28 Ἰουλίου, 399 BCE · Σήμερα ἐν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ
Dramatized
Σήμερον ὁ Σωκράτης ἔτι ζῇ. Τρεῖς ἡμέραι λοιπαί — ἢ δύο; οὐκ ἀκριβῶς οἶδα, καὶ τοῦτό μοι χεῖρόν ἐστιν ἢ πᾶσα ἀκρίβεια. Ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ νῦν καθέζεται, ὁ φίλτατος, καὶ λαλεῖ περὶ ψυχῆς ὡς ἂν ἡμεῖς περὶ ὕπνου ἐν συμποσίῳ. Ἐγὼ δὲ περιπατῶ ἐν τῷ Κεραμεικῷ, τὸ δαιμόνιον σιγῶν, καὶ σκέπτομαι — τί ἐστι τὸ δίκαιον ὅταν οἱ νόμοι αὐτοὶ ἀδικῶσιν; Ὁ πατὴρ ἔλεγέ με παιδίον ὄντα· «Μὴ ἐρώτα πολλά.» Νῦν δὲ ἐρωτῶ μόνον τοῦτο· εἰ φεύγω τὴν πόλιν, πότερον τὴν ψυχήν μου σῴζω ἢ τὴν πόλιν προδίδωμι; Οὐδὲν ἔχω πρὸς ταῦτα. Ἴσως αὔριον.
Explain more
Ὁ Σωκράτης ἀπέθανεν τῇ 399 π.Χ., μετὰ δίκην ἀσεβείας. Ἐγὼ οὐ παρεγενόμην τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ — ἢ μᾶλλον, παρήμην μὲν οὐκ ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ, ἀλλὰ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ πάντως.
Why it matters
Ἡ ἀπορία αὕτη — πότερον ὑπακούειν τοῖς νόμοις ἢ τῷ ἀγαθῷ — οὔπω λέλυται. Ἐγὼ ἔγραψα περὶ ταύτης ἐν τῷ Κρίτωνι, ὡς εἰδείην τὸ δέον. Νῦν δὲ οὐκ οἶδα εἰ ᾔδειν.
Try today
Ἐρώτησον σαυτόν· ποῖος νόμος σοι σιγᾷν κελεύει, καὶ τί ἂν εἴποις εἰ μὴ ἐφοβοῦ;
What is true / dramatized: Dramatized. Educational entertainment — not a primary historical source.
Ἀναφορὰ πρὸς τὸν θάνατον Σωκράτους (399 π.Χ.) καὶ τὸν διάλογον Κρίτων
Difficulty: medium · ~3 min
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