the evil is that he makes a joke of a serious matter, and is too ready
at bringing other men to trial from a pretended zeal and interest
about matters in which he really never had the smallest interest. And
the truth of this I will endeavor to prove.
Come hither, Meletus, and let me ask a question of you. You think a
great deal about the improvement of youth?
Yes, I do.
Tell the judges, then, who is their improver; for you must know, as
you have taken the pains to discover their corrupter, and are citing
and accusing me before them. Speak, then, and tell the judges who
their improver is. Observe, Meletus, that you are silent, and have
nothing to say. But is not this rather disgraceful, and a very
considerable proof of what I was saying, that you have no interest in
the matter? Speak up, friend, and tell us who their improver is.
The laws.
But that, my good sir, is not my meaning. I want to know who the
person is, who, in the first place, knows the laws.
The judges, Socrates, who are present in court.
What do you mean to say, Meletus, that they are able to instruct and
improve youth?
Certainly they are.
What, all of them, or some only and not others?
All of them.
By the goddess Here, that is good news! There are plenty of improvers,
then. And what do you say of the audience, - do they improve them?
Yes, they do.
And the senators?
Yes, the senators improve them.
But perhaps the members of the citizen assembly corrupt them? - or do
they too improve them?
They improve them.
Then every Athenian improves and elevates them; all with the exception
of myself; and I alone am their corrupter? Is that what you affirm?
That is what I stoutly affirm.
I am very unfortunate if that is true. But suppose I ask you a
question: Would you say that this also holds true in the case of
horses? Does one man do them harm and all the world good? Is not the
exact opposite of this true? One man is able to do them good, or at
least not many; - the trainer of horses, that is to say, does them
good, and others who have to do with them rather injure them? Is not
that true, Meletus, of horses, or any other animals? Yes, certainly.
Whether you and Anytus say yes or no, that is no matter. Happy indeed
would be the condition of youth if they had one corrupter only, and
all the rest of the world were their improvers. And you, Meletus, have
sufficiently shown that you never had a thought about the young: your
carelessness is seen in your not caring about matters spoken of in
this very indictment.
And now, Meletus, I must ask you another question: Which is better, to
live among bad citizens, or among good ones? Answer, friend, I say;
for that is a question which may be easily answered. Do not the good
do their neighbors good, and the bad do them evil?
Certainly.
And is there anyone who would rather be injured than benefited by
those who live with him? Answer, my good friend; the law requires you
to answer - does anyone like to be injured?
Certainly not.
And when you accuse me of corrupting and deteriorating the youth, do
you allege that I corrupt them intentionally or unintentionally?
Intentionally, I say.
But you have just admitted that the good do their neighbors good, and
the evil do them evil. Now is that a truth which your superior wisdom
has recognized thus early in life, and am I, at my age, in such
darkness and ignorance as not to know that if a man with whom I have
to live is corrupted by me, I am very likely to be harmed by him, and