Book
Phaedo
Plato · translated by Benjamin Jowett
Phaedo recounts the last day of Socrates' life, spent in prison discussing with his friends whether the soul survives death.
The Phaedo is set on the day of Socrates' execution. He offers a series of arguments for the immortality of the soul, answers the objections of Simmias and Cebes, and the dialogue ends with his death.
This edition is the English translation by Benjamin Jowett.
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Read a passage
Phaedo, who is the narrator of the dialogue to Echecrates of Phlius. Socrates, Apollodorus, Simmias, Cebes, Crito and an Attendant of the Prison.
ECHECRATES: Were you yourself, Phaedo, in the prison with Socrates on the day when he drank the poison?
ECHECRATES: I should so like to hear about his death. What did he say in his last hours? We were informed that he died by taking poison, but no one knew anything more; for no Phliasian ever goes to Athens now, and it is a long time since any stranger from Athens has found his way hither; so that we had no clear account.
PHAEDO: Did you not hear of the proceedings at the trial?
ECHECRATES: Yes; some one told us about the trial, and we could not understand why, having been condemned, he should have been put to death, not at the time, but long afterwards. What was the reason of this?
PHAEDO: An accident, Echecrates: the stern of the ship which the Athenians send to Delos happened to have been crowned on the day before he was tried.
Contents
- 01Introduction.
- 02Phaedo
About this edition
- Author
- Plato
- Translator
- Benjamin Jowett
- Era
- Ancient (to c. 500)
- Reading level
- Intermediate: some philosophy helps
- Formats
- EPUB, PDF
- Length
- 94 pages
- This edition
- Modern Philosophers