Apology, Crito, and Phaedo of Socrates | Page 2

he
conformed to the religious customs of his country, and that he believes
in God more than he fears man. The second charge he meets by a
cross-examination of his accuser, Melitus, whom he reduces to the
dilemma of charging him with corrupting the youth designedly, which
would be absurd, or with doing so undesignedly, for which he could not
be liable to punishment.
His defence, however, avails him nothing, and he is condemned by the
judges to die by drinking the poisonous hemlock. In the closing part of
"The Apologia" Socrates is represented as commenting upon the
sentence which has been passed upon him, and as expressing his belief
that in going to his death he is only passing to a better and a happier
life.
In "The Crito" Socrates is represented in conversation with a friend of
his named Crito, who had been present at his trial, and who had offered
to assist Socrates in paying a fine, had a fine been the sentence imposed.
Crito visits Socrates in his confinement to bring to him the intelligence
that the ship, the arrival of which was to be the signal for his death
upon the following day, would arrive forthwith, and to urge him to
adopt the means of escape which had already been prepared. Socrates
promises to follow the advice of Crito if, upon a full discussion of the
matter, it seems right to do so. In the conversation which ensues
Socrates argues that it is wrong to return evil for evil and that the
obligations which a citizen owes to his State are more binding than
those which a child owes his parents or a slave his master, and,
therefore, it is his duty to submit to the laws of Athens at whatever cost
to himself. Crito has no answer to make to this argument, and Socrates
thereupon decides to submit to his fate.
Plato is said to have had two objects in writing this dialogue: First, to
acquit Socrates of the charge of corrupting the Athenian youth; and,
second, to establish the fact that it is necessary under all circumstances
to submit to the established laws of his country.
"The Phædo" relates the manner in which Socrates spent the last day of
his life and the circumstances attending his death. He is visited by a

number of his friends, among whom are Phædo, Simmias and Crito.
When his friends arrive they find him sitting upon a bed rubbing his
legs, which have just been released from bonds. He remarks upon the
unaccountable connection between pleasure and pain, and from this the
conversation gradually turns to a consideration of the question of the
immortality of the soul. He convinces his listeners of the pre-existence
of the soul; but they are still skeptical as to its immortality, urging that
its pre-existence and the fact that it is more durable than the body does
not preclude the possibility of its being mortal. Socrates, however,
argues that contraries cannot exist in the same thing at the same time,
as, for example, the same object cannot partake of both magnitude and
littleness at the same time. In like manner, heat while it is heat can
never admit the idea of cold. Life and death are contraries and can
never coexist; but wherever there is life there is soul, so that the soul
contains that which is contrary to death and can never admit death;
consequently the soul is immortal.
Having convinced his listeners, Socrates bathes and takes leave of his
children and the women of his family. Thereupon the officer appears
and tells him it is time for him to drink the poison. At this his friends
commence to weep and are rebuked by Socrates for their weakness. He
drinks the poison calmly and without hesitation, and then begins to
walk about, still conversing with his friends. His limbs soon grow stiff
and heavy and he lays himself down upon his back. His last words are:
"Crito, we owe a cock to Æsculapius; pay it, therefore, and do not
neglect it."
THE APOLOGY OF SOCRATES.
I know not, O Athenians! how far you have been influenced by my
accusers for my part, in listening to them I almost forgot myself, so
plausible were their arguments however, so to speak, they have said
nothing true. But of the many falsehoods which they uttered I
wondered at one of them especially, that in which they said that you
ought to be on your guard lest you should be deceived by me, as being
eloquent in speech. For that they are not ashamed of being forthwith
convicted by me in fact, when I shall show that I am not by any means

eloquent, this seemed to me the most shameless thing in them, unless
indeed they