Phaedo. No, you must be
of good courage, and say that you bury my body,—and bury it
as you think best
and as seems to you most fitting.
When he
had said this, he got up and went into another room to bathe; Crito followed
him, but he told us to wait. So we waited, talking over with each other and
discussing the discourse we had heard, and then speaking of the great misfortune
that had befallen us, for we felt that he was like a father to us and that when
bereft of him we should pass the rest of our lives as orphans. And when he had
bathed
and his children had been brought to
him—for he had two little sons and one big one—and the women of the
family had come, he talked with them in Crito’s presence and gave them such
directions as he wished; then he told the women to go away, and he came to us.
And it was now nearly sunset; for he had spent a long time within. And he came
and sat down fresh from the bath. After that not much was said, and the servant
of the eleven came and stood beside him
and said: Socrates, I shall not find fault with you, as I do with others,
for being angry and cursing me, when at the behest of the authorities, I tell
them to drink the poison. No, I have found you in all this time in every way the
noblest and gentlest and best man who has ever come here, and now I know your
anger is directed against others, not against me, for you know who are blame.
Now, for you know the message I came to bring you, farewell and try to bear what
you must
as easily as you can.
And he
burst into tears and turned and went away. And Socrates looked up at him and
said: Fare you well, too; I will do as you say.
And then he said
to us: How charming the man is! Ever since I have been here he has been
coming to see me and talking with me from time to time, and has been the best of
men, and now how nobly he weeps for me! But come, Crito, let us obey him, and
let someone bring the poison, if it is ready; and if not, let the man prepare
it.
And Crito said:
But I
think, Socrates, the sun is still upon the mountains and has not yet set; and I
know that others have taken the poison very late, after the order has come to
them, and in the meantime have eaten and drunk and some of them enjoyed the
society of those whom they loved. Do not hurry; for there is still
time.