SOCRATES: Why, has the fugitive wings?
making a distinction between one who is a rela-EUTHYPHRO: Nay, he is not very volatile at his tion and one who is not a relation; for surely the time of life.
pollution is the same in either case, if you know-SOCRATES: Who is he?
ingly associate with the murderer when you EUTHYPHRO: My father.
ought to clear yourself and him by proceeding SOCRATES: Your father! my good man?
against him. The real question is whether the EUTHYPHRO: Yes.
murdered man has been justly slain. If justly, then SOCRATES: And of what is he accused?
your duty is to let the matter alone; but if un-EUTHYPHRO: Of murder, Socrates.
justly, then even if the murderer lives under the SOCRATES: By the powers, Euthyphro! how little same roof with you and eats at the same table, does the common herd know of the nature of proceed against him. Now the man who is dead right and truth. A man must be an extraordi-was a poor dependant of mine who worked for nary man, and have made great strides in wis-us as a field labourer on our farm in Naxos, and dom, before he could have seen his way to bring one day in a fit of drunken passion he got into a such an action.
quarrel with one of our domestic servants and EUTHYPHRO: Indeed, Socrates, he must.
slew him. My father bound him hand and foot SOCRATES: I suppose that the man whom your and threw him into a ditch, and then sent to father murdered was one of your relatives—
Athens to ask of a diviner what he should do clearly he was; for if he had been a stranger you with him. Meanwhile he never attended to him would never have thought of prosecuting him.
and took no care about him, for he regarded him EUTHYPHRO: I am amused, Socrates, at your as a murderer; and thought that no great harm 13
Euthyphro
would be done even if he did die. Now this was men, is his exact knowledge of all such matters.
just what happened. For such was the effect of What should I be good for without it?
cold and hunger and chains upon him, that be-SOCRATES: Rare friend! I think that I cannot do fore the messenger returned from the diviner, better than be your disciple. Then before the trial he was dead. And my father and family are an-with Meletus comes on I shall challenge him, and gry with me for taking the part of the murderer say that I have always had a great interest in re-and prosecuting my father. They say that he did ligious questions, and now, as he charges me with not kill him, and that if he did, the dead man rash imaginations and innovations in religion, I was but a murderer, and I ou ght not to take any have become your disciple. You, Meletus, as I shall notice, for that a son is impious who prosecutes say to him, acknowledge Euthyphro to be a great a father. Which shows, Socrates, how little they theologian, and sound in his opinions; and if you know what the gods think about piety and impi-approve of him you ought to approve of me, and ety.
not have me into court; but if you disapprove, you SOCRATES: Good heavens, Euthyphro! and is should begin by indicting him who is my teacher, your knowledge of religion and of things pious and who will be the ruin, not of the young, but of and impious so very exact, that, supposing the the old; that is to say, of myself whom he instructs, circumstances to be as you state them, you are and of his old father whom he admonishes and not afraid lest you too may be doing an impious chastises. And if Meletus refuses to listen to me, thing in bringing an action against your father?
but will go on, and will not shift the indictment EUTHYPHRO: The best of Euthyphro, and that from me to you, I cannot do better than repeat which distinguishes him, Socrates, from other this challenge in the court.