Pagan Prophet of Christ: Plato

That there are positions and affirmations in Platonism that can be understood as foreshadowings of Christianity is undeniable. An example of a passage that overturns the moral sentiments of the Greeks and anticipates, almost, the Gospel precept, if anyone strike you on the cheek, turn the other cheek, can be found in the Gorgias, 527B-D.

But, putting aside various other less eloquent examples, consider this utterly baffling passage from the Republic, II, 361E:

What they will say is this: that such being his disposition the just will have to endure the lash, the rack, chains, the branding-iron in his eyes, and finally after every extremity of suffering, he will be crucified . . .