§18τὸ δʼ ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους οἰκτίρειν ἑαυτούς, ἐμὲ δὲ μηδὲν ἀπορώτερον διάγειν ἢ ὅτε τὰ μάλιστα ἡ πόλις ηὐδαιμόνει;
And that during the siege, while the others pitied themselves, I lived in no more difficult circumstances than when the city was at its height of prosperity?
τὸ δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους μὲν τὰς εὐπαθείας ἐκ τῆς ἀγορᾶς πολυτελεῖς πορίζεσθαι, ἐμὲ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ψυχῆς ἄνευ δαπάνης ἡδίους ἐκείνων μηχανᾶσθαι;
And that while others obtained expensive pleasures from the market, I devised from my own soul pleasures more delightful than theirs without expense?
εἴ γε μὴν ὅσα εἴρηκα περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ μηδεὶς δύναιτʼ ἂν ἐξελέγξαι με ὡς ψεύδομαι, πῶς οὐκ ἂν ἤδη δικαίως καὶ ὑπὸ θεῶν καὶ ὑπʼ ἀνθρώπων ἐπαινοίμην;
Indeed, if no one could refute me regarding all that I have said about myself, showing that I am lying, how would I not now be justly praised by both gods and men?
§19ἀλλʼ ὅμως σύ με φῄς, ὦ Μέλητε, τοιαῦτα ἐπιτηδεύοντα τοὺς νέους διαφθείρειν;
But nevertheless, Meletus, do you say that by practicing such things I corrupt the youth?
καίτοι ἐπιστάμεθα μὲν δήπου τίνες εἰσὶ νέων διαφθοραί· σὺ δὲ εἰπὲ εἴ τινα οἶσθα ὑπʼ ἐμοῦ γεγενημένον ἢ ἐξ εὐσεβοῦς ἀνόσιον ἢ ἐκ σώφρονος ὑβριστὴν ἢ ἐξ εὐδιαίτου πολυδάπανον ἢ [ὡς] ἐκ μετριοπότου οἰνόφλυγα ἢ ἐκ φιλοπόνου μαλακὸν ἢ ἄλλης πονηρᾶς ἡδονῆς ἡττημένον.
And yet we certainly know what the corruptions of youth are; but tell us if you know of anyone who, through me, has become impious instead of pious, or insolent instead of temperate, or extravagant instead of frugal, or a drunkard instead of a moderate drinker, or soft instead of industrious, or overcome by any other evil pleasure.
§20ἀλλὰ ναὶ μὰ Δίʼ, ἔφη ὁ Μέλητος, ἐκείνους οἶδα οὓς σὺ πέπεικας σοὶ πείθεσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς γειναμένοις. ὁμολογῶ, φάναι τὸν Σωκράτην, περί γε παιδείας· τοῦτο γὰρ ἴσασιν ἐμοὶ μεμεληκός.
'But by Zeus,' said Meletus, 'I know those whom you have persuaded to obey you rather than their parents.' 'I admit it,' said Socrates, 'as far as education is concerned; for they know that this has been my care.
περὶ δὲ ὑγιείας τοῖς ἰατροῖς μᾶλλον οἱ ἄνθρωποι πείθονται ἢ τοῖς γονεῦσι·
But in regard to health, do not men obey doctors more than their parents?
καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις γε πάντες δήπου οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι τοῖς φρονιμώτατα λέγουσι πείθονται μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς προσήκουσιν.
And in the assemblies, do not all the Athenians surely obey those who speak most wisely rather than their relatives?
οὐ γὰρ δὴ καὶ στρατηγοὺς αἱρεῖσθε καὶ πρὸ πατέρων καὶ πρὸ ἀδελφῶν, καὶ ναὶ μὰ Δία γε ὑμεῖς πρὸ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, οὓς ἂν ἡγῆσθε περὶ τῶν πολεμικῶν φρονιμωτάτους εἶναι; οὕτω γάρ, φάναι τὸν Μέλητον, ὦ Σώκρατες, καὶ συμφέρει καὶ νομίζεται.
For do you not also elect as generals, in preference to fathers and brothers, and, by Zeus, even to yourselves, those whom you think to be most wise concerning military affairs?' 'For so it is indeed beneficial, Socrates, and so it is accustomed,' said Meletus.
§21οὐκοῦν, εἰπεῖν τὸν Σωκράτην, θαυμαστὸν καὶ τοῦτό σοι δοκεῖ εἶναι, τὸ ἐν μὲν ταῖς ἄλλαις πράξεσι μὴ μόνον ἰσομοιρίας τυγχάνειν τοὺς κρατίστους, ἀλλὰ καὶ προτετιμῆσθαι, ἐμὲ δέ, ὅτι περὶ τοῦ μεγίστου ἀγαθοῦ ἀνθρώποις περὶ παιδείας, βέλτιστος εἶναι ὑπό τινων προκρίνομαι, τούτου ἕνεκα θανάτου ὑπὸ σοῦ διώκεσθαι; §22ἐρρήθη μὲν δῆλον ὅτι τούτων πλείω ὑπό τε αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν συναγορευόντων φίλων αὐτῷ.
'Is it not, then,' said Socrates, 'astonishing to you that, while in other matters the best men not only obtain an equal share but are even preferred, yet because I am judged by some to be the best in regard to education, which is the greatest good for men, for this reason I am prosecuted by you on a capital charge?' It was spoken, of course, more than these things both by himself and by the friends who spoke in his defense.
ἀλλʼ ἐγὼ οὐ τὰ πάντα εἰπεῖν τὰ ἐκ τῆς δίκης ἐσπούδασα, ἀλλʼ ἤρκεσέ μοι δηλῶσαι ὅτι Σωκράτης τὸ μὲν μήτε περὶ θεοὺς ἀσεβῆσαι μήτε περὶ ἀνθρώπους ἄδικος φανῆναι περὶ παντὸς ἐποιεῖτο·
But I did not make it my aim to write down everything that was said in the trial; rather, it was enough for me to show that Socrates esteemed above all things neither to be impious toward the gods nor to appear unjust toward men.
§23τὸ δὲ μὴ ἀποθανεῖν οὐκ ᾤετο λιπαρητέον εἶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ καιρὸν ἤδη ἐνόμιζεν ἑαυτῷ τελευτᾶν.
And he did not think he should beg to escape death, but rather believed that it was already the proper time for him to die.
ὅτι δὲ οὕτως ἐγίγνωσκε καταδηλότερον ἐγένετο, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἡ δίκη κατεψηφίσθη.
And that he thought so became even more manifest after the verdict was cast against him.
πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ κελευόμενος ὑποτιμᾶσθαι οὔτε αὐτὸς ὑπετιμήσατο οὔτε τοὺς φίλους εἴασεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔλεγεν ὅτι τὸ ὑποτιμᾶσθαι ὁμολογοῦντος εἴη ἀδικεῖν.
For first, when he was bid to propose an alternative penalty, he neither did so himself nor allowed his friends to do so, but even said that to propose an alternative penalty was the part of one who confessed to wrongdoing.
ἔπειτα τῶν ἑταίρων ἐκκλέψαι βουλομένων αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐφείπετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπισκῶψαι ἐδόκει ἐρόμενος εἴ που εἰδεῖέν τι χωρίον ἔξω τῆς Ἀττικῆς ἔνθα οὐ προσβατὸν θανάτῳ.
Then, when his companions wished to steal him away, he did not follow them, but even seemed to jest by asking if they knew of any place outside of Attica where death is not accessible.
§24ὡς δὲ τέλος εἶχεν ἡ δίκη, εἰπεῖν αὐτόν· ἀλλʼ, ὦ ἄνδρες, τοὺς μὲν διδάσκοντας τοὺς μάρτυρας ὡς χρὴ ἐπιορκοῦντας καταψευδομαρτυρεῖν ἐμοῦ καὶ τοὺς πειθομένους τούτοις ἀνάγκη ἐστὶ πολλὴν ἑαυτοῖς συνειδέναι ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἀδικίαν· ἐμοὶ δὲ τί προσήκει νῦν μεῖον φρονεῖν ἢ πρὶν κατακριθῆναι, μηδὲν ἐλεγχθέντι ὡς πεποίηκά τι ὧν ἐγράψαντό με;
And when the trial was at an end, he said, 'But, gentlemen, those who instructed the witnesses that they must commit perjury and bear false witness against me, and those who complied with them, must necessarily be conscious of great impiety and injustice; but why is it proper for me now to think less of myself than before I was condemned, since I have not been convicted of doing any of the things for which they indicted me?
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔγωγε ἀντὶ Διὸς καὶ Ἥρας καὶ τῶν σὺν τούτοις θεῶν οὔτε θύων τισὶ καινοῖς δαίμοσιν οὔτε ὀμνὺς οὔτε νομίζων ἄλλους θεοὺς ἀναπέφηνα. §25τούς γε μὴν νέους πῶς ἂν διαφθείροιμι καρτερίαν καὶ εὐτέλειαν προσεθίζων;
For I have not been shown to sacrifice to any new divinities instead of Zeus and Hera and the gods with them, nor to swear by them, nor to believe in other gods.' 'And how indeed could I corrupt the youth by habituating them to endurance and frugality?
ἐφʼ οἷς γε μὴν ἔργοις κεῖται θάνατος ἡ ζημία, ἱεροσυλίᾳ, τοιχωρυχίᾳ, ἀνδραποδίσει, πόλεως προδοσίᾳ, οὐδʼ αὐτοὶ οἱ ἀντίδικοι τούτων πρᾶξαί τι κατʼ ἐμοῦ φασιν.
And as for those deeds for which death is laid down as the penalty—temple-robbery, house-breaking, kidnapping, treason to the state—not even the opponents themselves claim that I committed any of these.
ὥστε θαυμαστὸν ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ εἶναι ὅπως ποτὲ ἐφάνη ὑμῖν τοῦ θανάτου ἔργον ἄξιον ἐμοὶ εἰργασμένον.
So it seems to me to be astonishing how indeed it ever appeared to you that a deed worthy of death had been committed by me.'