Continuing his narrative, Phaedo tells how he had come with the others very early in the morning, and found Socrates released from his fetters. His wife Xanthippe was with him, but her distress moved Socrates to ask that she should be taken away.

The loss of his chains now prompts Socrates to some reflexions about pleasure and pain, in the course of which he happens to mention Aesop, the author of the celebrated fables; this reminds Cebes that he had been asked by Evenus, a sophist and poet, about certain poems, including versifications of Aesop, which, as was rumoured, Socrates had been composing during his imprisonment. Socrates replies that he has done this in obedience to a command laid upon him in a dream. He sends greetings to Evenus, together with advice to follow him as soon as possible; yet not by way of suicide, for that is wicked. Cebes is puzzled about this, and Socrates proceeds to justify his position by reference to religious doctrine.

Phaedo. I will try to tell you everything from the beginning. You must know that for some days before the end I and the others had been in the habit of visiting Socrates; we used to meet in the morning at the court-house in which the trial took place, as it was near the prison. Each day we used to wait chatting with each other until the prison was opened, which was not until well on in the morning.