horse yearning to soar and the dark horse attempting to drag the chariot back to earth.
The charioteer struggles to keep the horses in sync, causing the chariot to bob up and down, and granting him only fleeting glimpses of the divine realm before he descends again.
If the charioteer is able to reach the Forms, he earns the opportunity to make another journey around the celestial realm.
However, if he fails to properly steer the chariot, the horses' wings become starved of sustenance and may break off during violent clashes.
The chariot then plummets to earth, the horses losing their wings in the process, and the charioteer is once again forced to start over.