phaedo-第2章

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intimations　in　dreams　〃that　I　should　make　music。〃　The　same　dream



came　to　me　sometimes　in　one　form；　and　sometimes　in　another；　but　always



saying　the　same　or　nearly　the　same　words：　Make　and　cultivate　music；



said　the　dream。　And　hitherto　I　had　imagined　that　this　was　only



intended　to　exhort　and　encourage　me　in　the　study　of　philosophy；



which　has　always　been　the　pursuit　of　my　life；　and　is　the　noblest　and



best　of　music。　The　dream　was　bidding　me　to　do　what　I　was　already



doing；　in　the　same　way　that　the　competitor　in　a　race　is　bidden　by



the　spectators　to　run　when　he　is　already　running。　But　I　was　not



certain　of　this；　as　the　dream　might　have　meant　music　in　the　popular



sense　of　the　word；　and　being　under　sentence　of　death；　and　the　festival



giving　me　a　respite；　I　thought　that　I　should　be　safer　if　I　satisfied



the　scruple；　and；　in　obedience　to　the　dream；　composed　a　few　verses



before　I　departed。　And　first　I　made　a　hymn　in　honor　of　the　god　of



the　festival；　and　then　considering　that　a　poet；　if　he　is　really　to



be　a　poet　or　maker；　should　not　only　put　words　together　but　make



stories；　and　as　I　have　no　invention；　I　took　some　fables　of　esop；　which



I　had　ready　at　hand　and　knew；　and　turned　them　into　verse。　Tell



Evenus　this；　and　bid　him　be　of　good　cheer；　that　I　would　have　him



come　after　me　if　he　be　a　wise　man；　and　not　tarry；　and　that　to…day　I　am



likely　to　be　going；　for　the　Athenians　say　that　I　must。



　　Simmias　said：　What　a　message　for　such　a　man！　having　been　a



frequent　companion　of　his；　I　should　say　that；　as　far　as　I　know　him；　he



will　never　take　your　advice　unless　he　is　obliged。



　　Why；　said　Socrates；…is　not　Evenus　a　philosopher？



　　I　think　that　he　is；　said　Simmias。



　　Then　he；　or　any　man　who　has　the　spirit　of　philosophy；　will　be



willing　to　die；　though　he　will　not　take　his　own　life；　for　that　is　held



not　to　be　right。



　　Here　he　changed　his　position；　and　put　his　legs　off　the　couch　on　to



the　ground；　and　during　the　rest　of　the　conversation　he　remained



sitting。



　　Why　do　you　say；　inquired　Cebes；　that　a　man　ought　not　to　take　his　own



life；　but　that　the　philosopher　will　be　ready　to　follow　the　dying？



　　Socrates　replied：　And　have　you；　Cebes　and　Simmias；　who　are



acquainted　with　Philolaus；　never　heard　him　speak　of　this？



　　I　never　understood　him；　Socrates。



　　My　words；　too；　are　only　an　echo；　but　I　am　very　willing　to　say　what　I



have　heard：　and　indeed；　as　I　am　going　to　another　place；　I　ought　to



be　thinking　and　talking　of　the　nature　of　the　pilgrimage　which　I　am



about　to　make。　What　can　I　do　better　in　the　interval　between　this　and



the　setting　of　the　sun？



　　Then　tell　me；　Socrates；　why　is　suicide　held　not　to　be　right？　as　I



have　certainly　heard　Philolaus　affirm　when　he　was　staying　with　us　at



Thebes：　and　there　are　others　who　say　the　same；　although　none　of　them



has　ever　made　me　understand　him。



　　But　do　your　best；　replied　Socrates；　and　the　day　may　come　when　you



will　understand。　I　suppose　that　you　wonder　why；　as　most　things　which



are　evil　may　be　accidentally　good；　this　is　to　be　the　only　exception



（for　may　not　death；　too；　be　better　than　life　in　some　cases？）；　and　why；



when　a　man　is　better　dead；　he　is　not　permitted　to　be　his　own



benefactor；　but　must　wait　for　the　hand　of　another。



　　By　Jupiter！　yes；　indeed；　said　Cebes；　laughing；　and　speaking　in　his



native　Doric。



　　I　admit　the　appearance　of　inconsistency；　replied　Socrates；　but　there



may　not　be　any　real　inconsistency　after　all　in　this。　There　is　a



doctrine　uttered　in　secret　that　man　is　a　prisoner　who　has　no　right



to　open　the　door　of　his　prison　and　run　away；　this　is　a　great　mystery



which　I　do　not　quite　understand。　Yet　I；　too；　believe　that　the　gods　are



our　guardians；　and　that　we　are　a　possession　of　theirs。　Do　you　not



agree？



　　Yes；　I　agree　to　that；　said　Cebes。



　　And　if　one　of　your　own　possessions；　an　ox　or　an　ass；　for　example



took　the　liberty　of　putting　himself　out　of　the　way　when　you　had



given　no　intimation　of　your　wish　that　he　should　die；　would　you　not



be　angry　with　him；　and　would　you　not　punish　him　if　you　could？



　　Certainly；　replied　Cebes。



　　Then　there　may　be　reason　in　saying　that　a　man　should　wait；　and　not



take　his　own　life　until　God　summons　him；　as　he　is　now　summoning　me。



　　Yes；　Socrates；　said　Cebes；　there　is　surely　reason　in　that。　And　yet



how　can　you　reconcile　this　seemingly　true　belief　that　God　is　our



guardian　and　we　his　possessions；　with　that　willingness　to　die　which　we



were　attributing　to　the　philosopher？　That　the　wisest　of　men　should



be　willing　to　leave　this　service　in　which　they　are　ruled　by　the　gods



who　are　the　best　of　rulers　is　not　reasonable；　for　surely　no　wise　man



thinks　that　when　set　at　liberty　he　can　take　better　care　of　himself



than　the　gods　take　of　him。　A　fool　may　perhaps　think　this…he　may



argue　that　he　had　better　run　away　from　his　master；　not　considering



that　his　duty　is　to　remain　to　the　end；　and　not　to　run　away　from　the



good；　and　that　there　is　no　sense　in　his　running　away。　But　the　wise　man



will　want　to　be　ever　with　him　who　is　better　than　himself。　Now　this；



Socrates；　is　the　reverse　of　what　was　just　now　said；　for　upon　this　view



the　wise　man　should　sorrow　and　the　fool　rejoice　at　passing　out　of



life。



　　The　earnestness　of　Cebes　seemed　to　please　Socrates。　Here；　said　he；



turning　to　us；　is　a　man　who　is　always　inquiring；　and　is　not　to　be



convinced　all　in　a　moment；　nor　by　every　argument。



　　And　in　this　case；　added　Simmias；　his　objection　does　appear　to　me



to　have　some　force。　For　what　can　be　the　meaning　of　a　truly　wise　man



wanting　to　fly　away　and　lightly　leave　a　master　who　is　better　than



himself？　And　I　rather　imagine　that　Cebes　is　referring　to　you；　he



thinks　that　you　are　too　ready　to　leave　us；　and　too　ready　to　leave



the　gods　who；　as　you　acknowledge；　are　our　good　rulers。



　　Yes；　replied　Socrates；　there　is　reason　in　that。　And　this



indictment　you　think　that　I　ought　to　answer　as　if　I　were　in　court？



　　That　is　what　we　should　like；　said　Simmias。



　　Then　I　must　try　to　make　a　better　impression　upon　you　than　I　did　when



defending　myself　before　the　judges。　For　I　am　quite　ready　to



acknowledge；　Simmias　and　Cebes；　that　I　ought　to　be　grieved　at　death；



if　I　were　not　persuaded　that　I　am　going　to　other　gods　who　are　wise　and



good　（of　this　I　am　as　certain　as　I　can　be　of　anything　of　the　sort）　and



to　men　departed　（though　I　am　not　so　certain　of　this）；　who　are　better



than　those　whom　I　leave　behind；　and　therefore　I　do　not　grieve　as　I



might　have　done；　for　I　have　good　hope　that　there　is　yet　something



remaining　for　the　dead；　and；　as　has　been　said　of　old；　some　far



better　thing　for　the　good　than　for　the　evil。



　　But　do　you　mean　to　take　away　your　thoughts　with　you；　Socrates？



said　Simmias。　Will　you　not　communicate　them　to　us？…the　benefit　is



one　in　which　we　too　may　hope　to　share。　Moreover；　if　you　succeed　in



convincing　us；　that　will　be　an　answer　to　the　charge　against　yourself。



　　I　will　do　my　best；　replied　Socrates。　But　you　must　first　let　me



hear　what　Crito　wants；　he　was　going　to　say　something　to　me。



　　Only　this；　Socrates；　replied　Crito：　the　attendant　who　is　to　give　you



the　poison　has　been　telling　me　that　you　are　not　to　talk　much；　and　he



wants　me　to　let　you　know　this；　for　that　by　talking　heat　is



increased；　and　this　interferes　with　the　action　of　the　poison；　those



who　excite　themselves　are　sometimes　obliged　to　drink　the　poison　two　or



three　times。



　　Then；　said　Socrates；　let　him　mind　his　business　and　be　prepared　to



give　the　poison　two　or　three　times；　if　necessary；　that　is　all。



　　I　was　almost　certain　that　you　would　say　that；　replied　Crito；　but　I



was　obliged　to　satisfy　him。



　　Never　mind　him；　he　said。



　　And　now　I　will　make　answer　to　you；　O　my　judges；　and　show　that　he　who



has　lived　as　a　true　philosopher　has　reason　to　be　of　good　cheer　when　he



is　about　to　die；　and　that　after　death　h