This eBook was converted to HTML, with additional editing, by Jose Menendezfrom the text edition produced by Sue Asscher.
The Crito seems intended to exhibit the character of Socrates in one lightonly, not as the philosopher, fulfilling a divine mission and trusting inthe will of heaven, but simply as the good citizen, who having beenunjustly condemned is willing to give up his life in obedience to the lawsof the state . . .
The days of Socrates are drawing to a close; the fatal ship has been seenoff 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 adream that on the third day he must depart. Time is precious, and Critohas come early in order to gain his consent to a plan of escape. This canbe easily accomplished by his friends, who will incur no danger in makingthe attempt to save him, but will be disgraced for ever if they allow himto perish. He should think of his duty to his children, and not play intothe hands of his enemies. Money is already provided by Crito as well as bySimmias and others, and he will have no difficulty in finding friends inThessaly and other places.
Socrates is afraid that Crito is but pressing upon him the opinions of themany; whereas, all his life long he has followed the dictates of reasononly and the opinion of the one wise or skilled man. There was a time whenCrito himself had allowed the propriety of this. And although someonewill 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. Allconsiderations of loss of reputation or injury to his children should bedismissed: the only question is whether he would be right in attempting toescape. Crito, who is a disinterested person not having the fear of deathbefore his eyes, shall answer this for him. Before he was condemned theyhad often held discussions, in which they agreed that no man should eitherdo evil, or return evil for evil, or betray the right. Are theseprinciples to be altered because the circumstances of Socrates are altered?Crito admits that they remain the same. Then is his escape consistent withthe maintenance of them? To this Crito is unable or unwilling to reply.
Socrates proceeds:—Suppose the Laws of Athens to come and remonstrate withhim: 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 theagreement? Has he any objection to make to them which would justify him inoverturning them? Was he not brought into the world and educated by theirhelp, and are they not his parents? He might have left Athens and gonewhere he pleased, but he has lived there for seventy years more constantlythan any other citizen.’ Thus he has clearly shown that he acknowledgedthe agreement, which he cannot now break without dishonour to himself anddanger to his friends. Even in the course of the trial he might haveproposed exile as the penalty, but then he declared that he preferred deathto exile. And whither will he direct his footsteps? In any well-orderedstate the Laws will consider him as an enemy. Possibly in a land ofmisrule like Thessaly he may be welcomed at first, and the unseemlynarrative of his escape will be regarded by the inhabitants as an amusingtale. But if he offends them he will have to learn another sort of lesson.Will he contin