ECHECRATES: I should so like to hear about his death.
Plato
What did he say in his last hours? We were informed that he died by taking poison, but no one knew anything more; for Translated by Benjamin Jowett.
no Phliasian ever goes to Athens now, and it is a long time since any stranger from Athens has found his way hither; so that we had no clear account.
PERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE:
Phaedo, who is the narrator of the dialogue to Echecrates of PHAEDO: Did you not hear of the proceedings at the trial?
Phlius. Socrates, Apollodorus, Simmias, Cebes, Crito and an Attendant of the Prison.
ECHECRATES: Yes; some one told us about the trial, and we could not understand why, having been condemned, he SCENE: The Prison of Socrates.
should have been put to death, not at the time, but long afterwards. What was the reason of this?
PLACE OF THE NARRATION: Phlius.
PHAEDO: An accident, Echecrates: the stern of the ship which the Athenians send to Delos happened to have been crowned on the day before he was tried.
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ECHECRATES: What is this ship?
PHAEDO: No; there were several of them with him.
PHAEDO: It is the ship in which, according to Athenian ECHECRATES: If you have nothing to do, I wish that you tradition, Theseus went to Crete when he took with him would tell me what passed, as exactly as you can.
the fourteen youths, and was the saviour of them and of himself. And they were said to have vowed to Apollo at the PHAEDO: I have nothing at all to do, and will try to gratify time, that if they were saved they would send a yearly mis-your wish. To be reminded of Socrates is always the greatest sion to Delos. Now this custom still continues, and the whole delight to me, whether I speak myself or hear another speak period of the voyage to and from Delos, beginning when of him.
the priest of Apollo crowns the stern of the ship, is a holy season, during which the city is not allowed to be polluted ECHECRATES: You will have listeners who are of the same by public executions; and when the vessel is detained by mind with you, and I hope that you will be as exact as you can.
contrary winds, the time spent in going and returning is very considerable. As I was saying, the ship was crowned on PHAEDO: I had a singular feeling at being in his company.
the day before the trial, and this was the reason why Socrates For I could hardly believe that I was present at the death of lay in prison and was not put to death until long after he a friend, and therefore I did not pity him, Echecrates; he was condemned.
died so fearlessly, and his words and bearing were so noble and gracious, that to me he appeared blessed. I thought that ECHECRATES: What was the manner of his death, Phaedo?
in going to the other world he could not be without a divine What was said or done? And which of his friends were with call, and that he would be happy, if any man ever was, when him? Or did the authorities forbid them to be present—so he arrived there, and therefore I did not pity him as might that he had no friends near him when he died?
have seemed natural at such an hour. But I had not the plea-40
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sure which I usually feel in philosophical discourse (for phi-ECHECRATES: Were there any strangers?
losophy was the theme of which we spoke). I was pleased, but in the pleasure there was also a strange admixture of PHAEDO: Yes, there were; Simmias the Theban, and Cebes, pain; for I reflected that he was soon to die, and this double and Phaedondes; Euclid and Terpison, who came from feeling was shared by us all; we were laughing and weeping Megara.
by turns, especially the excitable Apollodorus—you know the sort of man?
ECHECRATES: And was Aristippus there, and Cleombrotus?
ECHECRATES: Yes.
PHAEDO: No, they were said to be in Aegina.
PHAEDO: He was quite beside himself; and I and all of us were greatly moved.
ECHECRATES: Any one else?
ECHECRATES: Who were present?
PHAEDO: I think that these were nearly all.
PHAEDO: Of native Athenians there were, besides ECHECRATES: Well, and what did you talk about?
Apollodorus, Critobulus and his father Crito, Hermogenes, Epigenes, Aeschines, Antisthenes; likewise Ctesippus of the PHAEDO: I will begin at the beginning, and endeavour to deme of Paeania, Menexenus, and some others; Plato, if I repeat the entire conversation. On the previous days we had am not mistaken, was ill.
been in the habit of assembling early in the morning at the court in which the trial took place, and which is not far 41
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from the prison. There we used to wait talking with one and rubbed his leg, saying, as he was rubbing: How singular another until the opening of the doors (for they were not is the thing called pleasure, and how curiously related to opened very early); then we went in and generally passed pain, which might be thought to be the opposite of it; for the day with Socrates. On the last morning we assembled they are never present to a man at the same instant, and yet sooner than usual, having heard on the day before when we he who pursues either is generally compelled to take the other; quitted the prison in the evening that the sacred ship had their bodies are two, but they are joined by a single head.
come from Delos, and so we arranged to meet very early at And I cannot help thinking that if Aesop had remembered the accustomed place. On our arrival the jailer who answered them, he would have made a fable about God trying to rec-the door, instead of admitting us, came out and told us to oncile their strife, and how, when he could not, he fastened stay until he called us. ‘For the Eleven,’ he said, ‘are now their heads together; and this is the reason why when one with Socrates; they are taking off his chains, and giving or-comes the other follows, as I know by my own experience ders that he is to die to-day.’ He soon returned and said that now, when after the pain in my leg which was caused by the we might come in. On entering we found Socrates just re-chain pleasure appears to succeed.
leased from chains, and Xanthippe, whom you know, sit-Upon this Cebes said: I am glad, Socrates, that you have ting by him, and holding his child in her arms. When she mentioned the name of Aesop. For it reminds me of a ques-saw us she uttered a cry and said, as women will: ‘O Socrates, tion which has been asked by many, and was asked of me this is the last time that either you will converse with your only the day before yesterday by Evenus the poet —he will friends, or they with you.’ Socrates turned to Crito and said: be sure to ask it again, and therefore if you would like me to
‘Crito, let some one take her home.’ Some of Crito’s people have an answer ready for him, you may as well tell me what accordingly led her away, crying out and beating herself. And I should say to him:—he wanted to know why you, who when she was gone, Socrates, sitting up on the couch, bent never before wrote a line of poetry, now that you are in prison 42
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are turning Aesop’s fables into verse, and also composing dream, to compose a few verses before I departed. And first I that hymn in honour of Apollo.
made a hymn in honour of the god of the festival, and then Tell him, Cebes, he replied, what is the truth—that I had considering that a poet, if he is really to be a poet, should not no idea of rivalling him or his poems; to do so, as I knew, only put together words, but should invent stories, and that I would be no easy task. But I wanted to see whether I could have no invention, I took some fables of Aesop, which I had purge away a scruple which I felt about the meaning of cer-ready at hand and which I knew—they were the first I came tain dreams. In the course of my life I have often had intima-upon—and turned them into verse. Tell this to Evenus, Cebes, tions in dreams ‘that I should compose music.’ The same dream and bid him be of good cheer; say that I would have him came to me sometimes in one form, and sometimes in an-come after me if he be a wise man, and not tarry; and that to-other, but always saying the same or nearly the same words: day I am likely to be going, for the Athenians say that I must.
‘Cultivate and make music,’ said the dream. And hitherto I Simmias said: What a message for such a man! having been had imagined that this was only intended to exhort and en-a frequent companion of his I should say that, as far as I courage me in the study of philosophy, which has been the know him, he will never take your advice unless he is obliged.
pursuit of my life, and is the noblest and best of music. The Why, said Socrates,—is not Evenus a philosopher?
dream was bidding me do what I was already doing, in the I think that he is, said Simmias.
same way that the competitor in a race is bidden by the spec-Then he, or any man who has the spirit of philosophy, tators to run when he is already running. But I was not cer-will be willing to die, but he will not take his own life, for tain of this, for the dream might have meant music in the that is held to be unlawful.
popular sense of the word, and being under sentence of death, Here he changed his position, and put his legs off the couch and the festival giving me a respite, I thought that it would be on to the ground, and during the rest of the conversation he safer for me to satisfy the scruple, and, in obedience to the remained sitting.
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Why do you say, enquired Cebes, that a man ought not to tion, and why, when a man is better dead, he is not permit-take his own life, but that the philosopher will be ready to ted to be his own benefactor, but must wait for the hand of follow the dying?
another.
Socrates replied: And have you, Cebes and Simmias, who Very true, said Cebes, laughing gently and speaking in his are the disciples of Philolaus, never heard him speak of this?
native Boeotian.
Yes, but his language was obscure, Socrates.
I admit the appearance of inconsistency in what I am say-My words, too, are only an echo; but there is no reason ing; but there may not be any real inconsistency after all.
why I should not repeat what I have heard: and indeed, as I There is a doctrine whispered in secret that man is a pris-am going to another place, it is very meet for me to be think-oner who has no right to open the door and run away; this is ing and talking of the nature of the pilgrimage which I am a great mystery which I do not quite understand. Yet I too about to make. What can I do better in the interval between believe that the gods are our guardians, and that we are a this and the setting of the sun?
possession of theirs. Do you not agree?
Then tell me, Socrates, why is suicide held to be unlawful?
Yes, I quite agree, said Cebes.
as I have certainly heard Philolaus, about whom you were And if one of your own possessions, an ox or an ass, for just now asking, affirm when he was staying with us at example, took the liberty of putting himself out of the way Thebes: and there are others who say the same, although I when you had given no intimation of your wish that he have never understood what was meant by any of them.
should die, would you not be angry with him, and would Do not lose heart, replied Socrates, and the day may come you not punish him if you could?
when you will understand. I suppose that you wonder why, Certainly, replied Cebes.
when other things which are evil may be good at certain Then, if we look at the matter thus, there may be reason times and to certain persons, death is to be the only excep-in saying that a
44
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man should wait, and not take his own life until God sum-is not so easily convinced by the first thing which he hears.
mons him, as he is now summoning me.
And certainly, added Simmias, the objection which he is Yes, Socrates, said Cebes, there seems to be truth in what now making does appear to me to have some force. For what you say. And yet how can you reconcile this seemingly true can be the meaning of a truly wise man wanting to fly away belief that God is our guardian and we his possessions, with and lightly leave a master who is better than himself? And I the willingness to die which we were just now attributing to rather imagine that Cebes is referring to you; he thinks that the philosopher? That the wisest of men should be willing you are too ready to leave us, and too ready to leave the gods to leave a service in which they are ruled by the gods who are whom you acknowledge to be our good masters.
the best of rulers, is not reasonable; for surely no wise man Yes, replied Socrates; there is reason in what you say. And thinks that when set at liberty he can take better care of so you think that I ought to answer your indictment as if I himself than the gods take of him. A fool may perhaps think were in a court?
so—he may argue that he had better run away from his We should like you to do so, said Simmias.
master, not considering that his duty is to remain to the Then I must try to make a more successful defence before end, and not to run away from the good, and that there you than I did when before the judges. For I am quite ready would be no sense in his running away. The wise man will to admit, Simmias and Cebes, that I ought to be grieved at want to be ever with him who is better than himself. Now death, if I were not persuaded in the first place that I am go-this, Socrates, is the reverse of what was just now said; for ing to other gods who are wise and good (of which I am as upon this view the wise man should sorrow and the fool certain as I can be of any such matters), and secondly (though rejoice at passing out of life.
I am not so sure of this last) to men departed, better than The earnestness of Cebes seemed to please Socrates. Here, those whom I leave behind; and therefore I do not grieve as I said he, turning to us, is a man who is always inquiring, and might have done, for I have good hope that there is yet some-45
Phaedo
thing remaining for the dead, and as has been said of old, Never mind him, he said.
some far better thing for the good than for the evil.
And now, O my judges, I desire to prove to you that the But do you mean to take away your thoughts with you, real philosopher has reason to be of good cheer when he is Socrates? said Simmias. Will you not impart them to us?—
about to die, and that after death he may hope to obtain the for they are a benefit in which we too are entitled to share.
greatest good in the other world. And how this may be, Moreover, if you succeed in convincing us, that will be an Simmias and Cebes, I will endeavour to explain. For I deem answer to the charge against yourself.
that the true votary of philosophy is likely to be misunder-I will do my best, replied Socrates. But you must first let stood by other men; they do not perceive that he is always me hear what Crito wants; he has long been wishing to say pursuing death and dying; and if this be so, and he has had something to me.
the desire of death all his life long, why when his time comes Only this, Socrates, replied Crito:—the attendant who is should he repine at that which he has been always pursuing to give you the poison has been telling me, and he wants me and desiring?
to tell you, that you are not to talk much, talking, he says, Simmias said laughingly: Though not in a laughing increases heat, and this is apt to interfere with the action of humour, you have made me laugh, Socrates; for I cannot the poison; persons who excite themselves are sometimes help thinking that the many when they hear your words will obliged to take a second or even a third dose.
say how truly you have described philosophers, and our Then, said Socrates, let him mind his business and be pre-people at home will likewise say that the life which philoso-pared to give the poison twice or even thrice if necessary; phers desire is in reality death, and that they have found that is all.
them out to be deserving of the death which they desire.
I knew quite well what you would say, replied Crito; but I And they are right, Simmias, in thinking so, with the ex-was obliged to satisfy him.
ception of the words ‘they have found them out’; for they 46
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have not found out either what is the nature of that death sandals, or other adornments of the body? Instead of caring which the true philosopher deserves, or how he deserves or about them, does he not rather despise anything more than desires death. But enough of them:—let us discuss the mat-nature needs? What do you say?
ter among ourselves: Do we believe that there is such a thing I should say that the true philosopher would despise them.
as death?
Would you not say that he is entirely concerned with the To be sure, replied Simmias.
soul and not with the body? He would like, as far as he can, Is it not the separation of soul and body? And to be dead is to get away from the body and to turn to the soul.
the completion of this; when the soul exists in herself, and is Quite true.
released from the body and the body is released from the In matters of this sort philosophers, above all other men, soul, what is this but death?
may be observed in every sort of way to dissever the soul Just so, he replied.
from the communion of the body.
There is another question, which will probably throw light Very true.
on our present inquiry if you and I can agree about it:—
Whereas, Simmias, the rest of the world are of opinion Ought the philosopher to care about the pleasures—if they that to him who has no sense of pleasure and no part in are to be called pleasures—of eating and drinking?
bodily pleasure, life is not worth having; and that he who is Certainly not, answered Simmias.
indifferent about them is as good as dead.
And what about the pleasures of love—should he care for That is also true.
them?
What again shall we say of the actual acquirement of knowl-By no means.
edge?—is the body, if invited to share in the enquiry, a hin-And will he think much of the other ways of indulging derer or a helper? I mean to say, have sight and hearing any the body, for example, the acquisition of costly raiment, or truth in them? Are they not, as the poets are always telling 47
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us, inaccurate witnesses? and yet, if even they are inaccurate That is true.
and indistinct, what is to be said of the other senses?—for Well, but there is another thing, Simmias: Is there or is you will allow that they are the best of them?
there not an absolute justice?
Certainly, he replied.
Assuredly there is.
Then when does the soul attain truth?—for in attempting And an absolute beauty and absolute good?
to consider anything in company with the body she is obvi-Of course.
ously deceived.
But did you ever behold any of them with your eyes?
True.
Certainly not.
Then must not true existence be revealed to her in thought, Or did you ever reach them with any other bodily sense?—
if at all?
and I speak not of these alone, but of absolute greatness, and Yes.
health, and strength, and of the essence or true nature of And thought is best when the mind is gathered into her-everything. Has the reality of them ever been perceived by self and none of these things trouble her—neither sounds you through the bodily organs? or rather, is not the nearest nor sights nor pain nor any pleasure,—when she takes leave approach to the knowledge of their several natures made by of the body, and has as little as possible to do with it, when him who so orders his intellectual vision as to have the most she has no bodily sense or desire, but is aspiring after true exact conception of the essence of each thing which he con-being?
siders?
Certainly.
Certainly.
And in this the philosopher dishonours the body; his soul And he attains to the purest knowledge of them who goes runs away from his body and desires to be alone and by to each with the mind alone, not introducing or intruding herself?
in the act of thought sight or any other sense together with 48
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reason, but with the very light of the mind in her own clear-say, takes away from us the power of thinking at all. Whence ness searches into the very truth of each; he who has got rid, come wars, and fightings, and factions? whence but from as far as he can, of eyes and ears and, so to speak, of the the body and the lusts of the body? wars are occasioned by whole body, these being in his opinion distracting elements the love of money, and money has to be acquired for the which when they infect the soul hinder her from acquiring sake and in the service of the body; and by reason of all these truth and knowledge—who, if not he, is likely to attain the impediments we have no time to give to philosophy; and, knowledge of true being?
last and worst of all, even if we are at leisure and betake What you say has a wonderful truth in it, Socrates, replied ourselves to some speculation, the body is always breaking Simmias.
in upon us, causing turmoil and confusion in our enquiries, And when real philosophers consider all these things, will and so amazing us that we are prevented from seeing the they not be led to make a reflection which they will express truth. It has been proved to us by experience that if we would in words something like the following? ‘Have we not found,’
have pure knowledge of anything we must be quit of the they will say, ‘a path of thought which seems to bring us and body—the soul in herself must behold things in themselves: our argument to the conclusion, that while we are in the and then we shall attain the wisdom which we desire, and of body, and while the soul is infected with the evils of the which we say that we are lovers, not while we live, but after body, our desire will not be satisfied? and our desire is of the death; for if while in company with the body, the soul can-truth. For the body is a source of endless trouble to us by not have pure knowledge, one of two things follows—either reason of the mere requirement of food; and is liable also to knowledge is not to be attained at all, or, if at all, after death.
diseases which overtake and impede us in the search after For then, and not till then, the soul will be parted from the true being: it fills us full of loves, and lusts, and fears, and body and exist in herself alone. In this present life, I reckon fancies of all kinds, and endless foolery, and in fact, as men that we make the nearest approach to knowledge when we 49
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have the least possible intercourse or communion with the gathering and collecting herself into herself from all sides body, and are not surfeited with the bodily nature, but keep out of the body; the dwelling in her own place alone, as in ourselves pure until the hour when God himself is pleased another life, so also in this, as far as she can;—the release of to release us. And thus having got rid of the foolishness of the soul from the chains of the body?
the body we shall be pure and hold converse with the pure, Very true, he said.
and know of ourselves the clear light everywhere, which is And this separation and release of the soul from the body no other than the light of truth.’ For the impure are not is termed death?
permitted to approach the pure. These are the sort of words, To be sure, he said.
Simmias, which the true lovers of knowledge cannot help And the true philosophers, and they only, are ever seeking saying to one another, and thinking. You would agree; would to release the soul. Is not the separation and release of the you not?
soul from the body their especial study?
Undoubtedly, Socrates.
That is true.
But, O my friend, if this is true, there is great reason to And, as I was saying at first, there would be a ridiculous hope that, going whither I go, when I have come to the end contradiction in men studying to live as nearly as they can of my journey, I shall attain that which has been the pursuit in a state of death, and yet repining when it comes upon of my life. And therefore I go on my way rejoicing, and not them.
I only, but every other man who believes that his mind has Clearly.
been made ready and that he is in a manner purified.
And the true philosophers, Simmias, are always occupied Certainly, replied Simmias.
in the practice of dying, wherefore also to them least of all And what is purification but the separation of the soul men is death terrible. Look at the matter thus:—if they have from the body, as I was saying before; the habit of the soul been in every way the enemies of the body, and are wanting 50
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to be alone with the soul, when this desire of theirs is granted, Quite so, he replied.
how inconsistent would they be if they trembled and re-And is not courage, Simmias, a quality which is specially pined, instead of rejoicing at their departure to that place characteristic of the philosopher?
where, when they arrive, they hope to gain that which in life Certainly.
they desired—and this was wisdom—and at the same time There is temperance again, which even by the vulgar is to be rid of the company of their enemy. Many a man has supposed to consist in the control and regulation of the pas-been willing to go to the world below animated by the hope sions, and in the sense of superiority to them—is not tem-of seeing there an earthly love, or wife, or son, and convers-perance a virtue belonging to those only who despise the ing with them. And will he who is a true lover of wisdom, body, and who pass their lives in philosophy?
and is strongly persuaded in like manner that only in the Most assuredly.
world below he can worthily enjoy her, still repine at death?
For the courage and temperance of other men, if you will Will he not depart with joy? Surely he will, O my friend, if consider them, are really a contradiction.
he be a true philosopher. For he will have a firm conviction How so?
that there and there only, he can find wisdom in her purity.
Well, he said, you are aware that death is regarded by men And if this be true, he would be very absurd, as I was saying, in general as a great evil.
if he were afraid of death.
Very true, he said.
He would, indeed, replied Simmias.
And do not courageous men face death because they are And when you see a man who is repining at the approach afraid of yet greater evils?
of death, is not his reluctance a sufficient proof that he is That is quite true.
not a lover of wisdom, but a lover of the body, and probably Then all but the philosophers are courageous only from at the same time a lover of either money or power, or both?
fear, and because they are afraid; and yet that a man should 51
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be courageous from fear, and because he is a coward, is surely thing truly bought or sold, whether courage or temperance a strange thing.
or justice. And is not all true virtue the companion of wis-Very true.
dom, no matter what fears or pleasures or other similar goods And are not the temperate exactly in the same case? They or evils may or may not attend her? But the virtue which is are temperate because they are intemperate—which might made up of these goods, when they are severed from wis-seem to be a contradiction, but is nevertheless the sort of dom and exchanged with one another, is a shadow of virtue thing which happens with this foolish temperance. For there only, nor is there any freedom or health or truth in her; but are pleasures which they are afraid of losing; and in their in the true exchange there is a purging away of all these things, desire to keep them, they abstain from some pleasures, be-and temperance, and justice, and courage, and wisdom her-cause they are overcome by others; and although to be con-self are the purgation of them. The founders of the myster-quered by pleasure is called by men intemperance, to them ies would appear to have had a real meaning, and were not the conquest of pleasure consists in being conquered by plea-talking nonsense when they intimated in a figure long ago sure. And that is what I mean by saying that, in a sense, they that he who passes unsanctified and uninitiated into the are made temperate