The Trial of Socrates – Truth, Justice, and Virtue – Selections from "Crito" by Plato (vegetarian), Part 2 of 2

Socrates spoke to Crito: “Then, consider it thus. If, while we were preparing to run away, […] the laws and commonwealth should come and […] say, ‘Tell me, Socrates, what do you purpose doing?’” “”And we say that you, O Socrates! will be subject to these charges if you accomplish your design, and that not least of the Athenians, but most so of all.’”

“‘For consider, by violating these compacts and offending against any of them, what good you will do to yourself or your friends. […] Will you, then, avoid these well-governed cities, and the best-ordered men? And should you do so, will it be worth your while to live? Or will you approach them, and have the effrontery to converse with them, Socrates, on subjects the same as you did here— that virtue and justice, legal institutions and laws, should be most highly valued by men?’ […]”

“‘But now you depart, if you do depart, unjustly treated, not by us, the laws, but by men; but should you escape, having thus disgracefully returned injury for injury, and evil for evil, having violated your own compacts and conventions which you made with us, and having done evil to those to whom you least of all should have done it— namely, yourself, your friends, your country, and us— both we shall be indignant with you as long as you live, and there our brothers, the laws in Hades, will not receive you favorably knowing that you attempted, so far as you were able, to destroy us.’”