thought of my own calamity in having lost such a companion. Nor was I the first, for Crito, when he found himself unable to restrain his tears, had got up and moved away, and I followed; and at that moment, Apollodorus, who had been weeping all the time, broke out into a loud cry which made cowards of us all. Socrates alone retained his calmness: What is this strange outcry? he said. I sent away the women mainly in order that they might not offend in this way, for I have heard that a man should die in peace. Be quiet then, and have patience. When we heard that, we were ashamed, and refrained our tears; and he walked about until, as he said, his legs began to fail, and then he lay on his back, according to the directions, and the man who gave him the poison now and then looked at his feet and legs; and after a while he pressed his foot hard and asked him if he could feel; and he said, No; and then his leg, and so upwards and upwards, and showed us that he was cold and stiff. 118

And he felt them himself, and said: When the poison reaches the heart, that will be the end. He was beginning to grow cold about the groin, when he uncovered his face, for he had covered himself up, and said (they were his last words) -he said: Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius; will you remember to pay the debt?" The debt shall be paid, said Crito; is there anything else? There was no answer to this question; but in a minute or two a movement was heard, and the attendants uncovered him; his eyes were set, and Crito closed his eyes and mouth.

Such was the end, Echecrates, of our friend, whom I may truly call the wisest, and justest, and best of all the men whom I have ever known.

41 See Protagoras, note 8. What Socrates meant by this his last speech is doubtful. Some hold that he believed literally in Asculapius as a god, that he had actually made a vow to him, and that he did not wish to die with any religious duty unfulfilled. Others hold that he used the language of the popular religion figuratively, that he meant to say that he was now cured of the worst possible malady, the earthly life, and that he owed thanks to God for this cure. In general, remains doubtful how far Plato believed literally in the religion of his time and how far he used the language of that religion figuratively to express higher views.