Socrates on Greek debt

“Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius; pay it and do not forget.”  The last words of the famous philosopher have been much discussed.  Maybe he foresaw the Greek debt situation!  Nietzsche of course turned it to metaphorically mean death.   Others say it was Plato who was ill and recovering, Socrates heard of this and wanted to thank the God.    Or maybe he had already started having dellusions due to the hemlock and remembered an old debt.

But most take it literally.  Socrates, having eloquently stated his case in court, with cynical dryness and panache mentioned an actual debt to tidy over before he died.

 

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