§43ΣΩ. τί τηνικάδε ἀφῖξαι, ὦ Κρίτων;
Socrates: Why have you come at this time, Crito?
ἢ οὐ πρῲ ἔτι ἐστίν;
Or is it not still early?
ΚΡ. πάνυ μὲν οὖν.
Crito: Yes, indeed.
ΣΩ. πηνίκα μάλιστα;
Socrates: About what time is it?
ΚΡ. ὄρθρος βαθύς.
Crito: Just before daybreak.
ΣΩ. θαυμάζω ὅπως ἠθέλησέ σοι ὁ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου φύλαξ ὑπακοῦσαι.
Socrates: I wonder how the keeper of the prison was willing to answer you.
ΚΡ. συνήθης ἤδη μοί ἐστιν, ὦ Σώκρατες, διὰ τὸ πολλάκις δεῦρο φοιτᾶν, καί τι καὶ εὐεργέτηται ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ.
Crito: He is already familiar to me, Socrates, because of my coming here often, and he has also received some benefit from me.
ΣΩ. ἄρτι δὲ ἥκεις ἢ πάλαι;
Socrates: Have you just arrived, or some time ago?
ΚΡ. ἐπιεικῶς πάλαι.
Crito: Quite some time ago.
ΣΩ. εἶτα πῶς οὐκ εὐθὺς ἐπήγειράς με, ἀλλὰ σιγῇ παρακάθησαι;
Socrates: Then why did you not wake me up immediately, but sit by me in silence?
ΚΡ. οὐ μὰ τὸν Δία, ὦ Σώκρατες, οὐδʼ ἂν αὐτὸς ἤθελον ἐν τοσαύτῃ τε ἀγρυπνίᾳ καὶ λύπῃ εἶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ σοῦ πάλαι θαυμάζω αἰσθανόμενος ὡς ἡδέως καθεύδεις· καὶ ἐπίτηδές σε οὐκ ἤγειρον ἵνα ὡς ἥδιστα διάγῃς.
Crito: No, by Zeus, Socrates, I myself would not have wished to be in such sleeplessness and sorrow, but I have also been wondering at you for a long time, perceiving how sweetly you sleep; and I deliberately did not wake you so that you might pass the time as pleasantly as possible.
καὶ πολλάκις μὲν δή σε καὶ πρότερον ἐν παντὶ τῷ βίῳ ηὐδαιμόνισα τοῦ τρόπου, πολὺ δὲ μάλιστα ἐν τῇ νῦν παρεστώσῃ συμφορᾷ, ὡς ῥᾳδίως αὐτὴν καὶ πρᾴως φέρεις.
Indeed, often before in your whole life I have deemed you happy for your disposition, but by far most of all in your present misfortune, seeing how easily and gently you bear it.
ΣΩ. καὶ γὰρ ἄν, ὦ Κρίτων, πλημμελὲς εἴη ἀγανακτεῖν τηλικοῦτον ὄντα εἰ δεῖ ἤδη τελευτᾶν.
Socrates: For indeed, Crito, it would be discordant for a man of my age to be vexed if he must die now.
ΚΡ. καὶ ἄλλοι, ὦ Σώκρατες, τηλικοῦτοι ἐν τοιαύταις συμφοραῖς ἁλίσκονται, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲν αὐτοὺς ἐπιλύεται ἡ ἡλικία τὸ μὴ οὐχὶ ἀγανακτεῖν τῇ παρούσῃ τύχῃ.
Crito: And others, Socrates, of such age are caught in such misfortunes, but their age does not release them from being vexed at their present fate.
ΣΩ. ἔστι ταῦτα.
Socrates: That is so.
ἀλλὰ τί δὴ οὕτω πρῲ ἀφῖξαι;
But why indeed have you come so early?
ΚΡ. ἀγγελίαν, ὦ Σώκρατες, φέρων χαλεπήν, οὐ σοί, ὡς ἐμοὶ φαίνεται, ἀλλʼ ἐμοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις πᾶσιν καὶ χαλεπὴν καὶ βαρεῖαν, ἣν ἐγώ, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκῶ, ἐν τοῖς βαρύτατʼ ἂν ἐνέγκαιμι.
Crito: Bringing news, Socrates, that is painful—not to you, as it seems to me, but to me and all your friends, painful and heavy, which I, as I think, would bear most heavily among them all.
ΣΩ. τίνα ταύτην;
Socrates: What is this news?
ἢ τὸ πλοῖον ἀφῖκται ἐκ Δήλου, οὗ δεῖ ἀφικομένου τεθνάναι με;
Has the ship from Delos arrived, upon whose arrival I must die?
ΚΡ. οὔτοι δὴ ἀφῖκται, ἀλλὰ δοκεῖν μέν μοι ἥξει τήμερον ἐξ ὧν ἀπαγγέλλουσιν ἥκοντές τινες ἀπὸ Σουνίου καὶ καταλιπόντες ἐκεῖ αὐτό.
Crito: It has not indeed arrived, but I think it will come today, from what some who have come from Sunium report, having left it there.
δῆλον οὖν ἐκ τούτων ὅτι ἥξει τήμερον, καὶ ἀνάγκη δὴ εἰς αὔριον ἔσται, ὦ Σώκρατες, τὸν βίον σε τελευτᾶν.
It is clear, therefore, from these reports that it will come today, and so it will be necessary, Socrates, for you to end your life tomorrow.
ΣΩ. ἀλλʼ, ὦ Κρίτων, τύχῃ ἀγαθῇ, εἰ ταύτῃ τοῖς θεοῖς φίλον, ταύτῃ ἔστω·
Socrates: Well, Crito, with good fortune!
οὐ μέντοι οἶμαι ἥξειν αὐτὸ τήμερον.
If it pleases the gods in this way, so be it; however, I do not think it will come today.
§44ΚΡ. πόθεν τοῦτο τεκμαίρῃ;
Crito: From what do you infer this?
ΣΩ. ἐγώ σοι ἐρῶ.
Socrates: I will tell you.
τῇ γάρ που ὑστεραίᾳ δεῖ με ἀποθνῄσκειν ἢ ᾗ ἂν ἔλθῃ τὸ πλοῖον.
For surely I must die on the day after that on which the ship arrives.
ΚΡ. φασί γέ τοι δὴ οἱ τούτων κύριοι.
Crito: So at least say those who have charge of these matters.
ΣΩ. οὐ τοίνυν τῆς ἐπιούσης ἡμέρας οἶμαι αὐτὸ ἥξειν ἀλλὰ τῆς ἑτέρας.
Socrates: Well then, I do not think it will come on the oncoming day, but on the next.
τεκμαίρομαι δὲ ἔκ τινος ἐνυπνίου ὃ ἑώρακα ὀλίγον πρότερον ταύτης τῆς νυκτός· καὶ κινδυνεύεις ἐν καιρῷ τινι οὐκ ἐγεῖραί με.
And I infer this from a certain dream which I saw a little earlier this night; and it seems you did well not to wake me.
ΚΡ. ἦν δὲ δὴ τί τὸ ἐνύπνιον;
Crito: And what indeed was the dream?
ΣΩ. ἐδόκει τίς μοι γυνὴ προσελθοῦσα καλὴ καὶ εὐειδής, λευκὰ ἱμάτια ἔχουσα, καλέσαι με καὶ εἰπεῖν· ὦ Σώκρατες,
"
ἤματί κεν τριτάτῳ Φθίην ἐρίβωλον ἵκοιο. "
ΚΡ. ἄτοπον τὸ ἐνύπνιον, ὦ Σώκρατες.
Socrates: A certain woman, beautiful and comely, wearing white garments, seemed to approach me, call me, and say: "O Socrates, on the third day you would reach fertile Phthia." Crito: A strange dream, Socrates.
ΣΩ. ἐναργὲς μὲν οὖν, ὥς γέ μοι δοκεῖ, ὦ Κρίτων.
Socrates: Clear, indeed, at least so it seems to me, Crito.
ΚΡ. λίαν γε, ὡς ἔοικεν.
Crito: Too clear, as it seems.
ἀλλʼ, ὦ δαιμόνιε Σώκρατες, ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐμοὶ πιθοῦ καὶ σώθητι· ὡς ἐμοί, ἐὰν σὺ ἀποθάνῃς, οὐ μία συμφορά ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ χωρὶς μὲν τοῦ ἐστερῆσθαι τοιούτου ἐπιτηδείου οἷον ἐγὼ οὐδένα μή ποτε εὑρήσω, ἔτι δὲ καὶ πολλοῖς δόξω, οἳ ἐμὲ καὶ σὲ μὴ σαφῶς ἴσασιν, ὡς οἷός τʼ ὤν σε σῴζειν εἰ ἤθελον ἀναλίσκειν χρήματα, ἀμελῆσαι.
But, my dear Socrates, even now listen to me and save yourself; for to me, if you die, it is not a single misfortune, but apart from being deprived of such a friend as I shall never find again, I shall also seem to many, who do not know you and me well, to have neglected you, as though I were able to save you if I had been willing to spend money.
καίτοι τίς ἂν αἰσχίων εἴη ταύτης δόξα ἢ δοκεῖν χρήματα περὶ πλείονος ποιεῖσθαι ἢ φίλους;
And yet what reputation could be more shameful than this—to seem to value money more than friends?
οὐ γὰρ πείσονται οἱ πολλοὶ ὡς σὺ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἠθέλησας ἀπιέναι ἐνθένδε ἡμῶν προθυμουμένων.
For the majority will not believe that you yourself were unwilling to leave this place when we were eager for it.
ΣΩ. ἀλλὰ τί ἡμῖν, ὦ μακάριε Κρίτων, οὕτω τῆς τῶν πολλῶν δόξης μέλει;
Socrates: But why, my dear Crito, do we care so much for the opinion of the majority?
οἱ γὰρ ἐπιεικέστατοι, ὧν μᾶλλον ἄξιον φροντίζειν, ἡγήσονται αὐτὰ οὕτω πεπρᾶχθαι ὥσπερ ἂν πραχθῇ.
For the most reasonable men, whose opinion is more worthy of consideration, will believe that things were done just as they actually have been done.
ΚΡ. ἀλλʼ ὁρᾷς δὴ ὅτι ἀνάγκη, ὦ Σώκρατες, καὶ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν δόξης μέλειν.
Crito: But you see, Socrates, that it is necessary to care also for the opinion of the majority.
αὐτὰ δὲ δῆλα τὰ παρόντα νυνὶ ὅτι οἷοί τʼ εἰσὶν οἱ πολλοὶ οὐ τὰ σμικρότατα τῶν κακῶν ἐξεργάζεσθαι ἀλλὰ τὰ μέγιστα σχεδόν, ἐάν τις ἐν αὐτοῖς διαβεβλημένος ᾖ.
The present circumstances themselves make it clear that the majority are able to work not the least of evils, but nearly the greatest, if one has been slandered among them.
ΣΩ. εἰ γὰρ ὤφελον, ὦ Κρίτων, οἷοί τʼ εἶναι οἱ πολλοὶ τὰ μέγιστα κακὰ ἐργάζεσθαι, ἵνα οἷοί τʼ ἦσαν καὶ ἀγαθὰ τὰ μέγιστα, καὶ καλῶς ἂν εἶχεν.
Socrates: Would that the majority were able, Crito, to work the greatest evils, so that they might also be able to work the greatest goods, and then all would be well.
νῦν δὲ οὐδέτερα οἷοί τε· οὔτε γὰρ φρόνιμον οὔτε ἄφρονα δυνατοὶ ποιῆσαι, ποιοῦσι δὲ τοῦτο ὅτι ἂν τύχωσι.
But now they can do neither; for they are unable to make a man either wise or foolish, but they do whatever occurs to them.
ΚΡ. ταῦτα μὲν δὴ οὕτως ἐχέτω·
Crito: Let these things be so.
τάδε δέ, ὦ Σώκρατες, εἰπέ μοι. ἆρά γε μὴ ἐμοῦ προμηθῇ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιτηδείων μή, ἐὰν σὺ ἐνθένδε ἐξέλθῃς, οἱ συκοφάνται ἡμῖν πράγματα παρέχωσιν ὡς σὲ ἐνθένδε ἐκκλέψασιν, καὶ ἀναγκασθῶμεν ἢ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν οὐσίαν ἀποβαλεῖν ἢ συχνὰ χρήματα, ἢ καὶ ἄλλο τι πρὸς τούτοις παθεῖν;
But tell me this, Socrates: are you anticipating and fearing for me and your other friends, lest, if you escape from here, the sycophants will cause trouble for us for having smuggled you out of here, and we be forced either to lose all our property or a large sum of money, or even to suffer something else besides?