(. . .) The Platonic rendition of the Apology of Socrates, the Apology of Socrates, is placed among the so-called early dialogues of Plato. Based on stylometric analysis, as well as philosophical content, Platonic works are divided into three categories: the early, middle, and late dialogues. The division of the dialogues into these categories is now essentially universally accepted. (. . .) The Apology is generally acknowledged to belong to the early works of Plato. Although it is the only Platonic work where there is no dialogical discussion, it is sometimes also called, erroneously, a dialogue. (. . .) Crito is another work that is part of the tetralogy of dialogues referring to the trial and execution of Socrates. (. . .) On a literary level, Crito exhibits all the characteristics of the early dialogues, primarily the vividness of the description and the emphasis on simple details. (. . .) However, its greatest literary virtue is the way the two heroes are portrayed. Crito's anxiety, who is unable to see the relationship between philosophy and practice but genuinely cares about his friend's fate, is contrasted with Socrates' calmness in a way that would make even the most gifted contemporary novelist proud. On the level of philosophy, Crito poses a series of interpretative problems. On the level of political philosophy, the work has often been interpreted as a hymn to the supremacy of the state over the individual. (. . .) [Excerpt from publisher or edition presentation text]