,this etext was prepared by ,sue        
,asscher asschersaia4net4au             
,,crito    by ,plato                    
,translated by ,benjamin ,jowett        
,,introduction4    ,the ,crito seems    
intended to exhibit the character of    
,socrates in one light  only1 not as the
 philosopher1 fulfilling a divine       
mission and trusting in  the will of    
heaven1 but simply as the good citizen1 
who having been  unjustly condemned is  
willing to give up his life in obedience
 to the laws  of the state444    ,the   
days of ,socrates are drawing to a      
close2 the fatal ship has been seen  off
 ,sunium1 as he is informed by his aged 
friend and contemporary ,crito1  who    
visits him before the dawn has broken2  
he himself has been warned in a  dream  
that on the third day he must depart4   
,time is precious1 and ,crito  has come 
early in order to gain his consent to a 
plan of escape4  ,this can  be easily   
accomplished by his friends1 who will   
incur no danger in making  the attempt  

to save him1 but will be disgraced for  
ever if they allow him  to perish4  ,he 
should think of his duty to his         
children1 and not play into  the hands  
of his enemies4  ,money is already      
provided by ,crito as well as by        
,simmias and others1 and he will have no
 difficulty in finding friends in       
,thessaly and other places4    ,socrates
 is afraid that ,crito is but pressing  
upon him the opinions of the  many3     
whereas1 all his life long he has       
followed the dictates of reason  only   
and the opinion of the one wise or      
skilled man4  ,there was a time when    
,crito himself had allowed the propriety
 of this4  ,and although some one  will 
say 'the many can kill us1' that makes  
no difference2 but a good life1  in     
other words1 a just and honourable life1
 is alone to be valued4  ,all           
considerations of loss of reputation or 
injury to his children should be        
dismissed3  the only question is whether
 he would be right in attempting to     

escape4  ,crito1 who is a disinterested 
person not having the fear of death     
before his eyes1 shall answer this for  
him4  ,before he was condemned they  had
 often held discussions1 in which they  
agreed that no man should either  do    
evil1 or return evil for evil1 or betray
 the right4  ,are these  principles to  
be altered because the circumstances of 
,socrates are altered8  ,crito admits   
that they remain the same4  ,then is his
 escape consistent with  the maintenance
 of them8  ,to this ,crito is unable or 
unwilling to reply4    ,socrates        
proceeds3--,suppose the ,laws of ,athens
 to come and remonstrate with  him3     
they will ask ',why does he seek to     
overturn them8' and if he replies1      
'they have injured him1' will not the   
,laws answer1 ',yes1 but was that the   
agreement8  ,has he any objection to    
make to them which would justify him in 
overturning them8  ,was he not brought  
into the world and educated by their    
help1 and are they not his parents8  ,he

 might have left ,athens and gone  where
 he pleased1 but he has lived there for 
seventy years more constantly  than any 
other citizen4'  ,thus he has clearly   
shown that he acknowledged  the         
agreement1 which he cannot now break    
without dishonour to himself and  danger
 to his friends4  ,even in the course of
 the trial he might have  proposed exile
 as the penalty1 but then he declared   
that he preferred death  to exile4  ,and
 whither will he direct his footsteps8  
,in any well-ordered  state the ,laws   
will consider him as an enemy4          
,possibly in a land of  misrule like    
,thessaly he may be welcomed at first1  
and the unseemly  narrative of his      
escape will be regarded by the          
inhabitants as an amusing  tale4  ,but  
if he offends them he will have to learn
 another sort of lesson4  ,will he      
continue to give lectures in virtue8    
,that would hardly be decent4  ,and how 
will his children be the gainers if he  
takes them into ,thessaly1  and deprives

 them of ,athenian citizenship8  ,or if 
he leaves them behind1  does he expect  
that they will be better taken care of  
by his friends  because he is in        
,thessaly8  ,will not true friends care 
for them equally  whether he is alive or
 dead8    ,finally1 they exhort him to  
think of justice first1 and of life and 
children afterwards4  ,he may now depart
 in peace and innocence1 a sufferer  and
 not a doer of evil4  ,but if he breaks 
agreements1 and returns evil for  evil1 
they will be angry with him while he    
lives2 and their brethren the  ,laws of 
the world below will receive him as an  
enemy4  ,such is the mystic  voice which
 is always murmuring in his ears4       
,that ,socrates was not a good citizen  
was a charge made against him during    
his lifetime1 which has been often      
repeated in later ages4  ,the crimes of 
,alcibiades1 ,critias1 and ,charmides1  
who had been his pupils1 were still     
recent in the memory of the now restored
 democracy4  ,the fact that he had  been

 neutral in the death-struggle of       
,athens was not likely to conciliate    
popular good-will4  ,plato1 writing     
probably in the next generation1        
undertakes the defence of his friend and
 master in this particular1 not to  the 
,athenians of his day1 but to posterity 
and the world at large4    ,whether such
 an incident ever really occurred as the
 visit of ,crito and the  proposal of   
escape is uncertain3  ,plato could      
easily have invented far more  than that
 7,phaedr472 and in the selection of    
,crito1 the aged friend1 as the  fittest
 person to make the proposal to         
,socrates1 we seem to recognize the     
hand of the artist4  ,whether any one   
who has been subjected by the laws of   
his country to an unjust judgment is    
right in attempting to escape1 is a     
thesis about which casuists might       
disagree4  ,shelley 7,prose ,works7 is  
of  opinion that ,socrates 'did well to 
die1' but not for the 'sophistical'     
reasons which ,plato has put into his   

mouth4  ,and there would be no          
difficulty in arguing that ,socrates    
should have lived and preferred to a    
glorious death the good which he might  
still be able to perform4  ',a          
rhetorician would have had much to say  
upon that point4'  ,it may be  observed 
however that ,plato never intended to   
answer the question of  casuistry1 but  
only to exhibit the ideal of patient    
virtue which refuses to  do the least   
evil in order to avoid the greatest1 and
 to show his master  maintaining in     
death the opinions which he had         
professed in his life4  ,not  'the      
world1' but the 'one wise man1' is still
 the paradox of ,socrates in  his last  
hours4  ,he must be guided by reason1   
although her conclusions may  be fatal  
to him4  ,the remarkable sentiment that 
the wicked can do neither  good nor evil
 is true1 if taken in the sense1 which  
he means1 of moral  evil2 in his own    
words1 'they cannot make a man wise or  
foolish4'    ,this little dialogue is a 

perfect piece of dialectic1 in which    
granting the  'common principle1' there 
is no escaping from the conclusion4  ,it
 is  anticipated at the beginning by the
 dream of ,socrates and the parody of   
,homer4  ,the personification of the    
,laws1 and of their brethren the ,laws  
in  the world below1 is one of the      
noblest and boldest figures of speech   
which  occur in ,plato4      ,,crito    
by    ,plato    ,translated by ,benjamin
 ,jowett      ,,persons ,,of ,,the      
,,dialogue3  ,socrates1 ,crito4         
,,scene3  ,the ,prison of ,socrates4    
,,socrates3  ,why have you come at this 
hour1 ,crito8 it must be quite early4   
,,crito3  ,yes1 certainly4              
,,socrates3  ,what is the exact time8   
,,crito3  ,the dawn is breaking4        
,,socrates3  ,i wonder that the keeper  
of the prison would let you in4         
,,crito3  ,he knows me because ,i often 
come1 ,socrates2 moreover4  ,i have done
  him a kindness4    ,,socrates3  ,and  
are you only just arrived8    ,,crito3  

,no1 ,i came some time ago4             
,,socrates3  ,then why did you sit and  
say nothing1 instead of at once         
awakening me8    ,,crito3  ,i should not
 have liked myself1 ,socrates1 to be in 
such great  trouble and unrest as you   
are--indeed ,i should not3  ,i have been
 watching  with amazement your peaceful 
slumbers2 and for that reason ,i did not
 awake  you1 because ,i wished to       
minimize the pain4  ,i have always      
thought you to  be of a happy           
disposition2 but never did ,i see       
anything like the easy1  tranquil manner
 in which you bear this calamity4       
,,socrates3  ,why1 ,crito1 when a man   
has reached my age he ought not to be   
repining at the approach of death4      
,,crito3  ,and yet other old men find   
themselves in similar misfortunes1 and  
age does not prevent them from repining4
    ,,socrates3  ,that is true4  ,but   
you have not told me why you come at    
this  early hour4    ,,crito3  ,i come  
to bring you a message which is sad and 

painful2 not1 as ,i  believe1 to        
yourself1 but to all of us who are your 
friends1 and saddest of  all to me4     
,,socrates3  ,what8  ,has the ship come 
from ,delos1 on the arrival of which ,i 
am to die8    ,,crito3  ,no1 the ship   
has not actually arrived1 but she will  
probably be  here to-day1 as persons who
 have come from ,sunium tell me that    
they have  left her there2 and therefore
 to-morrow1 ,socrates1 will be the last 
day of  your life4    ,,socrates3  ,very
 well1 ,crito2 if such is the will of   
,god1 ,i am willing2 but  my belief is  
that there will be a delay of a day4    
,,crito3  ,why do you think so8         
,,socrates3  ,i will tell you4  ,i am to
 die on the day after the arrival of    
the ship8    ,,crito3  ,yes2 that is    
what the authorities say4    ,,socrates3
  ,but ,i do not think that the ship    
will be here until to-morrow2  this ,i  
infer from a vision which ,i had last   
night1 or rather only just now1  when   
you fortunately allowed me to sleep4    

,,crito3  ,and what was the nature of   
the vision8    ,,socrates3  ,there      
appeared to me the likeness of a woman1 
fair and comely1  clothed in bright     
raiment1 who called to me and said3  ,o 
,socrates1    ',the third day hence to  
fertile ,phthia shalt thou go4'         
7,homer1 ,il47    ,,crito3  ,what a     
singular dream1 ,socrates6              
,,socrates3  ,there can be no doubt     
about the meaning1 ,crito1 ,i think4    
,,crito3  ,yes2 the meaning is only too 
clear4  ,but1 oh6 my beloved ,socrates1 
let me entreat you once more to take my 
advice and escape4  ,for if you die  ,i 
shall not only lose a friend who can    
never be replaced1 but there is  another
 evil3  people who do not know you and  
me will believe that ,i might  have     
saved you if ,i had been willing to give
 money1 but that ,i did not  care4      
,now1 can there be a worse disgrace than
 this--that ,i should be  thought to    
value money more than the life of a     
friend8  ,for the many will  not be     

persuaded that ,i wanted you to escape1 
and that you refused4    ,,socrates3    
,but why1 my dear ,crito1 should we care
 about the opinion of the  many8  ,good 
men1 and they are the only persons who  
are worth considering1  will think of   
these things truly as they occurred4    
,,crito3  ,but you see1 ,socrates1 that 
the opinion of the many must be         
regarded1 for what is now happening     
shows that they can do the greatest     
evil to any one who has lost their good 
opinion4    ,,socrates3  ,i only wish it
 were so1 ,crito2 and that the many     
could do the  greatest evil2 for then   
they would also be able to do the       
greatest good--  and what a fine thing  
this would be6  ,but in reality they can
 do neither2  for they cannot make a man
 either wise or foolish2 and whatever   
they do is  the result of chance4       
,,crito3  ,well1 ,i will not dispute    
with you2 but please to tell me1        
,socrates1  whether you are not acting  
out of regard to me and your other      

friends3  are  you not afraid that if   
you escape from prison we may get into  
trouble with  the informers for having  
stolen you away1 and lose either the    
whole or a  great part of our property2 
or that even a worse evil may happen to 
us8  ,now1 if you fear on our account1  
be at ease2 for in order to save you1 we
  ought surely to run this1 or even a   
greater risk2 be persuaded1 then1 and   
do as ,i say4    ,,socrates3  ,yes1     
,crito1 that is one fear which you      
mention1 but by no means  the only one4 
,,crito3  ,fear not--there are persons  
who are willing to get you out of       
prison at no great cost2 and as for the 
informers they are far from being       
exorbitant in their demands--a little   
money will satisfy them4  ,my means1    
which are certainly ample1 are at your  
service1 and if you have a scruple      
about spending all mine1 here are       
strangers who will give you the use of  
theirs2 and one of them1 ,simmias the   
,theban1 has brought a large sum of     

money for this very purpose2 and ,cebes 
and many others are prepared to  spend  
their money in helping you to escape4   
,i say1 therefore1 do not  hesitate on  
our account1 and do not say1 as you did 
in the court 7compare  ,apol471 that you
 will have a difficulty in knowing what 
to do with yourself  anywhere else4     
,for men will love you in other places  
to which you may go1  and not in ,athens
 only2 there are friends of mine in     
,thessaly1 if you like  to go to them1  
who will value and protect you1 and no  
,thessalian will give  you any trouble4 
,nor can ,i think that you are at all   
justified1 ,socrates1  in betraying your
 own life when you might be saved2 in   
acting thus you are  playing into the   
hands of your enemies1 who are hurrying 
on your  destruction4  ,and further ,i  
should say that you are deserting your  
own  children2 for you might bring them 
up and educate them2 instead of which   
you go away and leave them1 and they    
will have to take their chance2 and if  

they do not meet with the usual fate of 
orphans1 there will be small thanks  to 
you4  ,no man should bring children into
 the world who is unwilling to          
persevere to the end in their nurture   
and education4  ,but you appear to be   
choosing the easier part1 not the better
 and manlier1 which would have been     
more becoming in one who professes to   
care for virtue in all his actions1     
like yourself4  ,and indeed1 ,i am      
ashamed not only of you1 but of us who  
are  your friends1 when ,i reflect that 
the whole business will be attributed   
entirely to our want of courage4  ,the  
trial need never have come on1 or  might
 have been managed differently2 and this
 last act1 or crowning folly1  will seem
 to have occurred through our negligence
 and cowardice1 who might  have saved   
you1 if we had been good for anything2  
and you might have saved  yourself1 for 
there was no difficulty at all4  ,see   
now1 ,socrates1 how sad  and            
discreditable are the consequences1 both

 to us and you4  ,make up your  mind    
then1 or rather have your mind already  
made up1 for the time of  deliberation  
is over1 and there is only one thing to 
be done1 which must be  done this very  
night1 and if we delay at all will be no
 longer practicable  or possible2 ,i    
beseech you therefore1 ,socrates1 be    
persuaded by me1 and do  as ,i say4     
,,socrates3  ,dear ,crito1 your zeal is 
invaluable1 if a right one2 but if      
wrong1 the greater the zeal the greater 
the danger2 and therefore we ought  to  
consider whether ,i shall or shall not  
do as you say4  ,for ,i am and  always  
have been one of those natures who must 
be guided by reason1  whatever the      
reason may be which upon reflection     
appears to me to be the  best2 and now  
that this chance has befallen me1 ,i    
cannot repudiate my own  words3  the    
principles which ,i have hitherto       
honoured and revered ,i still  honour1  
and unless we can at once find other and
 better principles1 ,i am  certain not  

to agree with you2 no1 not even if the  
power of the multitude  could inflict   
many more imprisonments1 confiscations1 
deaths1 frightening  us like children   
with hobgoblin terrors 7compare ,apol474
  ,what will be the  fairest way of     
considering the question8  ,shall ,i    
return to your old  argument about the  
opinions of men8--we were saying that   
some of them are  to be regarded1 and   
others not4  ,now were we right in      
maintaining this  before ,i was         
condemned8  ,and has the argument which 
was once good now  proved to be talk for
 the sake of talking--mere childish     
nonsense8  ,that is  what ,i want to    
consider with your help1                
,crito3--whether1 under my present      
circumstances1 the argument appears to  
be in any way different or not2 and  is 
to be allowed by me or disallowed4      
,that argument1 which1 as ,i believe1   
is maintained by many persons of        
authority1 was to the effect1 as ,i was 
saying1 that the opinions of some men   

are to be regarded1 and of other men    
not to be regarded4  ,now you1 ,crito1  
are not going to die to-morrow--at      
least1 there is no human probability of 
this1 and therefore you are             
disinterested and not liable to be      
deceived by the circumstances in which  
you are placed4  ,tell me then1 whether 
,i am right in saying that some         
opinions1 and the opinions of some men  
only1 are to be valued1 and that  other 
opinions1 and the opinions of other men1
 are not to be valued4  ,i ask  you     
whether ,i was right in maintaining     
this8    ,,crito3  ,certainly4          
,,socrates3  ,the good are to be        
regarded1 and not the bad8    ,,crito3  
,yes4    ,,socrates3  ,and the opinions 
of the wise are good1 and the opinions  
of the  unwise are evil8    ,,crito3    
,certainly4    ,,socrates3  ,and what   
was said about another matter8  ,is the 
pupil who  devotes himself to the       
practice of gymnastics supposed to      
attend to the  praise and blame and     

opinion of every man1 or of one man     
only--his  physician or trainer1 whoever
 he may be8    ,,crito3  ,of one man    
only4    ,,socrates3  ,and he ought to  
fear the censure and welcome the praise 
of that  one only1 and not of the many8 
,,crito3  ,clearly so4    ,,socrates3   
,and he ought to act and train1 and eat 
and drink in the way  which seems good  
to his single master who has            
understanding1 rather than  according to
 the opinion of all other men put       
together8    ,,crito3  ,true4           
,,socrates3  ,and if he disobeys and    
disregards the opinion and approval of  
the one1 and regards the opinion of the 
many who have no understanding1  will he
 not suffer evil8    ,,crito3           
,certainly he will4    ,,socrates3  ,and
 what will the evil be1 whither tending 
and what affecting1  in the disobedient 
person8    ,,crito3  ,clearly1 affecting
 the body2 that is what is destroyed by 
the evil4    ,,socrates3  ,very good2   
and is not this true1 ,crito1 of other  

things which we  need not separately    
enumerate8  ,in questions of just and   
unjust1 fair and  foul1 good and evil1  
which are the subjects of our present   
consultation1  ought we to follow the   
opinion of the many and to fear them2 or
 the opinion  of the one man who has    
understanding8 ought we not to fear and 
reverence  him more than all the rest of
 the world3  and if we desert him shall 
we not  destroy and injure that         
principle in us which may be assumed to 
be improved  by justice and deteriorated
 by injustice2--there is such a         
principle8    ,,crito3  ,certainly there
 is1 ,socrates4    ,,socrates3  ,take a 
parallel instance3--if1 acting under the
 advice of those  who have no           
understanding1 we destroy that which is 
improved by health and  is deteriorated 
by disease1 would life be worth having8 
,and that which has  been destroyed     
is--the body8    ,,crito3  ,yes4        
,,socrates3  ,could we live1 having an  
evil and corrupted body8    ,,crito3    

,certainly not4    ,,socrates3  ,and    
will life be worth having1 if that      
higher part of man be  destroyed1 which 
is improved by justice and depraved by  
injustice8  ,do we  suppose that        
principle1 whatever it may be in man1   
which has to do with  justice and       
injustice1 to be inferior to the body8  
,,crito3  ,certainly not4    ,,socrates3
  ,more honourable than the body8       
,,crito3  ,far more4    ,,socrates3     
,then1 my friend1 we must not regard    
what the many say of us3  but what he1  
the one man who has understanding of    
just and unjust1 will  say1 and what the
 truth will say4  ,and therefore you    
begin in error when  you advise that we 
should regard the opinion of the many   
about just and  unjust1 good and evil1  
honorable and dishonorable4--',well1'   
some one will  say1 'but the many can   
kill us4'    ,,crito3  ,yes1 ,socrates2 
that will clearly be the answer4        
,,socrates3  ,and it is true2 but still 
,i find with surprise that the old      

argument is unshaken as ever4  ,and ,i  
should like to know whether ,i may say  
the same of another proposition--that   
not life1 but a good life1 is to be     
chiefly valued8    ,,crito3  ,yes1 that 
also remains unshaken4    ,,socrates3   
,and a good life is equivalent to a just
 and honorable one--that  holds also8   
,,crito3  ,yes1 it does4    ,,socrates3 
,from these premisses ,i proceed to     
argue the question whether ,i  ought or 
ought not to try and escape without the 
consent of the ,athenians3  and if ,i am
 clearly right in escaping1 then ,i will
 make the attempt2 but if  not1 ,i will 
abstain4  ,the other considerations     
which you mention1 of money  and loss of
 character and the duty of educating    
one's children1 are1 ,i  fear1 only the 
doctrines of the multitude1 who would be
 as ready to restore  people to life1 if
 they were able1 as they are to put them
 to death--and  with as little reason4  
,but now1 since the argument has thus   
far prevailed1  the only question which 

remains to be considered is1 whether we 
shall do  rightly either in escaping or 
in suffering others to aid in our escape
 and  paying them in money and thanks1  
or whether in reality we shall not do   
rightly2 and if the latter1 then death  
or any other calamity which may  ensue  
on my remaining here must not be allowed
 to enter into the  calculation4        
,,crito3  ,i think that you are right1  
,socrates2 how then shall we proceed8   
,,socrates3  ,let us consider the matter
 together1 and do you either refute me  
if you can1 and ,i will be convinced2 or
 else cease1 my dear friend1 from       
repeating to me that ,i ought to escape 
against the wishes of the ,athenians3   
for ,i highly value your attempts to    
persuade me to do so1 but ,i may not be 
persuaded against my own better         
judgment4  ,and now please to consider  
my  first position1 and try how you can 
best answer me4    ,,crito3  ,i will4   
,,socrates3  ,are we to say that we are 
never intentionally to do wrong1 or     

that in one way we ought and in another 
way we ought not to do wrong1 or is     
doing wrong always evil and             
dishonorable1 as ,i was just now saying1
 and as  has been already acknowledged  
by us8  ,are all our former admissions  
which  were made within a few days to be
 thrown away8  ,and have we1 at our age1
  been earnestly discoursing with one   
another all our life long only to       
discover that we are no better than     
children8  ,or1 in spite of the opinion 
of the many1 and in spite of            
consequences whether better or worse1   
shall we  insist on the truth of what   
was then said1 that injustice is always 
an evil  and dishonour to him who acts  
unjustly8  ,shall we say so or not8     
,,crito3  ,yes4    ,,socrates3  ,then we
 must do no wrong8    ,,crito3          
,certainly not4    ,,socrates3  ,nor    
when injured injure in return1 as the   
many imagine2 for we  must injure no one
 at all8  7,e4g4 compare ,rep47         
,,crito3  ,clearly not4    ,,socrates3  

,again1 ,crito1 may we do evil8         
,,crito3  ,surely not1 ,socrates4       
,,socrates3  ,and what of doing evil in 
return for evil1 which is the morality  
of the many--is that just or not8       
,,crito3  ,not just4    ,,socrates3     
,for doing evil to another is the same  
as injuring him8    ,,crito3  ,very     
true4    ,,socrates3  ,then we ought not
 to retaliate or render evil for evil to
 any  one1 whatever evil we may have    
suffered from him4  ,but ,i would have  
you  consider1 ,crito1 whether you      
really mean what you are saying4  ,for  
this  opinion has never been held1 and  
never will be held1 by any considerable 
number of persons2 and those who are    
agreed and those who are not agreed     
upon this point have no common ground1  
and can only despise one another  when  
they see how widely they differ4  ,tell 
me1 then1 whether you agree  with and   
assent to my first principle1 that      
neither injury nor retaliation  nor     
warding off evil by evil is ever right4 

,and shall that be the premiss  of our  
argument8  ,or do you decline and       
dissent from this8  ,for so ,i have     
ever thought1 and continue to think2    
but1 if you are of another opinion1  let
 me hear what you have to say4  ,if1    
however1 you remain of the same mind  as
 formerly1 ,i will proceed to the next  
step4    ,,crito3  ,you may proceed1 for
 ,i have not changed my mind4           
,,socrates3  ,then ,i will go on to the 
next point1 which may be put in the     
form of a question3--,ought a man to do 
what he admits to be right1 or ought  he
 to betray the right8    ,,crito3  ,he  
ought to do what he thinks right4       
,,socrates3  ,but if this is true1 what 
is the application8  ,in leaving the    
prison against the will of the          
,athenians1 do ,i wrong any8 or rather  
do ,i  not wrong those whom ,i ought    
least to wrong8  ,do ,i not desert the  
principles which were acknowledged by us
 to be just--what do you say8           
,,crito3  ,i cannot tell1 ,socrates1 for

 ,i do not know4    ,,socrates3  ,then  
consider the matter in this             
way3--,imagine that ,i am about  to play
 truant 7you may call the proceeding by 
any name which you like71  and the laws 
and the government come and interrogate 
me3  ',tell us1  ,socrates1' they say2  
'what are you about8 are you not going  
by an act of  yours to overturn us--the 
laws1 and the whole state1 as far as in 
you lies8  ,do you imagine that a state 
can subsist and not be overthrown1 in   
which the  decisions of law have no     
power1 but are set aside and trampled   
upon by  individuals8'  ,what will be   
our answer1 ,crito1 to these and the    
like words8  ,any one1 and especially a 
rhetorician1 will have a good deal to   
say on  behalf of the law which requires
 a sentence to be carried out4  ,he will
  argue that this law should not be set 
aside2 and shall we reply1 ',yes2 but   
the state has injured us and given an   
unjust sentence4'  ,suppose ,i say      
that8    ,,crito3  ,very good1          

,socrates4    ,,socrates3  ',and was    
that our agreement with you8' the law   
would answer2 'or  were you to abide by 
the sentence of the state8'  ,and if ,i 
were to express  my astonishment at     
their words1 the law would probably add3
  ',answer1  ,socrates1 instead of      
opening your eyes--you are in the habit 
of asking and  answering questions4     
,tell us1--,what complaint have you to  
make against us  which justifies you in 
attempting to destroy us and the state8 
,in the  first place did we not bring   
you into existence8  ,your father       
married your  mother by our aid and     
begat you4  ,say whether you have any   
objection to  urge against those of us  
who regulate marriage8'  ,none1 ,i      
should reply4  ',or against those of us 
who after birth regulate the nurture and
 education  of children1 in which you   
also were trained8  ,were not the laws1 
which have  the charge of education1    
right in commanding your father to train
 you in  music and gymnastic8'  ,right1 

,i should reply4  ',well then1 since you
 were  brought into the world and       
nurtured and educated by us1 can you    
deny in the  first place that you are   
our child and slave1 as your fathers    
were before  you8  ,and if this is true 
you are not on equal terms with us2 nor 
can you  think that you have a right to 
do to us what we are doing to you4      
,would  you have any right to strike or 
revile or do any other evil to your     
father  or your master1 if you had one1 
because you have been struck or reviled 
by  him1 or received some other evil at 
his hands8--you would not say this8     
,and because we think right to destroy  
you1 do you think that you have any     
right to destroy us in return1 and your 
country as far as in you lies8  ,will   
you1 ,o professor of true virtue1       
pretend that you are justified in  this8
  ,has a philosopher like you failed to 
discover that our country is  more to be
 valued and higher and holier far than  
mother or father or any  ancestor1 and  

more to be regarded in the eyes of the  
gods and of men of  understanding8 also 
to be soothed1 and gently and reverently
 entreated when  angry1 even more than a
 father1 and either to be persuaded1 or 
if not  persuaded1 to be obeyed8  ,and  
when we are punished by her1 whether    
with  imprisonment or stripes1 the      
punishment is to be endured in silence2 
and if  she lead us to wounds or death  
in battle1 thither we follow as is      
right2  neither may any one yield or    
retreat or leave his rank1 but whether  
in  battle or in a court of law1 or in  
any other place1 he must do what his    
city and his country order him2 or he   
must change their view of what is  just3
  and if he may do no violence to his   
father or mother1 much less may  he do  
violence to his country4'  ,what answer 
shall we make to this1 ,crito8  ,do the 
laws speak truly1 or do they not8       
,,crito3  ,i think that they do4        
,,socrates3  ,then the laws will say3   
',consider1 ,socrates1 if we are        

speaking  truly that in your present    
attempt you are going to do us an       
injury4  ,for1  having brought you into 
the world1 and nurtured and educated    
you1 and given  you and every other     
citizen a share in every good which we  
had to give1 we  further proclaim to any
 ,athenian by the liberty which we allow
 him1 that if  he does not like us when 
he has become of age and has seen the   
ways of the  city1 and made our         
acquaintance1 he may go where he pleases
 and take his  goods with him4  ,none of
 us laws will forbid him or interfere   
with him4  ,any one who does not like us
 and the city1 and who wants to emigrate
 to a  colony or to any other city1 may 
go where he likes1 retaining his        
property4  ,but he who has experience of
 the manner in which we order justice   
and  administer the state1 and still    
remains1 has entered into an implied    
contract that he will do as we command  
him4  ,and he who disobeys us is1 as  we
 maintain1 thrice wrong3  first1 because

 in disobeying us he is  disobeying his 
parents2 secondly1 because we are the   
authors of his  education2 thirdly1     
because he has made an agreement with us
 that he will  duly obey our commands2  
and he neither obeys them nor convinces 
us that our  commands are unjust2 and we
 do not rudely impose them1 but give him
 the  alternative of obeying or         
convincing us2--that is what we offer1  
and he  does neither4    ',these are the
 sort of accusations to which1 as we    
were saying1 you1  ,socrates1 will be   
exposed if you accomplish your          
intentions2 you1 above all  other       
,athenians4'  ,suppose now ,i ask1 why  
,i rather than anybody else8 they  will 
justly retort upon me that ,i above all 
other men have acknowledged the         
agreement4  ',there is clear proof1'    
they will say1 ',socrates1 that we and  
the city were not displeasing to you4   
,of all ,athenians you have been the    
most constant resident in the city1     
which1 as you never leave1 you may be   

supposed to love 7compare ,phaedr474    
,for you never went out of the city     
either to see the games1 except once    
when you went to the ,isthmus1 or to    
any other place unless when you were on 
military service2 nor did you  travel as
 other men do4  ,nor had you any        
curiosity to know other states or  their
 laws3  your affections did not go      
beyond us and our state2 we were  your  
especial favourites1 and you acquiesced 
in our government of you2 and  here in  
this city you begat your children1 which
 is a proof of your  satisfaction4      
,moreover1 you might in the course of   
the trial1 if you had  liked1 have fixed
 the penalty at banishment2 the state   
which refuses to let  you go now would  
have let you go then4  ,but you         
pretended that you  preferred death to  
exile 7compare ,apol471 and that you    
were not unwilling  to die4  ,and now   
you have forgotten these fine           
sentiments1 and pay no  respect to us   
the laws1 of whom you are the destroyer2

 and are doing what  only a miserable   
slave would do1 running away and turning
 your back upon  the compacts and       
agreements which you made as a citizen4 
,and first of all  answer this very     
question3  ,are we right in saying that 
you agreed to be  governed according to 
us in deed1 and not in word only8  ,is  
that true or  not8'  ,how shall we      
answer1 ,crito8  ,must we not assent8   
,,crito3  ,we cannot help it1 ,socrates4
    ,,socrates3  ,then will they not    
say3  ',you1 ,socrates1 are breaking the
  covenants and agreements which you    
made with us at your leisure1 not in any
  haste or under any compulsion or      
deception1 but after you have had       
seventy  years to think of them1 during 
which time you were at liberty to leave 
the  city1 if we were not to your mind1 
or if our covenants appeared to you to  
be unfair4  ,you had your choice1 and   
might have gone either to ,lacedaemon   
or ,crete1 both which states are often  
praised by you for their good           

government1 or to some other ,hellenic  
or foreign state4  ,whereas you1 above  
all other ,athenians1 seemed to be so   
fond of the state1 or1 in other words1  
of us her laws 7and who would care about
 a state which has no laws871 that  you 
never stirred out of her2 the halt1 the 
blind1 the maimed1 were not  more       
stationary in her than you were4  ,and  
now you run away and forsake  your      
agreements4  ,not so1 ,socrates1 if you 
will take our advice2 do not  make      
yourself ridiculous by escaping out of  
the city4    ',for just consider1 if you
 transgress and err in this sort of way1
 what  good will you do either to       
yourself or to your friends8  ,that your
 friends  will be driven into exile and 
deprived of citizenship1 or will lose   
their  property1 is tolerably certain2  
and you yourself1 if you fly to one of  
the  neighbouring cities1 as1 for       
example1 ,thebes or ,megara1 both of    
which are  well governed1 will come to  
them as an enemy1 ,socrates1 and their  

government will be against you1 and all 
patriotic citizens will cast an  evil   
eye upon you as a subverter of the laws1
 and you will confirm in the  minds of  
the judges the justice of their own     
condemnation of you4  ,for he  who is a 
corrupter of the laws is more than      
likely to be a corrupter of the  young  
and foolish portion of mankind4  ,will  
you then flee from well-ordered  cities 
and virtuous men8 and is existence worth
 having on these terms8  ,or  will you  
go to them without shame1 and talk to   
them1 ,socrates8  ,and what  will you   
say to them8  ,what you say here about  
virtue and justice and  institutions and
 laws being the best things among men8  
,would that be  decent of you8  ,surely 
not4  ,but if you go away from          
well-governed states  to ,crito's       
friends in ,thessaly1 where there is    
great disorder and licence1  they will  
be charmed to hear the tale of your     
escape from prison1 set off  with       
ludicrous particulars of the manner in  

which you were wrapped in a  goatskin or
 some other disguise1 and metamorphosed 
as the manner is of  runaways2 but will 
there be no one to remind you that in   
your old age you  were not ashamed to   
violate the most sacred laws from a     
miserable desire of  a little more life8
  ,perhaps not1 if you keep them in a   
good temper2 but if  they are out of    
temper you will hear many degrading     
things2 you will live1  but how8--as the
 flatterer of all men1 and the servant  
of all men2 and  doing what8--eating and
 drinking in ,thessaly1 having gone     
abroad in order  that you may get a     
dinner4  ,and where will be your fine   
sentiments about  justice and virtue8   
,say that you wish to live for the sake 
of your  children--you want to bring    
them up and educate them--will you take 
them  into ,thessaly and deprive them of
 ,athenian citizenship8  ,is this the   
benefit which you will confer upon them8
  ,or are you under the impression  that
 they will be better cared for and      

educated here if you are still  alive1  
although absent from them2 for your     
friends will take care of them8  ,do you
 fancy that if you are an inhabitant of 
,thessaly they will take care  of them1 
and if you are an inhabitant of the     
other world that they will not  take    
care of them8  ,nay2 but if they who    
call themselves friends are good  for   
anything1 they will--to be sure they    
will4    ',listen1 then1 ,socrates1 to  
us who have brought you up4  ,think not 
of life  and children first1 and of     
justice afterwards1 but of justice      
first1 that  you may be justified before
 the princes of the world below4  ,for  
neither  will you nor any that belong to
 you be happier or holier or juster in  
this  life1 or happier in another1 if   
you do as ,crito bids4  ,now you depart 
in  innocence1 a sufferer and not a doer
 of evil2 a victim1 not of the laws1    
but of men4  ,but if you go forth1      
returning evil for evil1 and injury for 
injury1 breaking the covenants and      

agreements which you have made with us1 
and wronging those whom you ought least 
of all to wrong1 that is to say1        
yourself1 your friends1 your country1   
and us1 we shall be angry with you      
while you live1 and our brethren1 the   
laws in the world below1 will receive   
you as an enemy2 for they will know that
 you have done your best to destroy  us4
  ,listen1 then1 to us and not to       
,crito4'    ,this1 dear ,crito1 is the  
voice which ,i seem to hear murmuring in
 my ears1  like the sound of the flute  
in the ears of the mystic2 that voice1  
,i say1  is humming in my ears1 and     
prevents me from hearing any other4     
,and ,i know  that anything more which  
you may say will be vain4  ,yet speak1  
if you have  anything to say4           
,,crito3  ,i have nothing to say1       
,socrates4    ,,socrates3  ,leave me    
then1 ,crito1 to fulfil the will of     
,god1 and to follow  whither he leads4  
,end of this ,project ,gutenberg ,etext 
of ,crito1 by ,plato