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Crito

by Plato

Translated by Benjamin Jowett






INTRODUCTION。



The Crito seems intended to exhibit the character of Socrates in one light

only; not as the philosopher; fulfilling a divine mission and trusting in

the will of heaven; but simply as the good citizen; who having been

unjustly condemned is willing to give up his life in obedience to the laws

of the state。。。



The days of Socrates are drawing to a close; the fatal ship has been seen

off Sunium; as he is informed by his aged friend and contemporary Crito;

who visits him before the dawn has broken; he himself has been warned in a

dream that on the third day he must depart。  Time is precious; and Crito

has come early in order to gain his consent to a plan of escape。  This can

be easily accomplished by his friends; who will incur no danger in making

the attempt to save him; but will be disgraced for ever if they allow him

to perish。  He should think of his duty to his children; and not play into

the hands of his enemies。  Money is already provided by Crito as well as by

Simmias and others; and he will have no difficulty in finding friends in

Thessaly and other places。



Socrates is afraid that Crito is but pressing upon him the opinions of the

many:  whereas; all his life long he has followed the dictates of reason

only and the opinion of the one wise or skilled man。  There was a time when

Crito himself had allowed the propriety of this。  And although some one

will say 'the many can kill us;' that makes no difference; but a good life;

in other words; a just and honourable life; is alone to be valued。  All

considerations of loss of reputation or injury to his children should be

dismissed:  the only question is whether he would be right in attempting to

escape。  Crito; who is a disinterested person not having the fear of death

before his eyes; shall answer this for him。  Before he was condemned they

had often held discussions; in which they agreed that no man should either

do evil; or return evil for evil; or betray the right。  Are these

principles to be altered because the circumstances of Socrates are altered?

Crito admits that they remain the same。  Then is his escape consistent with

the maintenance of them?  To this Crito is unable or unwilling to reply。



Socrates proceeds:Suppose the Laws of Athens to come and remonstrate with

him:  they will ask 'Why does he seek to overturn them?' and if he replies;

'they have injured him;' will not the Laws answer; 'Yes; but was that the

agreement?  Has he any objection to make to them which would justify him in 

overturning them?  Was he not brought into the world and educated by their

help; and are they not his parents?  He might have left Athens and gone

where he pleased; but he has lived there for seventy years more constantly

than any other citizen。'  Thus he has clearly shown that he acknowledged

the agreement; which he cannot now break without dishonour to himself and

danger to his friends。  Even in the course of the trial he might have

proposed exile as the penalty; but then he declared that he preferred death

to exile。  And whither will he direct his footsteps?  In any well…ordered

state the Laws will consider him as an enemy。  Possibly in a land of

misrule like Thessaly he may be welcomed at first; and the unseemly

narrative of his escape will be regarded by the inhabitants as an amusing

tale。  But if he offends them he will have to learn another sort of lesson。

Will he continue to give lectures in virtue?  That would hardly be decent。

And how will his children be the gainers if he takes them into Thessaly;

and deprives them of Athenian citizenship?  Or if he leaves them behind;

does he expect that they will be better taken care of by his friends

because he is in Thessaly?  Will not true friends care for them equally

whether he is alive or dead?



Finally; they exhort him to think of justice first; and of life and

children afterwards。  He may now depart in peace and innocence; a sufferer

and not a doer of evil。  But if he breaks agreements; and returns evil for

evil; they will be angry with him while he lives; and their brethren the

Laws of the world below will receive him as an enemy。  Such is the mystic

voice which is always murmuring in his ears。



That Socrates was not a good citizen was a charge made against him during

his lifetime; which has been often repeated in later ages。  The crimes of

Alcibiades; Critias; and Charmides; who had been his pupils; were still

recent in the memory of the now restored democracy。  The fact that he had

been neutral in the death…struggle of Athens was not likely to conciliate

popular good…will。  Plato; writing probably in the next generation;

undertakes the defence of his friend and master in this particular; not to

the Athenians of his day; but to posterity and the world at large。



Whether such an incident ever really occurred as the visit of Crito and the

proposal of escape is uncertain:  Plato could easily have invented far more

than that (Phaedr。); and in the selection of Crito; the aged friend; as the

fittest person to make the proposal to Socrates; we seem to recognize the

hand of the artist。  Whether any one who has been subjected by the laws of

his country to an unjust judgment is right in attempting to escape; is a

thesis about which casuists might disagree。  Shelley (Prose Works) is of

opinion that Socrates 'did well to die;' but not for the 'sophistical'

reasons which Plato has put into his mouth。  And there would be no

difficulty in arguing that Socrates should have lived and preferred to a

glorious death the good which he might still be able to perform。  'A

rhetorician would have had much to say upon that point。'  It may be

observed however that Plato never intended to answer the question of

casuistry; but only to exhibit the ideal of patient virtue which refuses to

do the least evil in order to avoid the greatest; and to show his master

maintaining in death the opinions which he had professed in his life。  Not

'the world;' but the 'one wise man;' is still the paradox of Socrates in

his last hours。  He must be guided by reason; although her conclusions may

be fatal to him。  The remarkable sentiment that the wicked can do neither

good nor evil is true; if taken in the sense; which he means; of moral

evil; in his own words; 'they cannot make a man wise or foolish。'



This little dialogue is a perfect piece of dialectic; in which granting the

'common principle;' there is no escaping from the conclusion。  It is

anticipated at the beginning by the dream of Socrates and the parody of

Homer。  The personification of the Laws; and of their brethren the Laws in

the world below; is one of the noblest and boldest figures of speech which

occur in Plato。





CRITO



by



Plato



Translated by Benjamin Jowett





PERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE:  Socrates; Crito。



SCENE:  The Prison of Socrates。





SOCRATES:  Why have you come at this hour; Crito? it must be quite early。



CRITO:  Yes; certainly。



SOCRATES:  What is the exact time?



CRITO:  The dawn is breaking。



SOCRATES:  I wonder that the keeper of the prison would let you in。



CRITO:  He knows me because I often come; Socrates; moreover。  I have done

him a kindness。



SOCRATES:  And are you only just arrived?



CRITO:  No; I came some time ago。



SOCRATES:  Then why did you sit and say nothing; instead of at once

awakening me?



CRITO:  I should not have liked myself; Socrates; to be in such great

trouble and unrest as you areindeed I should not:  I have been watching

with amazement your peaceful slumbers; and for that reason I did not awake

you; because I wished to minimize the pain。  I have always thought you to

be of a happy disposition; but never did I see anything like the easy;

tranquil manner in which you bear this calamity。



SOCRATES:  Why; Crito; when a man has reached my age he ought not to be

repining at the approach of death。



CRITO:  And yet other old men find themselves in similar misfortunes; and

age does not prevent them from repining。



SOCRATES:  That is true。  But you have not told me why you come at this

early hour。



CRITO:  I come to bring you a message which is sad and painful; not; as I

believe; to yourself; but to all of us who are your friends; and saddest of

all to me。



SOCRATES:  What?  Has the ship come from Delos; on the arrival of which I

am to die?



CRITO:  No; the ship has not actually arrived; but she will probably be

here to…day; as persons who have come from Sunium tell me that they have

left her there; and therefore to…morrow; Socrates; will be the last day of

your life。



SOCRATES:  Very well; Crito; if such is the will of God; I am willing; but

my belief is that there will be a delay of a day。



CRITO:  Why do you think so?



SOCRATES:  I will tell you。  I am to die on the day after the arrival of

the ship?

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