The Golden Sayings of Epictetus LII

LII

“That Socrates should ever have been so treated by the Athenians!”

Slave! why say “Socrates”? Speak of the thing as it is: That ever then the poor body of Socrates should have been dragged away and haled by main force to prison! That ever hemlock should have been given to the body of Socrates; that that should have breathed its life away!— Do you marvel at this? Do you hold this unjust? Is it for this that you accuse God? Had Socrates no compensation for this? Where then for him was the ideal Good? Whom shall we hearken to, you or him? And what says he?

“Anytus and Meletus(8) may put me to death: to injure me is beyond their power.”

And again:—

“If such be the will of God, so let it be.”

(8) The accusers of Socrates. See Plato’s Apology.