the task. Let the event be as God wills: in obedience to the law I
make my defence.
I will begin at the beginning, and ask what the accusation is which
has given rise to this slander of me, and which has encouraged Meletus
to proceed against me. What do the slanderers say? They shall be my
prosecutors, and I will sum up their words in an affidavit. "Socrates
is an evil-doer, and a curious person, who searches into things under
the earth and in heaven, and he makes the worse appear the better
cause; and he teaches the aforesaid doctrines to others." That is the
nature of the accusation, and that is what you have seen yourselves in
the comedy of Aristophanes; who has introduced a man whom he calls
Socrates, going about and saying that he can walk in the air, and
talking a deal of nonsense concerning matters of which I do not
pretend to know either much or little - not that I mean to say
anything disparaging of anyone who is a student of natural philosophy.
I should be very sorry if Meletus could lay that to my charge. But the
simple truth is, O Athenians, that I have nothing to do with these
studies. Very many of those here present are witnesses to the truth of
this, and to them I appeal. Speak then, you who have heard me, and
tell your neighbors whether any of you have ever known me hold forth
in few words or in many upon matters of this sort. ... You hear their
answer. And from what they say of this you will be able to judge of
the truth of the rest.
As little foundation is there for the report that I am a teacher, and
take money; that is no more true than the other. Although, if a man is
able to teach, I honor him for being paid. There is Gorgias of
Leontium, and Prodicus of Ceos, and Hippias of Elis, who go the round
of the cities, and are able to persuade the young men to leave their
own citizens, by whom they might be taught for nothing, and come to
them, whom they not only pay, but are thankful if they may be allowed
to pay them. There is actually a Parian philosopher residing in
Athens, of whom I have heard; and I came to hear of him in this way: -
I met a man who has spent a world of money on the Sophists, Callias
the son of Hipponicus, and knowing that he had sons, I asked him:
"Callias," I said, "if your two sons were foals or calves, there would
be no difficulty in finding someone to put over them; we should hire a
trainer of horses or a farmer probably who would improve and perfect
them in their own proper virtue and excellence; but as they are human
beings, whom are you thinking of placing over them? Is there anyone
who understands human and political virtue? You must have thought
about this as you have sons; is there anyone?" "There is," he said.
"Who is he?" said I, "and of what country? and what does he charge?"
"Evenus the Parian," he replied; "he is the man, and his charge is
five minae." Happy is Evenus, I said to myself, if he really has this
wisdom, and teaches at such a modest charge. Had I the same, I should
have been very proud and conceited; but the truth is that I have no
knowledge of the kind.
I dare say, Athenians, that someone among you will reply, "Why is
this, Socrates, and what is the origin of these accusations of you:
for there must have been something strange which you have been doing?
All this great fame and talk about you would never have arisen if you
had been like other men: tell us, then, why this is, as we should be
sorry to judge hastily of you." Now I regard this as a fair challenge,
and I will endeavor to explain to you the origin of this name of
"wise," and of this evil fame. Please to attend then. And although
some of you may think I am joking, I declare that I will tell you the
entire truth. Men of Athens, this reputation of mine has come of a
certain sort of wisdom which I possess. If you ask me what kind of
wisdom, I reply, such wisdom as is attainable by man, for to that
extent I am inclined to believe that I am wise; whereas the persons of
whom I was speaking have a superhuman wisdom, which I may fail to
describe, because I have it not myself; and he who says that I have,
speaks falsely, and is taking away my character. And here, O men of
Athens, I must beg you not to interrupt me, even if I seem to say