are well.

2. And now, O men who have condemned me, I would fain prophesy to you;
for I am about to die, and that is the hour in which men are gifted
with prophetic power. And I prophesy to you who are my murderers,
that immediately after my death punishment far heavier than you have
inflicted on me will surely await you. Me you have killed because you
wanted to escape the accuser, and not to give an account of your
lives. But that will not be as you suppose: far otherwise. For I say
that there will be more accusers of you than there are now; accusers
whom hitherto I have restrained: and as they are younger they will be
more severe with you, and you will be more offended at them. For if
you think that by killing men you can avoid the accuser censuring your
lives, you are mistaken; that is not a way of escape which is either
possible or honourable; the easiest and the noblest way is not to be
crushing others, but to be improving yourselves. This is the prophecy
which I utter before my departure to the judges who have condemned me.

3. Friends, who would have acquitted me, I would like also to talk
with you about this thing which has happened, while the magistrates
are busy, and before I go to the place at which I must die. Stay then
a while, for we may as well talk with one another while there is time.
You are my friends, and I should like to show you the meaning of this
event which has happened to me. O my judges--for you I may truly call
judges--I should like to tell you of a wonderful circumstance.
Hitherto the familiar oracle within me has constantly been in the
habit of opposing me even about trifles, if I was going to make a slip
or error about anything; and now, as you see, there has come upon me
that which may be thought, and is generally believed to be, the last
and worst evil. But the oracle made no sign of opposition, either as I
was leaving my house and going out in the morning, or when I was going
up into this court, or while I was speaking, at anything which I was
going to say; and yet I have often been stopped in the middle of a
speech, but now in nothing I either said or did touching this matter
has the oracle opposed me. What do I take to be the explanation of
this? I will tell you. I regard this as a proof that what has happened
to me is a good, and that those of us who think that death is an evil
are in error. This is a great proof to me of what I am saying, for the
customary sign would surely have o