64a4-64z

Question 1

κινδυνεύουσι γὰρ ὅσοι τυγχάνουσιν ὀρθῶς ἁπτόμενοι φιλοσοφίας λεληθέναι τοὺς ἄλλους ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄλλο αὐτοὶ ἐπιτηδεύουσιν ἢ ἀποθνῄσκειν τε καὶ τεθνάναι. εἰ οὖν τοῦτο ἀληθές, ἄτοπον δήπου ἂν εἴη προθυμεῖσθαι μὲν ἐν παντὶ τῷ βίῳ μηδὲν ἄλλο ἢ τοῦτο, ἥκοντος δὲ δὴ αὐτοῦ ἀγανακτεῖν ὃ πάλαι προυθυμοῦντό τε καὶ ἐπετήδευον.

καὶ ὁ Σιμμίας γελάσας, νὴ τὸν Δία, ἔφη, ὦ Σώκρατες,

Answer 1

As many as happen to lay hold rightly of philosophy run the risk of escaping the notice of the others that they pursue nothing other than to die and to be dead. Therefore if this [is] true, it would be absurd of course to be eager for nothing other than this all their life, and then to be resentful, when it came, at that for which they had been eager and [which they had] pursued over a long time”

And Simmias laughed and said, “Yes, by Zeus,

Question 2

οὐ πάνυ γέ με νυνδὴ γελασείοντα ἐποίησας γελάσαι. οἶμαι γὰρ ἂν τοὺς πολλοὺς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἀκούσαντας δοκεῖν εὖ πάνυ εἰρῆσθαι εἰς τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας—καὶ συμφάναι ἂν τοὺς μὲν παρ᾽ ἡμῖν ἀνθρώπους καὶ πάνυ—ὅτι τῷ ὄντι οἱ φιλοσοφοῦντες θανατῶσι, καὶ σφᾶς γε οὐ λελήθασιν ὅτι ἄξιοί εἰσιν τοῦτο πάσχειν.

Answer 2

Socrates, you have made me laugh, even though just now I am not at all ready to laugh. For I think that the many, if they heard this very thing, would think that it had been spoken well with respect to the philosophers - and the people among us would agree very much indeed - that in reality philosophers desire death, and that it does not escape them at least that [the philosophers] deserve to suffer this.”

Question 3

καὶ ἀληθῆ γ᾽ ἂν λέγοιεν, ὦ Σιμμία, πλήν γε τοῦ σφᾶς μὴ λεληθέναι. λέληθεν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ᾗ τε θανατῶσι καὶ ᾗ ἄξιοί εἰσιν θανάτου καὶ οἵου θανάτου οἱ ὡς ἀληθῶς φιλόσοφοι. [64ξ] εἴπωμεν γάρ, ἔφη, πρὸς ἡμᾶς αὐτούς, χαίρειν εἰπόντες ἐκείνοις: ἡγούμεθά τι τὸν θάνατον εἶναι;

πάνυ γε, ἔφη ὑπολαβὼν ὁ Σιμμίας.

Answer 3

“And they would be speaking the truth, Simmias, except in it not having escaped their notice. For it has escaped them in what way those who are truly philosophers desire death and in what way they deserve death, and what kind of a death [they deserve]. [64c] Let us then,” said he, “speak with one another, bidding farewell to those people. Do we think that death is something?”

“Certainly,” replied Simmias.