Section 118

When we heard this, we were ashamed and checked our tears. He walked around, and when he said his legs were heavy, he lay down on his back, just as the man had instructed. The man who gave him the poison touched him, and after a while examined his feet and legs. He pinched his foot hard and asked if he felt it. Socrates said no. After that, he pressed his shins, and moving upwards like this, showed us that he was growing cold and stiff. Socrates himself touched his body and said that when it reached his heart, he would be gone. Already the cold was reaching his abdomen. He uncovered his face—for he had covered it—and spoke his last words: "Crito," he said, "we owe a rooster to Asclepius. Pay the debt and do not neglect it." "It shall be done," said Crito. "Is there anything else you want to say?" To this question he made no reply. After a short time, there was a movement. The man uncovered him; his eyes were fixed. Seeing this, Crito closed his mouth and his eyes. Such was the end of our comrade, Echecrates. A man of whom we may say that, of all those of his time whom we experienced, he was the best, the wisest, and the most just.

Τμῆμα 118

ΦΑΙΔ. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο αὖθις τὰς κνήμας· καὶ ἐπανιὼν οὕτως ἡμῖν ἐπεδείκνυτο ὅτι ψύχοιτό τε καὶ πήγνυτο. καὶ αὐτὸς ἥπτετο καὶ εἶπεν ὅτι, ἐπειδὰν πρὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ γένηται αὐτῷ, τότε οἰχήσεται. ἤδη οὖν σχεδόν τι αὐτοῦ ἦν τὰ περὶ τὸ ἦτρον ψυχόμενα, καὶ ἐκκαλυψάμενος — ἐνεκεκάλυπτο γάρ — εἶπεν — ὃ δὴ τελευταῖον ἐφθέγξατο — ὦ Κρίτων, ἔφη, τῷ Ἀσκληπιῷ ὀφείλομεν ἀλεκτρυόνα· ἀλλὰ ἀπόδοτε καὶ μὴ ἀμελήσητε.ἀλλὰ ταῦτα, ἔφη, ἔσται, ὁ Κρίτων· ἀλλ᾽ ὅρα εἴ τι ἄλλο λέγεις. ταῦτα ἐρομένου αὐτοῦ οὐδὲν ἔτι ἀπεκρίνατο, ἀλλ’ ὀλίγον χρόνον διαλιπὼν ἐκινήθη τε καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐξεκάλυψεν αὐτόν, καὶ ὃς τὰ ὄμματα ἔστησεν· ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ Κρίτων συνέλαβε τὸ στόμα καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς. ἥδε ἡ τελευτή, ὦ Ἐχέκρατες, τοῦ ἑταίρου ἡμῖν ἐγένετο, ἀνδρός, ὡς ἡμεῖς φαῖμεν ἄν, τῶν τότε ὧν ἐπειράθημεν ἀρίστου καὶ ἄλλως φρονιμωτάτου καὶ δικαιοτάτου.