§53ΣΩ.
σὺ δὲ οὔτε Λακεδαίμονα προῃροῦ οὔτε Κρήτην, ἃς δὴ ἑκάστοτε φῂς εὐνομεῖσθαι, οὔτε ἄλλην οὐδεμίαν τῶν Ἑλληνίδων πόλεων οὐδὲ τῶν βαρβαρικῶν, ἀλλὰ ἐλάττω ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀπεδήμησας ἢ οἱ χωλοί τε καὶ τυφλοὶ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἀνάπηροι·
Socrates: "But you preferred neither Lacedaemon nor Crete, which you always say are well-governed, nor any other of the Greek cities or those of the barbarians, but you traveled away from it less than the lame and the blind and the other cripples.
οὕτω σοι διαφερόντως τῶν ἄλλων Ἀθηναίων ἤρεσκεν ἡ πόλις τε καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ νόμοι δῆλον ὅτι· τίνι γὰρ ἂν πόλις ἀρέσκοι ἄνευ νόμων;
So preeminently, more than other Athenians, did the city and we, the laws, please you, as is clear; for to whom would a city be pleasing without laws?
νῦν δὲ δὴ οὐκ ἐμμενεῖς τοῖς ὡμολογημένοις;
And now will you not abide by your agreements?
ἐὰν ἡμῖν γε πείθῃ, ὦ Σώκρατες· καὶ οὐ καταγέλαστός γε ἔσῃ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἐξελθών.
You will, if you are persuaded by us, Socrates; and you will not be a laughingstock by leaving the city.
σκόπει γὰρ δή, ταῦτα παραβὰς καὶ ἐξαμαρτάνων τι τούτων τί ἀγαθὸν ἐργάσῃ σαυτὸν ἢ τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους τοὺς σαυτοῦ.
For consider now, by violating these agreements and committing any of these errors, what good you will do to yourself or to your companions.
ὅτι μὲν γὰρ κινδυνεύσουσί γέ σου οἱ ἐπιτήδειοι καὶ αὐτοὶ φεύγειν καὶ στερηθῆναι τῆς πόλεως ἢ τὴν οὐσίαν ἀπολέσαι, σχεδόν τι δῆλον·
For that your companions will also run the risk of being exiled and deprived of their city or of losing their property is nearly clear.
αὐτὸς δὲ πρῶτον μὲν ἐὰν εἰς τῶν ἐγγύτατά τινα πόλεων ἔλθῃς, ἢ Θήβαζε ἢ Μέγαράδε— εὐνομοῦνται γὰρ ἀμφότεραι—πολέμιος ἥξεις, ὦ Σώκρατες, τῇ τούτων πολιτείᾳ, καὶ ὅσοιπερ κήδονται τῶν αὑτῶν πόλεων ὑποβλέψονταί σε διαφθορέα ἡγούμενοι τῶν νόμων, καὶ βεβαιώσεις τοῖς δικασταῖς τὴν δόξαν, ὥστε δοκεῖν ὀρθῶς τὴν δίκην δικάσαι·
And as for yourself, first, if you go to one of the nearest cities, either to Thebes or to Megara—for both are well-governed—you will arrive as an enemy, Socrates, to their constitution, and all who care for their own cities will look upon you with suspicion, regarding you as a destroyer of the laws, and you will confirm for the judges their opinion, so that they will seem to have judged the case correctly.
ὅστις γὰρ νόμων διαφθορεύς ἐστιν σφόδρα που δόξειεν ἂν νέων γε καὶ ἀνοήτων ἀνθρώπων διαφθορεὺς εἶναι.
For whoever is a destroyer of laws would certainly seem to be a destroyer of the young and foolish.
πότερον οὖν φεύξῃ τάς τε εὐνομουμένας πόλεις καὶ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τοὺς κοσμιωτάτους;
Will you then flee from the well-governed cities and the most orderly of men?
καὶ τοῦτο ποιοῦντι ἆρα ἄξιόν σοι ζῆν ἔσται;
And if you do this, will it be worth your while to live?
ἢ πλησιάσεις τούτοις καὶ ἀναισχυντήσεις διαλεγόμενος—τίνας λόγους, ὦ Σώκρατες;
Or will you approach them and have the face to converse—with what words, Socrates?
ἢ οὕσπερ ἐνθάδε, ὡς ἡ ἀρετὴ καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη πλείστου ἄξιον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ τὰ νόμιμα καὶ οἱ νόμοι;
Or those that you used here, that virtue and justice are of the greatest value to men, and institutions and laws?
καὶ οὐκ οἴει ἄσχημον φανεῖσθαι τὸ τοῦ Σωκράτους πρᾶγμα;
And do you not think that the conduct of Socrates will appear disgraceful?
οἴεσθαί γε χρή.
You must think so.
ἀλλʼ ἐκ μὲν τούτων τῶν τόπων ἀπαρεῖς, ἥξεις δὲ εἰς Θετταλίαν παρὰ τοὺς ξένους τοὺς Κρίτωνος;
But you will depart from these places and go to Thessaly to the guest-friends of Crito?
ἐκεῖ γὰρ δὴ πλείστη ἀταξία καὶ ἀκολασία, καὶ ἴσως ἂν ἡδέως σου ἀκούοιεν ὡς γελοίως ἐκ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου ἀπεδίδρασκες σκευήν τέ τινα περιθέμενος, ἢ διφθέραν λαβὼν ἢ ἄλλα οἷα δὴ εἰώθασιν ἐνσκευάζεσθαι οἱ ἀποδιδράσκοντες, καὶ τὸ σχῆμα τὸ σαυτοῦ μεταλλάξας·
For there indeed is the greatest disorder and licentiousness, and perhaps they would gladly listen to you telling how ridiculously you ran away from prison, having put on some disguise, either taking a leather cloak or other things such as those escaping are accustomed to dress in, and having altered your appearance.
ὅτι δὲ γέρων ἀνήρ, σμικροῦ χρόνου τῷ βίῳ λοιποῦ ὄντος ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ἐτόλμησας οὕτω γλίσχρως ἐπιθυμεῖν ζῆν, νόμους τοὺς μεγίστους παραβάς, οὐδεὶς ὃς ἐρεῖ;
But that an old man, with only a short time of life remaining as is reasonable, dared to desire to live so greedily, having violated the greatest laws, will there be no one to say this?
ἴσως, ἂν μή τινα λυπῇς· εἰ δὲ μή, ἀκούσῃ, ὦ Σώκρατες, πολλὰ καὶ ἀνάξια σαυτοῦ.
Perhaps, if you do not offend anyone; but if you do, Socrates, you will hear many things unworthy of yourself.
ὑπερχόμενος δὴ βιώσῃ πάντας ἀνθρώπους καὶ δουλεύων— τί ποιῶν ἢ εὐωχούμενος ἐν Θετταλίᾳ, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ δεῖπνον ἀποδεδημηκὼς εἰς Θετταλίαν;
You will live by groveling to all men and being a slave—doing what, or feasting in Thessaly, as if you had traveled to Thessaly for a dinner?
§54ΣΩ.
λόγοι δὲ ἐκεῖνοι οἱ περὶ δικαιοσύνης τε καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ἀρετῆς ποῦ ἡμῖν ἔσονται;
And where will those words of ours about justice and other virtue be?
ἀλλὰ δὴ τῶν παίδων ἕνεκα βούλει ζῆν, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ἐκθρέψῃς καὶ παιδεύσῃς;
But indeed, do you wish to live for the sake of your children, that you may bring them up and educate them?
τί δέ;
What then?
εἰς Θετταλίαν αὐτοὺς ἀγαγὼν θρέψεις τε καὶ παιδεύσεις, ξένους ποιήσας, ἵνα καὶ τοῦτο ἀπολαύσωσιν;
Will you bring them to Thessaly and bring them up and educate them, making them foreigners, so that they may enjoy this benefit also?
ἢ τοῦτο μὲν οὔ, αὐτοῦ δὲ τρεφόμενοι σοῦ ζῶντος βέλτιον θρέψονται καὶ παιδεύσονται μὴ συνόντος σοῦ αὐτοῖς;
Or will they not be brought up there, but if they are brought up here while you live, will they be better brought up and educated when you are not with them?
οἱ γὰρ ἐπιτήδειοι οἱ σοὶ ἐπιμελήσονται αὐτῶν.
For your companions will take care of them.
πότερον ἐὰν μὲν εἰς Θετταλίαν ἀποδημήσῃς, ἐπιμελήσονται, ἐὰν δὲ εἰς Ἅιδου ἀποδημήσῃς, οὐχὶ ἐπιμελήσονται;
Will they take care of them if you travel to Thessaly, but if you travel to Hades, will they not take care of them?
εἴπερ γέ τι ὄφελος αὐτῶν ἐστιν τῶν σοι φασκόντων ἐπιτηδείων εἶναι, οἴεσθαί γε χρή.
If indeed there is any benefit in those who claim to be your companions, you must believe they will.
ἀλλʼ, ὦ Σώκρατες, πειθόμενος ἡμῖν τοῖς σοῖς τροφεῦσι μήτε παῖδας περὶ πλείονος ποιοῦ μήτε τὸ ζῆν μήτε ἄλλο μηδὲν πρὸ τοῦ δικαίου, ἵνα εἰς Ἅιδου ἐλθὼν ἔχῃς πάντα ταῦτα ἀπολογήσασθαι τοῖς ἐκεῖ ἄρχουσιν·
No, Socrates, be persuaded by us who nurtured you, and do not value children or life or anything else more than justice, so that when you arrive in Hades you may have all these things to say in your defense to those who rule there.
οὔτε γὰρ ἐνθάδε σοι φαίνεται ταῦτα πράττοντι ἄμεινον εἶναι οὐδὲ δικαιότερον οὐδὲ ὁσιώτερον, οὐδὲ ἄλλῳ τῶν σῶν οὐδενί, οὔτε ἐκεῖσε ἀφικομένῳ ἄμεινον ἔσται.
For neither here does this course appear better for you to do, nor more just, nor more holy, nor for any of your people, nor will it be better for you when you arrive there.
ἀλλὰ νῦν μὲν ἠδικημένος ἄπει, ἐὰν ἀπίῃς, οὐχ ὑφʼ ἡμῶν τῶν νόμων ἀλλὰ ὑπʼ ἀνθρώπων·
But as it is, you depart having been wronged, if you depart, not by us, the laws, but by men.
ἐὰν δὲ ἐξέλθῃς οὕτως αἰσχρῶς ἀνταδικήσας τε καὶ ἀντικακουργήσας, τὰς σαυτοῦ ὁμολογίας τε καὶ συνθήκας τὰς πρὸς ἡμᾶς παραβὰς καὶ κακὰ ἐργασάμενος τούτους οὓς ἥκιστα ἔδει, σαυτόν τε καὶ φίλους καὶ πατρίδα καὶ ἡμᾶς, ἡμεῖς τέ σοι χαλεπανοῦμεν ζῶντι, καὶ ἐκεῖ οἱ ἡμέτεροι ἀδελφοὶ οἱ ἐν Ἅιδου νόμοι οὐκ εὐμενῶς σε ὑποδέξονται, εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπεχείρησας ἀπολέσαι τὸ σὸν μέρος.
But if you escape so disgracefully, returning injustice for injustice and evil for evil, having violated your own agreements and contracts with us and having done harm to those whom you least ought to, yourself and your friends and country and us, we shall be angry with you while you live, and there our brothers, the laws in Hades, will not receive you graciously, knowing that you attempted to destroy us as far as lay in your power.
ἀλλὰ μή σε πείσῃ Κρίτων ποιεῖν ἃ λέγει μᾶλλον ἢ ἡμεῖς. ταῦτα, ὦ φίλε ἑταῖρε Κρίτων, εὖ ἴσθι ὅτι ἐγὼ δοκῶ ἀκούειν, ὥσπερ οἱ κορυβαντιῶντες τῶν αὐλῶν δοκοῦσιν ἀκούειν, καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ αὕτη ἡ ἠχὴ τούτων τῶν λόγων βομβεῖ καὶ ποιεῖ μὴ δύνασθαι τῶν ἄλλων ἀκούειν·
But do not let Crito persuade you to do what he says rather than us." Know well, my dear companion Crito, that I seem to hear these things, just as the Corybantes seem to hear the flutes, and in me this echo of these words resounds and makes me unable to hear anything else.
ἀλλὰ ἴσθι, ὅσα γε τὰ νῦν ἐμοὶ δοκοῦντα, ἐὰν λέγῃς παρὰ ταῦτα, μάτην ἐρεῖς.
But know that, as far as my present belief goes, if you speak contrary to these things, you will speak in vain.
ὅμως μέντοι εἴ τι οἴει πλέον ποιήσειν, λέγε.
Nevertheless, if you think you will accomplish anything more, speak.
ΚΡ. ἀλλʼ, ὦ Σώκρατες, οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν.
Crito: No, Socrates, I have nothing to say.
ΣΩ. ἔα τοίνυν, ὦ Κρίτων, καὶ πράττωμεν ταύτῃ, ἐπειδὴ ταύτῃ ὁ θεὸς ὑφηγεῖται.
Socrates: Let it be then, Crito, and let us act in this way, since in this way the god leads us."