On the day he is to be executed, Socrates is asked by some friends why he does not fear dying. He replies as he said in his Apology, that it would be irrational to fear death. More, he even claims to be happy about his impending doom. Why? Because he holds that there is more and greater good waiting beyond this life:
“I believe, my dear Simmias and Cebes, that I shall pass over first of all to other gods, both wise and good, secondly to dead men better than those in this world; and if I did not think so, I should do wrong in not objecting to death; but, believing this, be assured that I hope I shall find myself in the company of good men, although I would not maintain it for certain; but that I shall pass over to gods who are very good masters, be assured that if I would maintain for certain anything else of the kind, I would with certainty maintain this. Then for these reasons, so far from objecting, I have good hopes that something remains for the dead, as has been the belief from time immemorial, and something much better for the good than for the bad.” [Great Dialogues of Plato, trans. W.H.D. Rouse, 1956, pg. 466]
When I read passages like these, I understand why Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and others are called “virtuous pagans.” Maybe, pace Dante, we will one day see them in Paradise, and create new Dialogues.
An Unending Suicide Note 