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Will you; O professor of true virtue; pretend that you are justified in

this?  Has a philosopher like you failed to discover that our country is

more to be valued and higher and holier far than mother or father or any

ancestor; and more to be regarded in the eyes of the gods and of men of

understanding? also to be soothed; and gently and reverently entreated when

angry; even more than a father; and either to be persuaded; or if not

persuaded; to be obeyed?  And when we are punished by her; whether with

imprisonment or stripes; the punishment is to be endured in silence; and if

she lead us to wounds or death in battle; thither we follow as is right;

neither may any one yield or retreat or leave his rank; but whether in

battle or in a court of law; or in any other place; he must do what his

city and his country order him; or he must change their view of what is

just:  and if he may do no violence to his father or mother; much less may

he do violence to his country。'  What answer shall we make to this; Crito? 

Do the laws speak truly; or do they not?



CRITO:  I think that they do。



SOCRATES:  Then the laws will say:  'Consider; Socrates; if we are speaking

truly that in your present attempt you are going to do us an injury。  For;

having brought you into the world; and nurtured and educated you; and given

you and every other citizen a share in every good which we had to give; we

further proclaim to any Athenian by the liberty which we allow him; that if

he does not like us when he has become of age and has seen the ways of the

city; and made our acquaintance; he may go where he pleases and take his

goods with him。  None of us laws will forbid him or interfere with him。 

Any one who does not like us and the city; and who wants to emigrate to a

colony or to any other city; may go where he likes; retaining his property。 

But he who has experience of the manner in which we order justice and

administer the state; and still remains; has entered into an implied

contract that he will do as we command him。  And he who disobeys us is; as

we maintain; thrice wrong:  first; because in disobeying us he is

disobeying his parents; secondly; because we are the authors of his

education; thirdly; because he has made an agreement with us that he will

duly obey our commands; and he neither obeys them nor convinces us that our

commands are unjust; and we do not rudely impose them; but give him the

alternative of obeying or convincing us;that is what we offer; and he

does neither。



'These are the sort of accusations to which; as we were saying; you;

Socrates; will be exposed if you accomplish your intentions; you; above all

other Athenians。'  Suppose now I ask; why I rather than anybody else? they

will justly retort upon me that I above all other men have acknowledged the

agreement。  'There is clear proof;' they will say; 'Socrates; that we and

the city were not displeasing to you。  Of all Athenians you have been the

most constant resident in the city; which; as you never leave; you may be

supposed to love (compare Phaedr。)。  For you never went out of the city

either to see the games; except once when you went to the Isthmus; or to

any other place unless when you were on military service; nor did you

travel as other men do。  Nor had you any curiosity to know other states or

their laws:  your affections did not go beyond us and our state; we were

your especial favourites; and you acquiesced in our government of you; and

here in this city you begat your children; which is a proof of your

satisfaction。  Moreover; you might in the course of the trial; if you had

liked; have fixed the penalty at banishment; the state which refuses to let

you go now would have let you go then。  But you pretended that you

preferred death to exile (compare Apol。); and that you were not unwilling

to die。  And now you have forgotten these fine sentiments; and pay no

respect to us the laws; of whom you are the destroyer; and are doing what

only a miserable slave would do; running away and turning your back upon

the compacts and agreements which you made as a citizen。  And first of all

answer this very question:  Are we right in saying that you agreed to be

governed according to us in deed; and not in word only?  Is that true or

not?'  How shall we answer; Crito?  Must we not assent?



CRITO:  We cannot help it; Socrates。



SOCRATES:  Then will they not say:  'You; Socrates; are breaking the

covenants and agreements which you made with us at your leisure; not in any

haste or under any compulsion or deception; but after you have had seventy

years to think of them; during which time you were at liberty to leave the

city; if we were not to your mind; or if our covenants appeared to you to

be unfair。  You had your choice; and might have gone either to Lacedaemon

or Crete; both which states are often praised by you for their good

government; or to some other Hellenic or foreign state。  Whereas you; above

all other Athenians; seemed to be so fond of the state; or; in other words;

of us her laws (and who would care about a state which has no laws?); that

you never stirred out of her; the halt; the blind; the maimed; were not

more stationary in her than you were。  And now you run away and forsake

your agreements。  Not so; Socrates; if you will take our advice; do not

make yourself ridiculous by escaping out of the city。



'For just consider; if you transgress and err in this sort of way; what

good will you do either to yourself or to your friends?  That your friends

will be driven into exile and deprived of citizenship; or will lose their

property; is tolerably certain; and you yourself; if you fly to one of the

neighbouring cities; as; for example; Thebes or Megara; both of which are

well governed; will come to them as an enemy; Socrates; and their

government will be against you; and all patriotic citizens will cast an

evil eye upon you as a subverter of the laws; and you will confirm in the

minds of the judges the justice of their own condemnation of you。  For he

who is a corrupter of the laws is more than likely to be a corrupter of the

young and foolish portion of mankind。  Will you then flee from well…ordered

cities and virtuous men? and is existence worth having on these terms?  Or

will you go to them without shame; and talk to them; Socrates?  And what

will you say to them?  What you say here about virtue and justice and

institutions and laws being the best things among men?  Would that be

decent of you?  Surely not。  But if you go away from well…governed states

to Crito's friends in Thessaly; where there is great disorder and licence;

they will be charmed to hear the tale of your escape from prison; set off

with ludicrous particulars of the manner in which you were wrapped in a

goatskin or some other disguise; and metamorphosed as the manner is of

runaways; but will there be no one to remind you that in your old age you

were not ashamed to violate the most sacred laws from a miserable desire of

a little more life?  Perhaps not; if you keep them in a good temper; but if

they are out of temper you will hear many degrading things; you will live;

but how?as the flatterer of all men; and the servant of all men; and

doing what?eating and drinking in Thessaly; having gone abroad in order

that you may get a dinner。  And where will be your fine sentiments about

justice and virtue?  Say that you wish to live for the sake of your

childrenyou want to bring them up and educate themwill you take them

into Thessaly and deprive them of Athenian citizenship?  Is this the

benefit which you will confer upon them?  Or are you under the impression

that they will be better cared for and educated here if you are still

alive; although absent from them; for your friends will take care of them? 

Do you fancy that if you are an inhabitant of Thessaly they will take care

of them; and if you are an inhabitant of the other world that they will not

take care of them?  Nay; but if they who call themselves friends are good

for anything; they willto be sure they will。



'Listen; then; Socrates; to us who have brought you up。  Think not of life

and children first; and of justice afterwards; but of justice first; that

you may be justified before the princes of the world below。  For neither

will you nor any that belong to you be happier or holier or juster in this

life; or happier in another; if you do as Crito bids。  Now you depart in

innocence; a sufferer and not a doer of evil; a victim; not of the laws;

but of men。  But if you go forth; returning evil for evil; and injury for

injury; breaking the covenants and agreements which you have made with us;

and wronging those whom you ought least of all to wrong; that is to say;

yourself; your friends; your country; and us; we shall be angry with you

while you live; and our brethren; the laws in the world below; will receive

you as an enemy; for they will know that you have done your best to destroy

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