Xenophon Apology 1-5
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Ἑλληνική Transliterate
English
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0032.tlg005.perseus-grc2:1-5
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0032.tlg005.perseus-eng2:1-5
( 1 ) Σωκράτους δὲ ἄξιόν μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι μεμνῆσθαι καὶ ὡς ἐπειδὴ ἐκλήθη εἰς τὴν δίκην ἐβουλεύσατο περί τε τῆς ἀπολογίας καὶ τῆς τελευτῆς τοῦ βίου . γεγράφασι μὲν οὖν περὶ τούτου καὶ ἄλλοι καὶ πάντες ἔτυχον τῆς μεγαληγορίας αὐτοῦ · ᾧ καὶ δῆλον ὅτι τῷ ὄντι οὕτως ἐρρήθη ὑπὸ Σωκράτους . ἀλλʼ ὅτι ἤδη ἑαυτῷ ἡγεῖτο αἱρετώτερον εἶναι τοῦ βίου θάνατον , τοῦτο οὐ διεσαφήνισαν · ὥστε ἀφρονεστέρα αὐτοῦ φαίνεται εἶναι ἡ μεγαληγορία .
( 2 ) Ἑρμογένης μέντοι ὁ Ἱππονίκου ἑταῖρός τε ἦν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐξήγγειλε περὶ αὐτοῦ τοιαῦτα ὥστε πρέπουσαν φαίνεσθαι τὴν μεγαληγορίαν αὐτοῦ τῇ διανοίᾳ . ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἔφη ὁρῶν αὐτὸν περὶ πάντων μᾶλλον διαλεγόμενον ἢ περὶ τῆς δίκης εἰπεῖν · ( 3 ) οὐκ ἐχρῆν μέντοι σκοπεῖν , ὦ Σώκρατες , καὶ ὅ τι ἀπολογήσῃ ; τὸν δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀποκρίνασθαι · οὐ γὰρ δοκῶ σοι ἀπολογεῖσθαι μελετῶν διαβεβιωκέναι ; ἐπεὶ δʼ αὐτὸν ἐρέσθαι · πῶς ; ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄδικον διαγεγένημαι ποιῶν · ἥνπερ νομίζω μελέτην εἶναι καλλίστην ἀπολογίας . ( 4 ) ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτὸν πάλιν λέγειν · οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὰ Ἀθηναίων δικαστήρια ὡς πολλάκις μὲν οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦντας λόγῳ παραχθέντες ἀπέκτειναν , πολλάκις δὲ ἀδικοῦντας ἢ ἐκ τοῦ λόγου οἰκτίσαντες ἢ ἐπιχαρίτως εἰπόντας ἀπέλυσαν ; ἀλλὰ ναὶ μὰ Δία , φάναι αὐτόν , καὶ δὶς ἤδη ἐπιχειρήσαντός μου σκοπεῖν περὶ τῆς ἀπολογίας ἐναντιοῦταί μοι τὸ δαιμόνιον . ( 5 ) ὡς δὲ αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν · θαυμαστὰ λέγεις , τὸν δʼ αὖ ἀποκρίνασθαι · ἦ θαυμαστὸν νομίζεις εἰ καὶ τῷ θεῷ δοκεῖ ἐμὲ βέλτιον εἶναι ἤδη τελευτᾶν ; οὐκ οἶσθα ὅτι μέχρι μὲν τοῦδε οὐδενὶ ἀνθρώπων ὑφείμην ἂν βέλτιον ἐμοῦ βεβιωκέναι ; ὅπερ γὰρ ἥδιστόν ἐστιν , ᾔδειν ὁσίως μοι καὶ δικαίως ἅπαντα τὸν βίον βεβιωμένον · ὥστε ἰσχυρῶς ἀγάμενος ἐμαυτὸν ταὐτὰ ηὕρισκον καὶ τοὺς ἐμοὶ συγγιγνομένους γιγνώσκοντας περὶ ἐμοῦ .
( 2 ) Ἑρμογένης μέντοι ὁ Ἱππονίκου ἑταῖρός τε ἦν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐξήγγειλε περὶ αὐτοῦ τοιαῦτα ὥστε πρέπουσαν φαίνεσθαι τὴν μεγαληγορίαν αὐτοῦ τῇ διανοίᾳ . ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἔφη ὁρῶν αὐτὸν περὶ πάντων μᾶλλον διαλεγόμενον ἢ περὶ τῆς δίκης εἰπεῖν · ( 3 ) οὐκ ἐχρῆν μέντοι σκοπεῖν , ὦ Σώκρατες , καὶ ὅ τι ἀπολογήσῃ ; τὸν δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀποκρίνασθαι · οὐ γὰρ δοκῶ σοι ἀπολογεῖσθαι μελετῶν διαβεβιωκέναι ; ἐπεὶ δʼ αὐτὸν ἐρέσθαι · πῶς ; ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄδικον διαγεγένημαι ποιῶν · ἥνπερ νομίζω μελέτην εἶναι καλλίστην ἀπολογίας . ( 4 ) ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτὸν πάλιν λέγειν · οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὰ Ἀθηναίων δικαστήρια ὡς πολλάκις μὲν οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦντας λόγῳ παραχθέντες ἀπέκτειναν , πολλάκις δὲ ἀδικοῦντας ἢ ἐκ τοῦ λόγου οἰκτίσαντες ἢ ἐπιχαρίτως εἰπόντας ἀπέλυσαν ; ἀλλὰ ναὶ μὰ Δία , φάναι αὐτόν , καὶ δὶς ἤδη ἐπιχειρήσαντός μου σκοπεῖν περὶ τῆς ἀπολογίας ἐναντιοῦταί μοι τὸ δαιμόνιον . ( 5 ) ὡς δὲ αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν · θαυμαστὰ λέγεις , τὸν δʼ αὖ ἀποκρίνασθαι · ἦ θαυμαστὸν νομίζεις εἰ καὶ τῷ θεῷ δοκεῖ ἐμὲ βέλτιον εἶναι ἤδη τελευτᾶν ; οὐκ οἶσθα ὅτι μέχρι μὲν τοῦδε οὐδενὶ ἀνθρώπων ὑφείμην ἂν βέλτιον ἐμοῦ βεβιωκέναι ; ὅπερ γὰρ ἥδιστόν ἐστιν , ᾔδειν ὁσίως μοι καὶ δικαίως ἅπαντα τὸν βίον βεβιωμένον · ὥστε ἰσχυρῶς ἀγάμενος ἐμαυτὸν ταὐτὰ ηὕρισκον καὶ τοὺς ἐμοὶ συγγιγνομένους γιγνώσκοντας περὶ ἐμοῦ .
(
1
)
It
seems
to
me
fitting
to
hand
down
to
memory
,
furthermore
,
how
Socrates
,
on
being
indicted
,
deliberated
on
his
defence
and
on
his
end
.
It
is
true
that
others
have
written
about
this
,
and
that
all
of
them
have
reproduced
the
loftiness
of
his
words
,
—a
fact
which
proves
that
his
utterance
really
was
of
the
character
intimated
;
—but
they
have
not
shown
clearly
that
he
had
now
come
to
the
conclusion
that
for
him
death
was
more
to
be
desired
than
life
;
and
hence
his
lofty
utterance
appears
rather
ill-considered
.
( 2 ) Hermogenes , the son of Hipponicus , however , was a companion of his and has given us reports of such a nature as to show that the sublimity of his speech was appropriate to the resolve he had made . For he stated that on seeing Socrates discussing any and every subject rather than the trial , he had said : ( 3 ) Socrates , ought you not to be giving some thought to what defence you are going to make ? That Socrates had at first replied , Why , do I not seem to you to have spent my whole life in preparing to defend myself ? Then when he asked , How so ? he had said , Because all my life I have been guiltless of wrong-doing ; and that I consider the finest preparation for a defence . Then when Hermogenes again asked , ( 4 ) Do you not observe that the Athenian courts have often been carried away by an eloquent speech and have condemned innocent men to death , and often on the other hand the guilty have been acquitted either because their plea aroused compassion or because their speech was witty ? Yes , indeed ! he had answered ; and I have tried twice already to meditate on my defence , but my divine sign interposes . ( 5 ) And when Hermogenes observed , That is a surprising statement , he had replied , Do you think it surprising that even God holds it better for me to die now ? Do you not know that I would refuse to concede that any man has lived a better life than I have up to now ? For I have realized that my whole life has been spent in righteousness toward God and man , —a fact that affords the greatest satisfaction ; and so I have felt a deep self-respect and have discovered that my associates hold corresponding sentiments toward me .
( 2 ) Hermogenes , the son of Hipponicus , however , was a companion of his and has given us reports of such a nature as to show that the sublimity of his speech was appropriate to the resolve he had made . For he stated that on seeing Socrates discussing any and every subject rather than the trial , he had said : ( 3 ) Socrates , ought you not to be giving some thought to what defence you are going to make ? That Socrates had at first replied , Why , do I not seem to you to have spent my whole life in preparing to defend myself ? Then when he asked , How so ? he had said , Because all my life I have been guiltless of wrong-doing ; and that I consider the finest preparation for a defence . Then when Hermogenes again asked , ( 4 ) Do you not observe that the Athenian courts have often been carried away by an eloquent speech and have condemned innocent men to death , and often on the other hand the guilty have been acquitted either because their plea aroused compassion or because their speech was witty ? Yes , indeed ! he had answered ; and I have tried twice already to meditate on my defence , but my divine sign interposes . ( 5 ) And when Hermogenes observed , That is a surprising statement , he had replied , Do you think it surprising that even God holds it better for me to die now ? Do you not know that I would refuse to concede that any man has lived a better life than I have up to now ? For I have realized that my whole life has been spent in righteousness toward God and man , —a fact that affords the greatest satisfaction ; and so I have felt a deep self-respect and have discovered that my associates hold corresponding sentiments toward me .