Apology

”Therefore, such another man will not easily arise for you, gentlemen, but if you listen to me, you will spare me; but you, perhaps, soon being annoyed, just like those who are drowsy when awakened, might strike me and, obeying Anytus, easily put me to death, and then you would go on sleeping for the rest of your lives, unless the god, caring for you, should send someone else to you. And that I happen to be such a person as to have been given to the city by the god, you might understand from this; for it does not seem like human behavior that I have neglected all my own affairs and tolerated the neglect of my domestic concerns for so many years now, while always attending to yours, approaching each of you individually like a father or an older brother, persuading you to care for virtue. And if indeed I was gaining anything from these things and was exhorting you to this while receiving pay, I would have some reason; but now you see for yourselves that the accusers, although they accused me of all other things so shamelessly, were certainly not able to be so shameless as to provide a witness that I ever either exacted or asked for any pay. For, I think, I provide a sufficient witness that I am speaking the truth, namely, my poverty. Perhaps, then, it might seem strange that I go around giving these counsels privately and meddling in other people’s affairs, but do not dare to go up before your assembly in public to advise the city. The cause of this is what you have often and in many places heard me say, that something divine and daimonic happens to me, which indeed Meletus also wrote about in his indictment, making a comedy of it. This began for me from childhood, a certain voice occurring, which, when it occurs, always turns me away from what I am about to do, but never encourages me. This is what opposes my engaging in politics, and it seems to me to oppose it altogether beautifully; for know well, gentlemen of Athens, if I had long ago attempted to engage in politics, I would have perished long ago, and would have benefited neither you nor myself in any way. And do not be angry with me for speaking the truth; for there is no man who will save his life if he genuinely opposes either you or any other multitude and prevents many unjust and unlawful things from happening in the city, but it is necessary for him who is truly going to fight for justice, even if he is to survive for only a short time, to live as a private citizen and not as a public figure.

​And I shall provide you with great proofs of these things, not words but what you value, deeds. Hear then what has happened to me, so that you may know that I would not yield to any single person contrary to justice through fear of death, and that by not yielding I would be ready even to perish. I shall tell you things that are tedious and lawsuit-like, but true. For I, gentlemen of Athens, never held any other office in the city, but I served as a councilor; and it happened that our tribe Antiochis was presiding when you resolved to judge the ten generals, who had not picked up the men from the sea fight, all together, unlawfully, as in later times it seemed to all of you. Then I alone of the prytaneis opposed you doing anything contrary to the laws, and I voted against it; and though the orators were ready to indict me and arrest me, and you were encouraging and shouting, I thought I ought to run the risk with the law and justice rather than side with you when you were planning unjust things, out of fear of imprisonment or death. Now this was while the city was still under a democracy; but when the oligarchy came, the Thirty in turn sent for me with four others to the Tholos, and ordered us to bring Leon the Salaminian from Salamis so that he might be put to death, such things as they ordered many others to do in many instances, wishing to fill as many as possible with guilt. Then, however, I showed again, not in word but in deed, that death is of no concern to me—if it is not too rude to say so—not even a bit, but that doing nothing unjust or impious, this is my total concern. For that government did not terrify me, strong as it was, into doing anything unjust, but when we came out of the Tholos, the other four went to Salamis and brought Leon, but I went away and went home. And perhaps I would have been put to death on account of this, if that government had not been overthrown quickly. And of these things there will be many witnesses for you. Do you think, then, that I would have survived so many years if I had engaged in public affairs, and acting worthily of a good man had aided the cause of justice and, as is necessary, made this of the highest importance? Far from it, gentlemen of Athens; for neither would any other of men.”