PENGUIN CLASSICS : THE LAST DAYS OF SOCRATES PB

Consider just this, and give your minds to this alone: whether or not what I say is just Plato s account of Socrates trial and death (399 BC) is a significant moment in Classical literature and the life of Classical Athens. In these four dialogues, Plato develops the Socratic belief in responsibility for one s self and shows Socrates living and dying under his philosophy. In Euthyphro, Socrates debates goodness outside the courthouse; Apology sees him in court, rebutting all charges of impiety; in Crito, he refuses an entreaty to escape from prison; and in Phaedo, Socrates faces his impending death with calmness and skilful discussion of immortality. Christopher Rowe s introduction to his powerful new translation examines the book s themes of identity and confrontation, and explores how its content is less historical fact than a promotion of Plato s Socratic philosophy.