For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

The Story of a soldier of Truth – Mahatma Gandhi

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar, Professor, Editor and Linguist

Gandhi International Study and Research Institute, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09404955338, 09415777229

E-mail- dr.yadav.yogendra@gandhifoundation.net;

dr.yogendragandhi@gmail.com

Mailing Address- C- 29, Swaraj Nagar, Panki, Kanpur- 208020, Uttar Pradesh, India

The Story of a soldier of Truth – Mahatma Gandhi

The heroic Socrates, an extraordinary person with a fine moral character, was born in 471 B.C. A Greek, he lived a virtuous and benevolent life. Unable to bear his moral excellence and his virtue, some envious person made false accusations against him. Socrates lived in fear of God and cared little for the obloquy of men. He had no fear of death. A reformer, he strove to cleanse Athens, the capital of Greece sic, of the evil which had entered its political life and thus came in contact with a large number of persons. He made a powerful impression on the minds of the young who followed him about in crowds. Socrates’ teaching had the result of putting an end to the unconscionable gains made by persons with predatory tendencies.

It came in the way of those who lived by exploiting others. In Athens it was an offence to disregard the traditional religion of the polis or encourage others to do so. The offence, if proved, was punishable with death. Socrates adhered to the traditional religion, but called upon the people to fight the corrupt elements associated with its observance. He himself would have nothing to do with them. Under the law of Athens, such offences were tried before a popular assembly. Socrates was charged with violating the religion of the state and teaching others to do likewise and was tried before an assembly of elders. Many members of the assembly had suffered as a result of Socrates’ teaching. Because of this, they bore him a grudge. They wrongfully declared him guilty and condemned him to die by taking poison. A prisoner sentenced might be put to death in any one of a number of ways. Socrates was condemned to death by poisoning. This brave man took poison by his own hand and died. On the day of his death he discoursed to his friend and companion on the perishable nature of the human body and the immortality of the soul. It is said that up to the very last moment Socrates showed no fear, and that he took the poison smilingly. As he finished the last sentence of his discourse, he drank the poison from the cup as eagerly as we might drink sherbet from a glass. Today the world cherishes Socrates’ memory.

His teaching has benefited millions. His accusers and his judges stand condemned by the world. Socrates has gained immortality and Greece stands in high esteem because of him and others like him. Socrates’ speech in his own defence was committed to writing by his companion, the celebrated Plato. It has been translated into many languages. The defence is excellent and imbued with moral fervour. We, therefore, wish to translate it, but rather than render it literally, we print only a summary of it. We have much to struggle for, not only in South Africa but in India as well. Only when we succeed in these tasks can India be rid of its many afflictions. We must learn to live and die like Socrates. He was, moreover, a great Satyagrahi. He adopted Satyagraha against his own people. As a result the Greeks became a great people. If, through cowardice or fear of dishonor or death, we fail to realize or examine our shortcomings and fail to draw the people’s attention to them, we shall do no good to India’s cause, notwithstanding the number of external remedies we may adopt, notwithstanding the Congress sessions we may hold, not even by becoming extremists.

India’s good does not lie along that direction. When the disease is diagnosed and its true nature revealed in public, and when, through suitable remedies, the body politic of India is cured and cleansed both within and without, it will become immune to the germs of the disease, that is, to the oppression by the British and the others. If, however, the body itself is in a state of decay, then if we destroy one kind of germs, it will be attacked by another, and this will ruin the body politic India herself. We argued thus and saw in the words of a great soul like Socrates the qualities of an elixir. We wanted our readers, therefore, to imbibe a deep draught of it, so that they might be able to fight—and to help others fight- the disease. It is with this objective in mind that we summarize Socrates’ speech. 1

“I cannot tell, O Athenians, how far you have been carried away by my accusers’ words. For my own part, they nearly made me forget who I was, so plausible were they. But I say that their arguments are a lie. Among their falsehoods there was one which astonished me most. They asked you not to be misled by my eloquence. It is they who are rhetorical. I have no skill in the art of speaking. If by rhetoric they mean truth, I admit that I possess it. However, if they allow that I am a. truthful person, I am not an orator in their sense of the word. For they have spoken with dazzling effect, but there is nothing of truth in their words. For my part, I shall place before you the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have not come to you with a prepared speech. I am an old man. It is not for me to speak before you eloquently or in brilliant words. Do not be surprised, therefore, if I speak as simply as I am used to. I am now more than seventy years old, and this is my first experience of a law court.

I am thus a stranger to the dignified ways of a court and to the manner of speech appropriate to it. Do not therefore mind my style. As judges, your duty is to consider whether or not what I say is just. My duty is to place before you nothing but the truth. “My accusers are many in number. One of the charges is that I inquire into all things and make the worse appear the better reason, and so mislead the people. Those who accuse me thus are powerful persons. They say that I do not adhere to the religion of our forefathers. Moreover, they made these accusations when I was not there and it was therefore impossible for me to defend myself. I hope that your hearts will be freed from the bias created by their malicious or cunning reports. Nevertheless, I know that my task is a difficult one. I shall say what is needful, be the issue as God wills it. I mentioned a while ago the substance of their charge against me. They also lampoon me in plays and show me as trying to walk on air. I have not even thought about these things. I do not mean to suggest that it is impossible to walk on air. If anyone can do so, let him try by all means. For my part I have no knowledge of these matters, yet Miletus has made a charge against me to that effect.

Many of you here in this assembly have known me for a long time. You may consult among yourselves and find out whether I have ever talked to anyone on these matters. If all of you agree that I have not, you will see that the other charges against me must be equally false. “My accusers say, moreover, that I undertake to educate men and demand payment of money in return. This, again, is false. Even if it were true, I see nothing wrong in it. There are many teachers among us who ask to be paid for their work. If they do their teaching well and are paid for it, I see no dishonor in that. If we owned an animal, we would engage a man to train it and pay him for his work. Why then should we not teach our children to be good, to do their duty as citizens? And if we found a teacher who might lead them along the right path, why should we not pay him? But, speaking for myself, I have not had the opportunity to be such a teacher. “You may well ask me, ‘If you have no faults, why is it that so many accusations are brought against you? If you have done nothing to mislead the people why are these accusations made against you and not against someone else?’

This would not be an unfair question to ask. I shall endeavour to show why these charges have been brought against me. Perhaps you think that I am jesting. Be assured, however, that I speak nothing but the truth. The reason for their accusations is that I possess certain wisdom if you ask, ‘What kind of wisdom?’ I can only say that, although it is but human wisdom, even the oracle has said that I have more of it than others. “Though these are the words of the oracle, I did not readily believe them. Accordingly, I went to one reputed to be the wisest among us. I asked him a few questions and discovered that his was only a pretence to knowledge. I make no such claim. To that extent, therefore, I must be wiser than he is. For he who knows the extent of his own ignorance is wiser than another who does not. But when I proved his ignorance to that learned man, he came to bear me a grudge. Then I went to another person of learning. He also laid claim to knowledge which was only a cover for his ignorance.

I proved the truth to him and thus made an enemy of him. I approached a large number of men in this manner, and all of them tried to shield their ignorance. I showed to each one of them how ignorant he was and so incurred his displeasure. I observed that the greater the pretence to knowledge the greater in fact the darkness. I also came to realize that true knowledge consists in being aware of how utterly ignorant one is. “I went to many a poet and many an artisan. I found that a large number of poets could not explain the meaning of their compositions. The artisans were certainly superior to me in virtue of their skill, but out of pride in their skill, they assumed themselves to be wiser than others in other matters as well. All of them are really steeped in ignorance without knowing it. I learnt that I was more fully aware than any of them of the true state of our ignorance.” 2

“You will now understand why I have so many accusers. I have been so busy bringing home to the people how ignorant we are and how very limited our knowledge is that I have taken no part in other public affairs. I have neglected my own affairs and have remained very poor. But I thought that I was serving God by opening the eyes of men to their own ignorance. It is because I chose to do this that people are enraged. Some young men have little work to do follow me about and imitate me in cross-examining half-baked persons. The persons who are thus cross-examined and exposed as frauds become angry with me. Being unable to bring any other charge against me, they say that I look into things far too closely, that I disbelieve in the gods and make the worse appear the better reason. Intent on covering up their own ignorance, they fill your ears with calumnies against me. Such are Miletus and a few others. Miletus says that I corrupt the youth of Athens. I shall now examine Miletus himself.”

SOCRATES: Miletus, do you not think that young men should be trained to be virtuous in every possible manner? MILETUS: I do. S: Who is it then who makes them virtuous? M: The laws. S: That is not the answer to my question. What I asked was, ‘Which man improves them?’ M: It is the judges who do so. S: Do you mean to say that those who occupy the seats of justice are able to teach them virtue? M: Certainly. S: All of them or only some of them? M: All of them. S: That is well said. Now I ask you whether the listeners here can also improve the young or not.

M: They can, too. S: You mean then that all the Athenians can instruct them in virtue while I alone corrupt them. M: Most certainly, you do. Yes, that is what I mean. S: You have made a serious charge against me. What you say probably holds good in the case of horses, too. Will you say that one man does them harm and everyone else improves them? On the contrary, is it not that only a very few are skilled in the art of training horses and the rest are ignorant? Surely you will admit that the same rule applies in the case of other animals? I think you cannot help doing so, for, of course, it does. And in saying that the case stands differently with men, you have given no thought, as far as I can see, to your charge against me. Besides, won’t you admit that those who spend much time in the company of bad persons come under their evil influence? M: I must admit that it is true.

S: Would you then say that anyone would want to injure himself intentionally? M: That I cannot say. S: Now tell me, do I corrupt the young intentionally or unintentionally? M: I say you corrupt them intentionally. S: How can you say that? You are young. I am an old man. Do you really believe that I do not realize how, by corrupting others, I would myself become the worse for it? You have yourself admitted that this is what would happen for we saw that those who keep company with the bad themselves become bad. No one will believe it likely that I want to be hurt. If my argument is correct, your charge that I corrupt the young intentionally falls to the ground. Now let us suppose that I corrupt them unintentionally. In that case, it was your duty to show me how I did this. You have not even tried to correct my error. You would have nothing to do with me. You only brought me up here for punishment. It is thus clear from what Miletus has said that he has never given the slightest thought to any serious matter. Now let us consider how I corrupt the young. Miletus, you say that I corrupt them by teaching them not to believe in the gods of the city?

M: Yes, most certainly, I mean that. S: What do you imply by that? Do I teach them to disbelieve in the gods of the city, or to believe in some other gods? M: I mean that you do not believe in any gods at all. S: Bravo Miletus! You say that I believe neither the sun nor the moon to be a god, as the rest of the city does. M: Yes, I do say that you believe the sun to be stone and the moon to be earth. S: Who will believe you? No one will believe your charge. If I tried to teach any such thing, everyone would know that there was nothing new in that. These are others’ idea. I myself do not believe in what they say. However, since you accuse me thus about the sun and the moon, you will also say, I suppose, that I wholly disbelieve in the existence of God. M: I do most certainly assert that you deny the existence of God. S: You are then deliberately asserting something impossible. How can I say that there is no God? Can anyone assert the existence of man’s attributes but deny the existence of man? Or assert the existence of things pertaining to horses but deny the existence of horses? Or assert the existence of things pertaining to angels but deny the existence of angels? M: The existence of what pertains to a thing implies the existence of the thing itself S: You admit that I talk of things pertaining to gods; you must admit therefore that I grant the existence of gods. 3

“I have nothing more to say about Miletus’s charge. I believe, moreover, that most of the people here are opposed to me. You will condemn me not on the basis of what Miletus and others say, but because of the prejudice and suspicion of the multitude. But many a good man has suffered in this way and many more will suffer thus in future. “Someone may well ask: ‘Are you not ashamed, Socrates, of pursuing studies which are likely to lead to your death?’ I should answer such a man with perfect justice: ‘You are wrong. Even a man of slight worth must be prepared for death. He must think only of one thing when embarking on any course of action, namely, whether he is acting rightly or wrongly, whether the action is worthy of a good man or not, It as you imply, an act which involves the risk of death is a bad act, all the great warriors who fell in the battle at Troy, while doing their duty, must be deemed very bad men indeed. Patrols were warned by his mother that if he killed Hector, his own death would follow close upon Hector’s. Patrols replied that it was a thousand times to be preferred that he should die for killing Hector to that he should live on as a coward. Patrols were not frightened of death. The right thing for a man is not to desert his post even if he has to run the risk of being killed or any other risk, whether he has chosen the post of his own will or has been put there by a superior. “Consider, moreover, that when I was in the service of this State, I remained at the post where my commander had placed me and ran the risk of death. How strange would it be if, when my heart bade me seek certain wisdom, I did not follow its bidding or failed to speak out for fear of death? If I should fear death, that would be contrary to my belief that I am an ignorant man.

If I think myself wise, without being wise, I would certainly deserve to be brought to trial. To fear death is to presume knowledge. For who has discovered for certain that death is a thing to be afraid of? Why should we not believe that death is the greatest good that can happen to men? Men fear it as though they knew very well that it was the greatest of evils! What greater ignorance can there be than this of assuming that we know what we do not know? On these matters I think differently from others. If I have any wisdom, it is this: I claim to know nothing about and therefore make no attempt to conceal my ignorance. But I do well know that it is evil to do wrong and to disobey my superior. I will therefore never shrink in fear from what I hold to be right. If you were, therefore, to say to me without listening to my accusers’ argument, ‘Socrates, this time we will spare you, but on the condition that you cease this quest of yours; if you are found engaged in these pursuits again, you shall die,’ I should say in reply, ‘Athenians, I hold you in the highest regard and love; but I will obey God rather than you. As long as I have breath and strength, I will not give up philosophy, or exhorting everyone I meet and those who would listen to me, saying, “O excellent Athenians! You are citizens of famous city. You are known to be men of strength and wisdom. Yet you are so keen on making money that you give little thought to the means you employ for the purpose. You are eager for positions of honour and for reputation. Are you not ashamed of these things? You show little concern for your soul, for wisdom and truth. You take no thought for the perfection of your soul.” It in reply, someone was to say that he did care for his soul and sought truth; I would not let it go at that.

I would ask him in what way he cared for all these things. I would test him before I let him go. If in the course of the enquiry I found that he had no truth in him, I would reproach him with setting the lower value on the more important things and the higher value on those that are of less account. This I should do with everyone—citizen or stranger, young or old—but more especially with you, since I am better known among you and more nearly akin to you. Be assured that it is the command of God that I should speak thus. I even go so far as to claim that the commands of God are very dear to me and that this fact is in itself conducive to the highest good of the city. I have only one interest To all, the young and the old, I say only one thing, namely, that you should care less for wealth and more for the soul; that you should strive for As perfection Virtue does not come from wealth, but wealth, and all other things of this world, will come to you if you have virtue. If anyone says that I corrupt the people of this city by teaching them this, it would mean that virtue is vice. But if any man says that I teach anything else, he is trying to mislead you.” 4

“And therefore I say to you: whether or not you believe the accusation, whether or not you acquit me, be sure that I will not forsake the path I have chosen for myself even if I have to die for it many times. “Please do not be angry with me for what I say. Pay heed to my words. I think you will profit by them. What I am about to say now will perhaps make you angry? But listen carefully without anger. Since I am what I am, if you put me to death, you will do more harm to yourselves than to me. Miletus and others can do me no harm for it is not in their power to do so. It is impossible that a good man can injured by a lesser person. As a consequence of his charge against me, I may be put to death, or exiled, or deprived of my rights as a citizen. You imagine that these things will be a great punishment for me. But I do not think of them as such. Rather, a person who tries to put another to death unjustly only harms himself. Do not therefore feel that I am arguing in my defence. I stand here to tell you what is in your own interest.

I want to save you from the wrong of violating the divine command. If you put me to death, you will not easily find another man to fill my place. It is, of course, not for me to say this, but I cannot help pointing it out. As a strong horse needs reins, you need rein reins. Since you are also strong, I think it is the will of God that I should serve as your reins, and if you take my advice, you will spare me. But it is likely that you will thoughtlessly order my death, being vexed with me as one sleeping is vexed with another that wakes him from his sleep and rushes at him ready to strike. And then you will drop off to sleep again, unless you have another man to fill my place. I strive for your good, having been sent by God for that purpose.

You can see that I have neglected my own affairs, busying myself unceasingly for your good, counseling each one of you like a father or an elder brother and striving to lead you along the right path. You would have had some reason to doubt me if I had asked to be paid for what I was doing or made money thereby. But my accusers have not charged me with demanding money. And I have, in my poverty, the most convincing evidence that I have not accepted or demanded any payment of money. “Perhaps you will ask me, why, if I go on exhorting people to virtue, moving from house to house, I do not take part in the political affairs of the city and strive for its welfare. I have often given my reason for that. I think I hear a divine voice whispering into my ear, telling me not to take part in politics. And I think it well that this has been so. If I had attempted to take part in politics, I should have perished long ago, without doing either you or myself any good. Do not be angry with me for speaking the truth. No man would be free from danger to his life, if he opposed the misrule prevailing in the city and tried to prevent injustice. He who would approach every question from the standpoint of justice had better stay out of the bother and bustle of politics. “Let me give examples to prove this.

You will see then that even the fear of death cannot force me to do what I consider to be wrong. But you will also see from them that, if I had busied myself in political affairs, I would have perished long ago. You may perhaps find that what I am about to tell you interests you but little. Nevertheless, it is true. I was at one time a member of our Assembly. It happened once that you resolved to sentence ten generals to death. I alone of the entire member opposed the proposal. All of you then cried out for my death. But I stood firm; I thought that I ought to face death or imprisonment rather than join you in your unjust proposal. This happened in the days of democracy. “When democracy had yielded place to oligarchy in this city, a person named Lyson was ordered to be brought over, so that he could be put to death as sentenced. I was among those who received this order. I knew that the sentence of death against Lyson had been passed unjustly.

I ran the risk of death if I refused to go and bring him over. I did not fear death; I refused to go. If that Government had not been overthrown soon afterward, I would certainly have been put to death. “You will now see that if I had taken part in public affairs and had always upheld the cause of justice, (Justice being the breath of my life, I could not have done otherwise.) I could not have remained alive all these years. Throughout my whole life I have done no one an injustice, in private or in public; I have never acted in violation of justice. I have never presumed to be a teacher. But I never refused to answer anyone’s questions, if he sought me out to learn from me. Moreover, I pay the same attention to the questions of both the poor and the rich, answering each one to the best of my ability. If, in spite of this, anyone has failed to learn goodness from my words, I am not to be blamed. If anyone among you asserts that I taught one thing to one man and something else to another, be sure he does not speak the truth. “It has been asked why so many persons want to spend their time in my company; you know the reason why.

If there are persons who think that they are wise while they are not, other persons delight to hear them cross-examined. It is certainly very amusing to listen to that. I think it is a duty enjoined upon me by a god that I should examine people. I have done nothing wrong thereby. If it is true that I have corrupted the young by my teaching, those of them who are now grown up and are in a position to understand their true interests would have come forward to accuse me in your presence. Or even if they did not do so, their kinsmen would have come forward to do so. I see some of these young men and their kinsmen here in this assembly. Why has Miletus not called any of them as witnesses? If hand my other accusers have forgotten to summon them, I would permit them to do so even now. Let their evidence be taken. Instead of deposing against me, they will testify that their children have benefited by my company. They will have no reason, save a love of justice, to speak in my favour, and they have nothing to gain by so doing. “I have said most of what I had to say in my defence. It generally happens that the relatives of the accused come to the Court and entreat the judges for mercy, and the prisoner himself sheds tears. I have done none of these things, neither have I any intention of doing them. This again will perhaps make some of you angry. I have kinsmen too. I have three sons one of them is grown up and the other two are still small. But I do not want to bring any of them before you. If I refrain from doing so, it is not because I mean to slight you. Do not impute it to my arrogance either. Let us also put on one side the fact that I have no fear of death. But I think it would be a discredit to me, and to you, if, at this age and with my reputation, such as it is, I had my kinsmen to shed tears before you.

It would be unworthy of me. Everyone admits that in some way Socrates is different from the mass of mankind. If there should be among you any persons who excel the others and if they were to be prosecuted as I am being prosecuted, it would be shameful of them, from fear of death, to make anyone cry before you. If death were a misfortune, or if it were true that having once escaped death one would become immortal, an appeal to the sentiments of pity through one’s relatives could possibly be justified. When our eminent men, although virtuous, begin to entertain such fear of death, foreigners are bound to scoff at us. They will say: ‘Even those Athenians who are chosen for high office because of their superior virtue behaves no better than women. How poor in spirit then must the other Athenians be!’ I believe therefore that no good man should enact such a farce. If anyone attempts it, you ought to disallow it for the sake of the city’s reputation.

Whatever your sentence, it is the duty of the persons concerned to endure it in patience. And your duty is to despise those who give way to such pitiful melodrama. “But, leaving aside all talk of credit or discredit, I do not think it is proper for the accused to plead for mercy. His duty is to ask for justice and to do so by stating facts and arguing from them. The duty of the judge is not to show favour but to dispense justice impartially. And therefore it behoves you and us that we should none of us forswear ourselves. “If I were to entreat you to break your oath, it would amount to proving Miletus’s charge against me, namely, that I do not believe in God. If anyone who believes in God teaches someone to violate his oath, then that will amount to teaching him to disobey God. Such a person does not believe in God. But I believe in God more firmly than anyone among you isever likely to, and therefore, trusting in Him, I leave my case in your hands without fear.” 5

It was by mistake, we the editor announced last week that this series was concluded. Socrates ended his defence. He was then found guilty by a majority vote. Socrates spoke as follows on the question of the punishment to be awarded to him. I am not vexed at your finding me guilty. Your decision is not an unexpected one. I am surprised rather at the large number of votes in my favour. I had thought the majority against me would be an overwhelming one. Instead, I find the margin is narrow. If three more had voted in my favour, I would have escaped punishment. I find, moreover, that I have been absolved of the charge of not believing in the gods. You can now sentence me to death. What can I say about it?

What do I deserve to pay or suffer for having given up offices and political appointments and gone from house to house to teach virtue? If in the gymnasium someone keeps you amused and gives you the illusion of happiness, you will maintain him at public expense. I taught you the way to real happiness, not merely to the semblance of it. If, therefore, I am entitled to ask for anything, it is that in my old age you should maintain me at public expense. Perhaps you will think me arrogant for talking in this way after having been pronounced guilty, for demanding a reward instead of punishment. But it would not be true. Though you have found me guilty, I believe myself innocent. I have wronged no one. You have not been able to understand this, for my examination lasted only a day. How much can I explain to you in so short a time? If I had had more time with you, perhaps, I could have persuaded you to better effect. Since I am innocent, I do not propose any penalty for myself. Shall I propose imprisonment? That will not be right. Shall I pay a fine? I do not have the money for it. Shall I propose exile? How can I do that? I do not hold my life so dear as to want to pass the rest of my days wandering from place to place, continually haunted by fear. Someone may well suggest that I should retire into solitude and hold my peace. I cannot do that either.

I believe I am commanded by the gods to discourse to people on what I hold to be virtue. I am also commanded by the gods to look unceasingly for principles of moral conduct. I do not think these are matters which you understand. But that is no reason why I should hold my peace. Socrates was then awarded the death penalty by the Court. Un-perturbed, the great Socrates immediately addressed the assembly as follows: In any case, I have only a few years left to live. You could not be troubled to wait and you have earned an evil name for yourselves by condemning an innocent man to death. If you had waited a while, I would have died in the course of nature, for I am an old man, far advanced in years. If I had used ignoble arguments before you and adopted the course common on such occasions, I would have escaped the death penalty. But that would have been inconsistent with my duty. I am sure a free man will never do anything unworthy of himself to save him from death or other danger. One ought not to try to save oneself from death by any and every means. In battle, a man can save himself by laying down his arms and surrendering to the enemy. But we think such a man a coward. In the same way, anyone who resorts to unscrupulous means to save himself from death is an unworthy person. I think it is more difficult to save oneself from wickedness than from death, for wickedness is swifter than death. Being impatient and rash, you have taken a step which spells wickedness—wickedness which is so swift in its advance. You have sentenced me to death. I shall now leave this world. My opponents will be looked upon as men who betrayed truth and perpetrated an injustice.

I will suffer my punishment. But they will also suffer the penalty for their evil deeds. This is what always happens. Perhaps it is just as well that it should be so. And now, before I die, I wish to address a few words to you. I am sure that after I die you will come to suffer greatly. You must not believe that, by getting rid of me, you will be able to go your wicked ways undisturbed. Do not assume that there will be no one to reproach you. Before I am taken to the place of execution, I shall address a few remarks to those who trust my words. So, those who wish to hear what I have to say may please stay on. I want to explain to you the meaning of death as I see it. Believe that what has happened to me is a good thing and that those who believe that death is an evil must be mistaken. Death may mean one of two things. Either the dead man wholly ceases to be and loses all sensation or the soul migrates to another abode. If the first belief is true and there is an end to all sensation, death is but the highest form of sleep. We look upon sleep as a blessing.

If that is so, death, being the highest kind of sleep, must be a still greater blessing. If, on the other hand, we believe that death is a journey to another place, I shall only join those who have preceded me. In their presence, I shall get pure justice. There is no evil in this. If I have to go where Homer has gone and other great souls with him, I shall deem it a great good fortune. I count it a high honour that I should join the souls of those who were victims of unjust punishment. Believe it as a truth that no good man can come by evil either in life or after death. Such a man is never forsaken by God. And you may be sure that the man of truth is always happy. Therefore I am not unhappy that I am to die today and be released from these mortal coils. And so I am not angry with the judges or with my accusers. If they have wanted to do me evil, they deserve to be censured for that, but their intention can have no evil effect on me. Now my last request: if, when my sons grow up, they begin to care for riches or for any other thing before virtue, if they think they are something when they are nothing at all, warn them, censure them, punish them just in the same manner as I have warned you against these things and reproached you with the love of them. If you can do this, I shall consider that you have been kind to me and my sons. Now the time has come, and we must go hence: I to die, and you to live. God alone can tell which is the better state, mine or yours. This is a historical event, that is, an event that actually occurred. We pray to God, and want our readers also to pray, that they, and we too, may have the moral strength which enabled Socrates to follow virtue to the end and to embrace death as if it were his beloved. We advise everyone to turn his mind again and again to Socrates’ words and conduct.

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