Apology, Crito, and Phaedo of Socrates

152. Crito, having heard this, nodded to the boy that stood near. And the boy, having gone out and staid for some time, came, bringing with him the man that was to administer the poison, who brought it ready pounded in a cup. And Socrates, on seeing the man, said, "Well, my good friend, as you are skilled in these matters, what must I do?"

"Nothing else," he replied, "than, when you have drunk it, walk about until there is a heaviness in your legs; then lie down: thus it will do its purpose." And at the same time he held out the cup to Socrates. And he having received it very cheerfully, Echecrates neither trembling, nor changing at all in color or countenance, but, as he was wont, looking steadfastly at the man, said, "What say you of this potion, with respect to making a libation to any one, is it lawful or not?"

"We only pound so much, Socrates," he said, "as we think sufficient to drink."

153. "I understand you," he said; "but it is certainly both lawful and right to pray to the gods, that my departure hence thither may be happy; which, therefore, I pray, and so may it be." And as he said this, he drank it off readily and calmly. Thus far, most of us were with difficulty able to restrain ourselves from weeping; but when we saw him drinking, and having finished the draught, we could do so no longer; but, in spite of myself, the tears came in full torrent, so that, covering my face, I wept for myself; for I did not weep for him, but for my own fortune, in being deprived of such a friend. But Crito, even before me, when he could not restrain his tears, had risen up. 154. But Apollodorus, even before this, had not ceased weeping; and then, bursting into an agony of grief, weeping and lamenting, he pierced the heart of every one present, except Socrates himself. But he said, "What are you doing, my admirable friends? I, indeed, for this reason chiefly, sent away the women, that they might not commit any folly of this kind. For I have heard that it is right to die with good omens. Be quiet, therefore, and bear up."

When we heard this, we were ashamed, and restrained our tears. But he, having walked about, when he said that his legs were growing heavy, lay down on his back; for the man had so directed him. And, at the same time, he who gave the poison taking hold of him, after a short interval, examined his feet and legs; and then, having pressed his foot hard, he asked if he felt it: he said that he did not. And after this he pressed his thighs; and, thus going higher, he showed us that he was growing cold and stiff. Then Socrates touched himself, and said that when the poison reached his heart he should then depart. 155. But now the parts around the lower belly were almost cold; when, uncovering himself, for he had been covered over, he said (and they were his last words), "Crito, we owe a cock to Æsculapius; pay it, therefore; and do not neglect it."

"It shall be done," said Crito; "but consider whether you have any thing else to say."

To this question he gave no reply; but, shortly after, he gave a convulsive movement, and the man covered him, and his eyes were fixed; and Crito, perceiving it, closed his mouth and eyes.

This, Echecrates, was the end of our friend, – a man, as we may say, the best of all of his time that we have known, and, moreover, the most wise and just.

1

Aristophanes.

2

"Iliad," lib. xviii. ver. 94, etc.

3

See the "Crito," sec. 5.

4

Ουδεν λεγει, literally, "he says nothing: " on se trompe, ou l'on vous impose, Cousin.

5

But for the authority of Stallbaum, I should have translated δικανικα "forensic;" that is, such arguments as an advocate would use in a court of justice.

6

See the Phædo sec 1.

7

A promontory at the southern extremity of Attica

8

The Eleven

9

See Homer's "Iliad," 1 IX, v 363

10

That is to say, the principle which we had laid down in former discussions that no regard is to be had to popular opinion, is still found to hold good.

11

The Corybantes, priests of Cybele, who in their solemn festivals made such a noise with flutes that the hearers could hear no other sound.

12

Sec. 21-39.

13

Sec. 39, 40.

14

Sec. 40-46.

15

Sec. 47.

16

Sec. 48-57.

17

Sec. 55-59.

18

Sec. 61-75.

19

Sec. 76-84.

20

Sec. 93-99.

21

Sec. 100-112.

22

Sec. 112-128.

23

Sec. 129-131.

24

Sec. 132-145.

25

Phlius, to which Echecrates belonged, was a town of Sicyonia, in Peloponnesus.

26

A Pythagorean of Crotona.

27

Namely, "that it is better to die than to live."

28

Ἱττω, Boetian for ἱοτω.

29

Of Pythagoras.

30

Some boyish spirit.

31

That is, at a time of life when the body is in full vigor.

32

In the original there is a play on the words Ἁιδης and ἁεἱδης, which I can only attempt to retain by departing from the usual rendering of the former word.

33

By this I understand him to mean that the soul alone can perceive the truth, but the senses, as they are different, receive and convey different impressions of the same thing; thus, the eye receives one impression of an object, the ear a totally different one.

34

και αὑθις ετερος και ετερος, that is, "with one argument after another" Though Cousin translates it et successivement tout different de luimeme and Ast, et rursus alia atque alia, which may be taken in either sense, yet it appears to me to mean that, when a man repeatedly discovers the fallacy of arguments which he before believed to be true, he distrusts reasoning altogether, just as one who meets with friend after friend who proves unfaithful becomes a misanthrope.

35

Lib. xx, v. 7.

36

Harmony was the wife of Cadmus, the founder of Thebes; Socrates, therefore, compares his two Theban friends, Simmias and Cebes, with them, and says that, having overcome Simmias, the advocate of Harmony, he must now deal with Cebes, who is represented by Cadmus.

37

εἱναι τι, literally, "is something."

38

That is, to single.

39

Sec. 113.

40

It is difficult to express the distinction between οσια and νομιμα. The former word seems to have reference to the souls of the dead; the latter, to their bodies.

41

Its place of interment.

42

A proverb meaning "a matter of great difficulty."

43

"Iliad," lib. viii., v. 14.

44

A metallic substance of a deep-blue color, frequently mentioned by the earliest Grecian writers, but of which the nature is unknown.