Defence of Socrates, Euthyphro, Crito

by Plato

Overview

These new translations of the Defence of Socrates, the Euthyphro, and the Crito present Plato's remarkable dramatizations of the momentous events surrounding the trial of Socrates in 399 BC, on charges of irreligion and corrupting the young. They form a dramatic and thematic sequence, raising fundamental questions about the basis of moral, religious, legal, and political obligation. The Introduction provides a stimulating philosophical and historical analysis of these texts, complemented by useful explanatory notes and an index of names.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199540501
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/15/2008
Series:	Oxford World's Classics Series
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	533,652
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

David Gallop is Professor of Philosophy (Emeritus) at Trent University, Ontario. He taught philosophy at the University of Toronto and at Trent University. Besides his editions of the Phaedo for the Clarendon Plato Series and World's Classics, his publications include Parmenides of Elea and Aristotle on Sleep and Dreams.

Read an Excerpt

EuTHYPHRO. What trouble has arisen, Socrates, to make you leave your haunts in the Lyceum,* and spend your time here today at the Porch of the King Archon?* Surely you of all people don't have some sort of lawsuit before him, as I do? SOCRATES. Well no; Athenians, at any rate, don't call it a lawsuit, Euthyphro-they call it an indictment.*

EuTHYPHRO. What's that you say? Somebody must have indicted you, since I can't imagine your doing that to anyone else.

SOCRATES. No, I haven't.

EuTHYPHRO. But someone else has indicted you?

SOCRATES. Exactly.

EUTHYPHRO. Who is he?

SOCRATES. I hardly even know the man myself, Euthyphro; I gather he's young and unknown-but I believe he's named Meletus. He belongs to the Pitthean deme*can you picture a Meletus from that deme, with straight hair, not much of a beard, and a rather aquiline nose?

EuTHYPHRO. No, I can't picture him, Socrates. But tell me, what is this indictment he's brought against you?

SOCRATES. The indictment? I think it does him credit. To have made such a major discovery is no mean achievement for one so young: he claims to know how the young people are being corrupted, and who are corrupting them. He's probably a smart fellow; and noticing that in my ignorance I'm corrupting his contemporaries, he is going to denounce me to the city, as if to his mother. Actually, he seems to me to be the only one who's making the right start in politics: it is right to make it one's first concern that the young should be as good as possible, just as a good farmer is likely to care first for the young plants, and only later for the others. And so Meletus is no doubt first weeding out those of us who are `ruining the shoots of youth', as he puts it. Next after this, he'll take care of the older people, and will obviously bring many great blessings to the city: at least that would be the natural outcome after such a start.

EuTHYrt-iRO. So I could wish, Socrates, but I'm afraid the opposite may happen: in trying to injure you, I really think he's making a good start at damaging the city.* Tell me, what does he claim you are actually doing to corrupt the young?

SOCRATES. Absurd things, by the sound of them, my admirable friend: he says that I'm an inventor of gods; and for inventing strange gods, while failing to recognize the gods of old, he's indicted me on their behalf, so he says. EuTHYrHRO. I see, Socrates; it's because you say that your spiritual sign* visits you now and then. So he's brought this indictment against you as a religious innovator, and he's going to court to misrepresent you, knowing that such things are easily misrepresented before the public. Why, it's just the same with me: whenever I speak in the Assembly* on religious matters and predict the future for them, they laugh at me as if I were crazy; and yet not one of my predictions has failed to come true. Even so, they always envy people like ourselves. We mustn't worry about them, though-we must face up to them.

SOCRATES. Yes, my dear Euthyphro, being laughed at is probably not important. You know, Athenians don't much care, it seems to me, if they think someone clever, so long as he's not imparting his wisdom to others; but once they think he's making other people clever, then they get angry-whether from envy, as you say, or for some other reason.

EuTHYrHHO. In that case I don't much want to test their feelings towards me. SOCRATES. Well, they probably think you give sparingly of yourself, and aren't willing to impart your wisdom...