The Book Of Dead Philosophers (critchley, Simon) / quote 4 of 18
Death as a curative slumber
Having been condemned to death, Socrates concludes his speech with the following extraordinary words: Now it is time that we were going, I to die and you to live;but which of us has the happier prospect is unknown to anyone but God. These words encapsulate the classical philosophical attitude towards death: it is nothing to be feared. On the contrary, it is that in relation to which life must be lived. Socrates’ enigmatic last words – ‘Crito, we ought to offer a cock to Asclepius’ – articulate the view that death is the cure for life. Asclepius was the god of healing, and the offering of a sacrifice was something that people suffering from an ailment would offer before sleep in the hope of waking up cured. Thus, death is a curative slumber.