From what I looked up, it seems that Socrates was always seeking to find the truth. When he was sentenced to death due to his ideas and beliefs, he said this to mean he would rather seek his answers after death than not be able to seek the truth while living on earth. So basically, what this dictum means is a life without finding answers (as he was a philosopher trying to find reasons for everything) is not a life at all. Hope that helps, best I could do! Jaron