crito-第4节

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Will　you；　O　professor　of　true　virtue；　pretend　that　you　are　justified　in

this？　　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

ancestor；　and　more　to　be　regarded　in　the　eyes　of　the　gods　and　of　men　of

understanding？　also　to　be　soothed；　and　gently　and　reverently　entreated　when

angry；　even　more　than　a　father；　and　either　to　be　persuaded；　or　if　not

persuaded；　to　be　obeyed？　　And　when　we　are　punished　by　her；　whether　with

imprisonment　or　stripes；　the　punishment　is　to　be　endured　in　silence；　and　if

she　lead　us　to　wounds　or　death　in　battle；　thither　we　follow　as　is　right；

neither　may　any　one　yield　or　retreat　or　leave　his　rank；　but　whether　in

battle　or　in　a　court　of　law；　or　in　any　other　place；　he　must　do　what　his

city　and　his　country　order　him；　or　he　must　change　their　view　of　what　is

just：　　and　if　he　may　do　no　violence　to　his　father　or　mother；　much　less　may

he　do　violence　to　his　country。'　　What　answer　shall　we　make　to　this；　Crito？　

Do　the　laws　speak　truly；　or　do　they　not？



CRITO：　　I　think　that　they　do。



SOCRATES：　　Then　the　laws　will　say：　　'Consider；　Socrates；　if　we　are　speaking

truly　that　in　your　present　attempt　you　are　going　to　do　us　an　injury。　　For；

having　brought　you　into　the　world；　and　nurtured　and　educated　you；　and　given

you　and　every　other　citizen　a　share　in　every　good　which　we　had　to　give；　we

further　proclaim　to　any　Athenian　by　the　liberty　which　we　allow　him；　that　if

he　does　not　like　us　when　he　has　become　of　age　and　has　seen　the　ways　of　the

city；　and　made　our　acquaintance；　he　may　go　where　he　pleases　and　take　his

goods　with　him。　　None　of　us　laws　will　forbid　him　or　interfere　with　him。　

Any　one　who　does　not　like　us　and　the　city；　and　who　wants　to　emigrate　to　a

colony　or　to　any　other　city；　may　go　where　he　likes；　retaining　his　property。　

But　he　who　has　experience　of　the　manner　in　which　we　order　justice　and

administer　the　state；　and　still　remains；　has　entered　into　an　implied

contract　that　he　will　do　as　we　command　him。　　And　he　who　disobeys　us　is；　as

we　maintain；　thrice　wrong：　　first；　because　in　disobeying　us　he　is

disobeying　his　parents；　secondly；　because　we　are　the　authors　of　his

education；　thirdly；　because　he　has　made　an　agreement　with　us　that　he　will

duly　obey　our　commands；　and　he　neither　obeys　them　nor　convinces　us　that　our

commands　are　unjust；　and　we　do　not　rudely　impose　them；　but　give　him　the

alternative　of　obeying　or　convincing　us；that　is　what　we　offer；　and　he

does　neither。



'These　are　the　sort　of　accusations　to　which；　as　we　were　saying；　you；

Socrates；　will　be　exposed　if　you　accomplish　your　intentions；　you；　above　all

other　Athenians。'　　Suppose　now　I　ask；　why　I　rather　than　anybody　else？　they

will　justly　retort　upon　me　that　I　above　all　other　men　have　acknowledged　the

agreement。　　'There　is　clear　proof；'　they　will　say；　'Socrates；　that　we　and

the　city　were　not　displeasing　to　you。　　Of　all　Athenians　you　have　been　the

most　constant　resident　in　the　city；　which；　as　you　never　leave；　you　may　be

supposed　to　love　（compare　Phaedr。）。　　For　you　never　went　out　of　the　city

either　to　see　the　games；　except　once　when　you　went　to　the　Isthmus；　or　to

any　other　place　unless　when　you　were　on　military　service；　nor　did　you

travel　as　other　men　do。　　Nor　had　you　any　curiosity　to　know　other　states　or

their　laws：　　your　affections　did　not　go　beyond　us　and　our　state；　we　were

your　especial　favourites；　and　you　acquiesced　in　our　government　of　you；　and

here　in　this　city　you　begat　your　children；　which　is　a　proof　of　your

satisfaction。　　Moreover；　you　might　in　the　course　of　the　trial；　if　you　had

liked；　have　fixed　the　penalty　at　banishment；　the　state　which　refuses　to　let

you　go　now　would　have　let　you　go　then。　　But　you　pretended　that　you

preferred　death　to　exile　（compare　Apol。）；　and　that　you　were　not　unwilling

to　die。　　And　now　you　have　forgotten　these　fine　sentiments；　and　pay　no

respect　to　us　the　laws；　of　whom　you　are　the　destroyer；　and　are　doing　what

only　a　miserable　slave　would　do；　running　away　and　turning　your　back　upon

the　compacts　and　agreements　which　you　made　as　a　citizen。　　And　first　of　all

answer　this　very　question：　　Are　we　right　in　saying　that　you　agreed　to　be

governed　according　to　us　in　deed；　and　not　in　word　only？　　Is　that　true　or

not？'　　How　shall　we　answer；　Crito？　　Must　we　not　assent？



CRITO：　　We　cannot　help　it；　Socrates。



SOCRATES：　　Then　will　they　not　say：　　'You；　Socrates；　are　breaking　the

covenants　and　agreements　which　you　made　with　us　at　your　leisure；　not　in　any

haste　or　under　any　compulsion　or　deception；　but　after　you　have　had　seventy

years　to　think　of　them；　during　which　time　you　were　at　liberty　to　leave　the

city；　if　we　were　not　to　your　mind；　or　if　our　covenants　appeared　to　you　to

be　unfair。　　You　had　your　choice；　and　might　have　gone　either　to　Lacedaemon

or　Crete；　both　which　states　are　often　praised　by　you　for　their　good

government；　or　to　some　other　Hellenic　or　foreign　state。　　Whereas　you；　above

all　other　Athenians；　seemed　to　be　so　fond　of　the　state；　or；　in　other　words；

of　us　her　laws　（and　who　would　care　about　a　state　which　has　no　laws？）；　that

you　never　stirred　out　of　her；　the　halt；　the　blind；　the　maimed；　were　not

more　stationary　in　her　than　you　were。　　And　now　you　run　away　and　forsake

your　agreements。　　Not　so；　Socrates；　if　you　will　take　our　advice；　do　not

make　yourself　ridiculous　by　escaping　out　of　the　city。



'For　just　consider；　if　you　transgress　and　err　in　this　sort　of　way；　what

good　will　you　do　either　to　yourself　or　to　your　friends？　　That　your　friends

will　be　driven　into　exile　and　deprived　of　citizenship；　or　will　lose　their

property；　is　tolerably　certain；　and　you　yourself；　if　you　fly　to　one　of　the

neighbouring　cities；　as；　for　example；　Thebes　or　Megara；　both　of　which　are

well　governed；　will　come　to　them　as　an　enemy；　Socrates；　and　their

government　will　be　against　you；　and　all　patriotic　citizens　will　cast　an

evil　eye　upon　you　as　a　subverter　of　the　laws；　and　you　will　confirm　in　the

minds　of　the　judges　the　justice　of　their　own　condemnation　of　you。　　For　he

who　is　a　corrupter　of　the　laws　is　more　than　likely　to　be　a　corrupter　of　the

young　and　foolish　portion　of　mankind。　　Will　you　then　flee　from　well…ordered

cities　and　virtuous　men？　and　is　existence　worth　having　on　these　terms？　　Or

will　you　go　to　them　without　shame；　and　talk　to　them；　Socrates？　　And　what

will　you　say　to　them？　　What　you　say　here　about　virtue　and　justice　and

institutions　and　laws　being　the　best　things　among　men？　　Would　that　be

decent　of　you？　　Surely　not。　　But　if　you　go　away　from　well…governed　states

to　Crito's　friends　in　Thessaly；　where　there　is　great　disorder　and　licence；

they　will　be　charmed　to　hear　the　tale　of　your　escape　from　prison；　set　off

with　ludicrous　particulars　of　the　manner　in　which　you　were　wrapped　in　a

goatskin　or　some　other　disguise；　and　metamorphosed　as　the　manner　is　of

runaways；　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　life？　　Perhaps　not；　if　you　keep　them　in　a　good　temper；　but　if

they　are　out　of　temper　you　will　hear　many　degrading　things；　you　will　live；

but　how？as　the　flatterer　of　all　men；　and　the　servant　of　all　men；　and

doing　what？eating　and　drinking　in　Thessaly；　having　gone　abroad　in　order

that　you　may　get　a　dinner。　　And　where　will　be　your　fine　sentiments　about

justice　and　virtue？　　Say　that　you　wish　to　live　for　the　sake　of　your

childrenyou　want　to　bring　them　up　and　educate　themwill　you　take　them

into　Thessaly　and　deprive　them　of　Athenian　citizenship？　　Is　this　the

benefit　which　you　will　confer　upon　them？　　Or　are　you　under　the　impression

that　they　will　be　better　cared　for　and　educated　here　if　you　are　still

alive；　although　absent　from　them；　for　your　friends　will　take　care　of　them？　

Do　you　fancy　that　if　you　are　an　inhabitant　of　Thessaly　they　will　take　care

of　them；　and　if　you　are　an　inhabitant　of　the　other　world　that　they　will　not

take　care　of　them？　　Nay；　but　if　they　who　call　themselves　friends　are　good

for　anything；　they　willto　be　sure　they　will。



'Listen；　then；　Socrates；　to　us　who　have　brought　you　up。　　Think　not　of　life

and　children　first；　and　of　justice　afterwards；　but　of　justice　first；　that

you　may　be　justified　before　the　princes　of　the　world　below。　　For　neither

will　you　nor　any　that　belong　to　you　be　happier　or　holier　or　juster　in　this

life；　or　happier　in　another；　if　you　do　as　Crito　bids。　　Now　you　depart　in

innocence；　a　sufferer　and　not　a　doer　of　evil；　a　victim；　not　of　the　laws；

but　of　men。　　But　if　you　go　forth；　returning　evil　for　evil；　and　injury　for

injury；　breaking　the　covenants　and　agreements　which　you　have　made　with　us；

and　wronging　those　whom　you　ought　least　of　all　to　wrong；　that　is　to　say；

yourself；　your　friends；　your　country；　and　us；　we　shall　be　angry　with　you

while　you　live；　and　our　brethren；　the　laws　in　the　world　below；　will　receive

you　as　an　enemy；　for　they　will　know　that　you　have　done　your　best　to　destroy