Soc. Then I was right in saying that a man may do what seems good to him in a state, and not have great power, and not do what he wills? Pol. As though you, Socrates, would not like to have the power of doing what seemed good to you in the state, rather than not; you would not be jealous when you saw any one killing or despoiling or imprisoning whom he pleased, Oh, no! Justly or unjustly, do you mean? Soc. Pol. In either case is he not equally to be envied? Soc. Forbear, Polus! Pol. Why "forbear"? Soc. Because you ought not to envy wretches who are not to be envied, but only to pity them. Pol. And are those of whom spoke wretches? Soc. Yes, certainly they are. And so you think that he who slays any one whom he pleases, and justly slays him, is pitiable and wretched? Pol. Soc. No, I do not say that of him: but neither do I think that he is to be envied. Pol. Were you not saying just now that he is wretched? Soc. Yes, my friend, if he killed another unjustly, in which case he is also to be pitied; and he is not to be envied if he killed him justly. Pol. At any rate you will allow that he who is unjustly put to death is wretched, and to be pitied? Soc. Not so much, Polus, as he who kills him, and not so much as he who is justly killed. Pol. How can that be, Socrates? That may very well be, inasmuch as doing injustice is the greatest of evils. Soc. Pol. But is it the greatest? Is not suffering injustice a greater evil? Soc. Certainly not. Pol. Then would you rather suffer than do injustice? Soc. I should not like either, but if I must choose between them, I would rather suffer than do.
Soc. Then I was right in saying that a man may do what seems good to him in a state, and not have great power, and not do what he wills? Pol. As though you, Socrates, would not like to have the power of doing what seemed good to you in the state, rather than not; you would not be jealous when you saw any one killing or despoiling or imprisoning whom he pleased, Oh, no! Soc. Justly or unjustly, do you mean? Pol. In either case is he not equally to be envied? Soc. Forbear, Polus! Pol. Why "forbear"? Soc. Because you ought not to envy wretches who are not to be envied, but only to pity them. Pol. And are those of whom spoke wretches? Soc. Yes, certainly they are. Pol. And so you think that he who slays any one whom he pleases, and justly slays him, is pitiable and wretched? Soc. No, I do not say that of him: but neither do I think that he is to be envied. Pol. Were you not saying just now that he is wretched? Soc. Yes, my friend, if he killed another unjustly, in which case he is also to be pitied; and he is not to be envied if he killed him justly. Pol. At any rate you will allow that he who is unjustly put to death is wretched, and to be pitied? Soc. Not so much, Polus, as he who kills him, and not so much as he who is justly killed. Pol. How can that be, Socrates? Soc. That may very well be, inasmuch as doing injustice is the greatest of evils. Pol. But is it the greatest? Is not suffering injustice a greater evil? Soc. Certainly not. Pol. Then would you rather suffer than do injustice? Soc. I should not like either, but if I must choose between them, I would rather suffer than do.