§27ἔοικεν γὰρ ὥσπερ αἴνιγμα συντιθέντι διαπειρωμένῳ
ἆρα γνώσεται Σωκράτης ὁ σοφὸς δὴ ἐμοῦ χαριεντιζομένου καὶ ἐναντίʼ ἐμαυτῷ λέγοντος, ἢ ἐξαπατήσω αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς ἀκούοντας; οὗτος γὰρ ἐμοὶ φαίνεται τὰ ἐναντία λέγειν αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ ἐν τῇ γραφῇ ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ εἴποι· ἀδικεῖ Σωκράτης θεοὺς οὐ νομίζων, ἀλλὰ θεοὺς νομίζων. καίτοι τοῦτό ἐστι παίζοντος.
For he seems to be like one who is composing a riddle and testing me: 'Will Socrates, the wise man indeed, realize that I am joking and contradicting myself, or shall I deceive him and the other listeners?' For this man seems to me to be saying contradictory things to himself in the indictment, as if he were to say: 'Socrates is guilty of not believing in gods, but believing in gods.' And yet this is the behavior of one who is playing.
συνεπισκέψασθε δή, ὦ ἄνδρες, ᾗ μοι φαίνεται ταῦτα λέγειν· σὺ δὲ ἡμῖν ἀπόκριναι, ὦ Μέλητε.
Join me, gentlemen, in examining how he seems to me to say this; and you, Meletus, answer us.
ὑμεῖς δέ, ὅπερ κατʼ ἀρχὰς ὑμᾶς παρῃτησάμην, μέμνησθέ μοι μὴ θορυβεῖν ἐὰν ἐν τῷ εἰωθότι τρόπῳ τοὺς λόγους ποιῶμαι.
And you, as I requested of you at the beginning, remember for my sake not to make a disturbance if I make my arguments in my accustomed manner.
ἔστιν ὅστις ἀνθρώπων, ὦ Μέλητε, ἀνθρώπεια μὲν νομίζει πράγματʼ εἶναι, ἀνθρώπους δὲ οὐ νομίζει;
Is there anyone among men, Meletus, who believes that human affairs exist, but does not believe that humans exist?
ἀποκρινέσθω, ὦ ἄνδρες, καὶ μὴ ἄλλα καὶ ἄλλα θορυβείτω·
Let him answer, gentlemen, and not make a disturbance in one way or another.
ἔσθʼ ὅστις ἵππους μὲν οὐ νομίζει, ἱππικὰ δὲ πράγματα;
Is there anyone who does not believe that horses exist, but believes that equestrian affairs exist?
ἢ αὐλητὰς μὲν οὐ νομίζει εἶναι, αὐλητικὰ δὲ πράγματα;
Or who does not believe that flute-players exist, but believes that flute-playing affairs exist?
οὐκ ἔστιν, ὦ ἄριστε ἀνδρῶν· εἰ μὴ σὺ βούλει ἀποκρίνεσθαι, ἐγὼ σοὶ λέγω καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τουτοισί.
There is not, most excellent of men; if you do not wish to answer, I will tell you and these others here.
ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ γε ἀπόκριναι· ἔσθʼ ὅστις δαιμόνια μὲν νομίζει πράγματʼ εἶναι, δαίμονας δὲ οὐ νομίζει;
But at least answer the next question: Is there anyone who believes that spiritual affairs exist, but does not believe that spiritual beings exist?
οὐκ ἔστιν.
There is not.
ὡς ὤνησας ὅτι μόγις ἀπεκρίνω ὑπὸ τουτωνὶ ἀναγκαζόμενος.
How helpful it is that you have answered, even if reluctantly, under compulsion by these men!
οὐκοῦν δαιμόνια μὲν φῄς με καὶ νομίζειν καὶ διδάσκειν, εἴτʼ οὖν καινὰ εἴτε παλαιά, ἀλλʼ οὖν δαιμόνιά γε νομίζω κατὰ τὸν σὸν λόγον, καὶ ταῦτα καὶ διωμόσω ἐν τῇ ἀντιγραφῇ.
Well then, you say that I both believe in and teach spiritual affairs, whether they are new or old; at any rate, I believe in spiritual affairs according to your statement, and you also swore to this in your indictment.
εἰ δὲ δαιμόνια νομίζω, καὶ δαίμονας δήπου πολλὴ ἀνάγκη νομίζειν μέ ἐστιν·
But if I believe in spiritual affairs, it is absolutely necessary that I also believe in spiritual beings, is it not?
οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει; ἔχει δή· τίθημι γάρ σε ὁμολογοῦντα, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἀποκρίνῃ.
It is so; for I assume that you agree, since you do not answer.
τοὺς δὲ δαίμονας οὐχὶ ἤτοι θεούς γε ἡγούμεθα ἢ θεῶν παῖδας;
And do we not think that spiritual beings are either gods or the children of gods?
φῂς ἢ οὔ;
Do you say so or not?
πάνυ γε.
Most certainly.
οὐκοῦν εἴπερ δαίμονας ἡγοῦμαι, ὡς σὺ φῄς, εἰ μὲν θεοί τινές εἰσιν οἱ δαίμονες, τοῦτʼ ἂν εἴη ὃ ἐγώ φημί σε αἰνίττεσθαι καὶ χαριεντίζεσθαι, θεοὺς οὐχ ἡγούμενον φάναι με θεοὺς αὖ ἡγεῖσθαι πάλιν, ἐπειδήπερ γε δαίμονας ἡγοῦμαι·
Therefore, if indeed I believe in spiritual beings, as you say, if the spiritual beings are some kind of gods, this would be what I say you are riddling and joking about, when you say that I, who do not believe in gods, believe in gods again, since indeed I believe in spiritual beings.
εἰ δʼ αὖ οἱ δαίμονες θεῶν παῖδές εἰσιν νόθοι τινὲς ἢ ἐκ νυμφῶν ἢ ἔκ τινων ἄλλων ὧν δὴ καὶ λέγονται, τίς ἂν ἀνθρώπων θεῶν μὲν παῖδας ἡγοῖτο εἶναι, θεοὺς δὲ μή;
But if, on the other hand, the spiritual beings are children of gods, some kind of bastards born of nymphs or of some others of whom indeed they are said to be born, what human being would believe that children of gods exist, but that gods do not?
ὁμοίως γὰρ ἂν ἄτοπον εἴη ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις ἵππων μὲν παῖδας ἡγοῖτο ἢ καὶ ὄνων, τοὺς ἡμιόνους, ἵππους δὲ καὶ ὄνους μὴ ἡγοῖτο εἶναι.
For it would be just as absurd as if someone believed that the children of horses or asses—namely, mules—exist, but did not believe that horses and asses exist.
ἀλλʼ, ὦ Μέλητε, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως σὺ ταῦτα οὐχὶ ἀποπειρώμενος ἡμῶν ἐγράψω τὴν γραφὴν ταύτην ἢ ἀπορῶν ὅτι ἐγκαλοῖς ἐμοὶ ἀληθὲς ἀδίκημα·
But, Meletus, there is no way that you did not write this indictment either to test us or because you were at a loss for any true wrongdoing to charge me with.
ὅπως δὲ σύ τινα πείθοις ἂν καὶ σμικρὸν νοῦν ἔχοντα ἀνθρώπων, ὡς οὐ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἔστιν καὶ δαιμόνια καὶ θεῖα ἡγεῖσθαι, καὶ αὖ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μήτε δαίμονας μήτε θεοὺς μήτε ἥρωας, οὐδεμία μηχανή ἐστιν.
But that you could persuade anyone who has even a little intellect that it does not belong to the same person to believe in both spiritual and divine things, and on the other hand to believe in neither spiritual beings nor gods nor heroes, is utterly impossible.