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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？



CRITO：　　Yes；　that　is　what　the　authorities　say。



SOCRATES：　　But　I　do　not　think　that　the　ship　will　be　here　until　to…morrow；

this　I　infer　from　a　vision　which　I　had　last　night；　or　rather　only　just　now；

when　you　fortunately　allowed　me　to　sleep。



CRITO：　　And　what　was　the　nature　of　the　vision？



SOCRATES：　　There　appeared　to　me　the　likeness　of　a　woman；　fair　and　comely；

clothed　in　bright　raiment；　who　called　to　me　and　said：　　O　Socrates；



'The　third　day　hence　to　fertile　Phthia　shalt　thou　go。'　　（Homer；　Il。）



CRITO：　　What　a　singular　dream；　Socrates！



SOCRATES：　　There　can　be　no　doubt　about　the　meaning；　Crito；　I　think。



CRITO：　　Yes；　the　meaning　is　only　too　clear。　　But；　oh！　my　beloved　Socrates；

let　me　entreat　you　once　more　to　take　my　advice　and　escape。　　For　if　you　die

I　shall　not　only　lose　a　friend　who　can　never　be　replaced；　but　there　is

another　evil：　　people　who　do　not　know　you　and　me　will　believe　that　I　might

have　saved　you　if　I　had　been　willing　to　give