(58e) Φαίδων
καὶ μὴν ἔγωγε θαυμάσια ἔπαθον παραγενόμενος.
οὔτε γὰρ ὡς θανάτῳ παρόντα με ἀνδρὸς ἐπιτηδείου ἔλεος εἰσῄει·
εὐδαίμων γάρ μοι ἁνὴρ ἐφαίνετο, ὦ Ἐχέκρατες, καὶ τοῦ τρόπου καὶ τῶν λόγων, ὡς ἀδεῶς καὶ γενναίως ἐτελεύτα,
ὥστε μοι ἐκεῖνον παρίστασθαι μηδ᾽ εἰς Ἅιδου ἰόντα ἄνευ θείας μοίρας ἰέναι,
ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖσε ἀφικόμενον εὖ πράξειν (59a) εἴπερ τις πώποτε καὶ ἄλλος.
διὰ δὴ ταῦτα οὐδὲν πάνυ μοι ἐλεινὸν εἰσῄει, ὡς εἰκὸς ἂν δόξειεν εἶναι παρόντι πένθει,
οὔτε αὖ ἡδονὴ ὡς ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ ἡμῶν ὄντων ὥσπερ εἰώθεμεν -- καὶ γὰρ οἱ λόγοι τοιοῦτοί τινες ἦσαν --
ἀλλ᾽ ἀτεχνῶς ἄτοπόν τί μοι πάθος παρῆν καί τις ἀήθης κρᾶσις ἀπό τε τῆς ἡδονῆς συγκεκραμένη ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς λύπης, ἐνθυμουμένῳ ὅτι αὐτίκα ἐκεῖνος ἔμελλε τελευτᾶν.
καὶ πάντες οἱ παρόντες σχεδόν τι οὕτω διεκείμεθα, τοτὲ μὲν γελῶντες, ἐνίοτε δὲ δακρύοντες, εἷς δὲ ἡμῶν καὶ διαφερόντως, Ἀπολλόδωρος -- (59b) οἶσθα γάρ που τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τὸν τρόπον αὐτοῦ.
FEDON. Quin ego eciam miranda perpeciebar assistens.
Neque enim evelut decessui presentem me viri familiaris miseracio subiit;
felix quippe michi vir videbatur esse, O Echecrate; et modo et sermonibus, quam impavide et generose obiit;
unde michi constabat illum nec in Avernum euntem absque divina parea obire,
atque illue venientem bene actum ire, si quis alieubi et alius.
Propter hoc autem nichil penitus miserabile subiit, uti congruum putaretur assistenti luctui,
nec iterum obledamentum uti in philosophia nobis existentibus quemadmodum consuevimus – et enim sermones tales quidam erant,
– ceterum ineffabiliter admirabilis quedam michi passio inerat et inconsueta habitudo ab oblectamento commixta simul et a tristicia, in mente habenti quoniam mox ille futurus erat mori.
Et omnes presentes ferme similiter dispositi eramus, nunc autem ridentes, aliquociens vero lacrimantes, unus certe nostrum et differenter, Apollodorus - nosti siquidem virum et modum eius.
PHAEDO. Atqui miras quadam ratione, o Echecrates, illic praesens affectus (492, 1) eram.
Neque enim misericordia me habebat, ut familiarissimi viri morti praesentem.
Sa(2)ne beatus vir ille qui mihi, o Echecrates, videbatur, tum animi illius habitum, tum oratio(3)nem consideranti, adeo intrepide generoseque migrabat e vita,
ut videretur mihi illum in (4) vitam alteram, non absque divina forte migrare,
sed illic quoque beatum fore, siquis un(5)quam alter.
Quamobrem neque admodum commovebar ut consentaneum videretur ho(6)minem rei praesentem lugubri commoveri,
neque rursus afficiebat laetitia, quemadmodum (7) solebamus alias cum in philosophia versabamur. Nam sermones quidem eiusmodi e(8)rant,
sed revera affectus quidem mirus atque insolita voluptatis dolorisque permixtio me (9) invaserat considerantem illi paulo post moriendum fore.
Et quicunque aderamus fer(10)me similiter eramus affecti, alias quidem ridentes, alias vero lachrymantes. Vnus au(11)tem prae ceteris Apollodorus, nostri enim virum, eiusque morem.
PHAEDO: I had a singular feeling at being in his company.
For I could hardly believe that I was present at the death of a friend, and therefore I did not pity him, Echecrates;
he died so fearlessly, and his words and bearing were so noble and gracious, that to me he appeared blessed.
I thought that in going to the other world he could not be without a divine call,
and that he would be happy, if any man ever was, when he arrived there,
and therefore I did not pity him as might have seemed natural at such an hour.
But I had not the pleasure which I usually feel in philosophical discourse (for philosophy was the theme of which we spoke).
I was pleased, but in the pleasure there was also a strange admixture of pain; for I reflected that he was soon to die,
and this double feeling was shared by us all; we were laughing and weeping by turns, especially the excitable Apollodorus--you know the sort of man?
