apology   

yet I corrupt him, and intentionally, too; - that is what you are
saying, and of that you will never persuade me or any other human
being. But either I do not corrupt them, or I corrupt them
unintentionally, so that on either view of the case you lie. If my
offence is unintentional, the law has no cognizance of unintentional
offences: you ought to have taken me privately, and warned and
admonished me; for if I had been better advised, I should have left
off doing what I only did unintentionally - no doubt I should; whereas
you hated to converse with me or teach me, but you indicted me in this
court, which is a place not of instruction, but of punishment.
I have shown, Athenians, as I was saying, that Meletus has no care at
all, great or small, about the matter. But still I should like to
know, Meletus, in what I am affirmed to corrupt the young. I suppose
you mean, as I infer from your indictment, that I teach them not to
acknowledge the gods which the state acknowledges, but some other new
divinities or spiritual agencies in their stead. These are the lessons
which corrupt the youth, as you say.
Yes, that I say emphatically.
Then, by the gods, Meletus, of whom we are speaking, tell me and the
court, in somewhat plainer terms, what you mean! for I do not as yet
understand whether you affirm that I teach others to acknowledge some
gods, and therefore do believe in gods and am not an entire atheist -
this you do not lay to my charge; but only that they are not the same
gods which the city recognizes - the charge is that they are different
gods. Or, do you mean to say that I am an atheist simply, and a
teacher of atheism?
I mean the latter - that you are a complete atheist.
That is an extraordinary statement, Meletus. Why do you say that? Do
you mean that I do not believe in the godhead of the sun or moon,
which is the common creed of all men?
I assure you, judges, that he does not believe in them; for he says
that the sun is stone, and the moon earth.
Friend Meletus, you think that you are accusing Anaxagoras; and you
have but a bad opinion of the judges, if you fancy them ignorant to
such a degree as not to know that those doctrines are found in the
books of Anaxagoras the Clazomenian, who is full of them. And these
are the doctrines which the youth are said to learn of Socrates, when
there are not unfrequently exhibitions of them at the theatre (price
of admission one drachma at the most); and they might cheaply purchase
them, and laugh at Socrates if he pretends to father such
eccentricities. And so, Meletus, you really think that I do not
believe in any god?
I swear by Zeus that you believe absolutely in none at all.
You are a liar, Meletus, not believed even by yourself. For I cannot
help thinking, O men of Athens, that Meletus is reckless and impudent,
and that he has written this indictment in a spirit of mere wantonness
and youthful bravado. Has he not compounded a riddle, thinking to try
me? He said to himself: - I shall see whether this wise Socrates will
discover my ingenious contradiction, or whether I shall be able to
deceive him and the rest of them. For he certainly does appear to me
to contradict himself in the indictment as much as if he said that
Socrates is guilty of not believing in the gods, and yet of believing
in them - but this surely is a piece of fun.
I should like you, O men of Athens, to join me in examining what I
conceive to be his inconsistency; and do you, Meletus, answer. And I
must remind you that you are not to interrupt me if I speak in my
accustomed manner.
Did ever man, Meletus, believe in the existence of human things, and
not of human beings? ... I wish, men of Athens, that he would answer,
and not be always trying to get up an interruption. Did ever any man
believe in horsemanship, and not in horses? or in flute-playing, and
not in flute-players? No, my friend; I will answer to you and to the
court, as you refuse to answer for yourself. There is no man who ever
did. But now please to answer the next question: Can a man believe in