The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics)

Euthyphro/Apology/Crito/Phaedo

'Nothing can harm a good man either in life or after death'

The trial and condemnation of Socrates on charges of heresy and corrupting young minds is a defining moment in the history of classical Athens. In tracing these events through four dialogues, Plato also developed his own philosophy of a life guided by self-responsibility. Euthyphro finds Socrates outside the court-house, debating the nature of piety, while the Apology is his robust rebuttal of the charges against him. In the Crito , awaiting execution in prison, Socrates counters the arguments of friends urging him to escape. Finally, in the Phaedo , he is shown calmly confident in the face of death.

Translated by HUGH TREDENNICK and HAROLD TARRANT with an Introduction and notes by HAROLD TARRANT