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Article THE DEFENCE OF SOCRATES. Page 1 of 5 →
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The Defence Of Socrates.
THE DEFENCE OF SOCRATES .
ATTOAOriA SnKPATOTS , OR ,
FROM TIIE DIALOGUES OF PLATO . A translation of the original Greek from tlie pen of Brother the Rev . II . R . Sludc , late Chaplain of the Lodge 48 , Bath , tyc . SjC . Socrates , of whom the following defence or apology was committed to writing by his disciple Plato , was a native of Athens , and , if not a Free and Accepted Mason , certainly one of the Pythagorean Initiation . His father , Sophroniscus , was a statuary ; and his mother ,
I'hienarete , a midwife . For some time he followed his father ' s occupation , but was called away by Crito , who admired his genius and courted his friendship . Hestudied philosophy under Archelaus and Anaxagoras , and taught his disciples in the groves of Academus , or in the Lyceum , or on the banks of the Ilyssus . He was accused by Melitus , Anytus , and Lvcon , of corrupting the Athenian youth , by instilling into their minds a contempt for the superstition * ivttrship of the idol gods , and summoned before the tribunal of the Five Hundred , where he was condemned only by a majority of three voices . His death took place 4110 years B . C , in tho seventieth year of his age . From the principles of his philosophy , which were enforced hythe unparalleled examples of those trai n Masonic virtues , au affectionate husband , a tender parent , a brave soldier , and a patriotic citizen , arose , soon after , the celebrated sects of the Academics , Cyrenaics , Stoics , & c .
How you , Athenians , may have been affected by the imposing representations of my accusers , I am of course ignorant ; but , as to myself , they have well-nigh put me beside myself by their persuasive orations ; and the only consolation left me is , that they contain not one word ot * truth . What most astonishes me of the numerous charges so falsel y alleged against me , is that wherein they affirm it behoves you to beware of being completely deluded by me , inasmuch as I am an admirable
speaker ? This unworthy innuendo appears to me to constitute the most shameless part of their conduct : and that I may not be put to the blush on account of the mendacity of such a statement , you shall instantly have convincing evidence from the address I am now going to make to you , that I am by no means an admirable speaker ; nor , what they would insinuateso skilful an orator as to be ableby my rhetoric and eloquence
, , , to captivate and mislead your judgment , unless they would intend , to attach that character to him who speaks the plain unvarnished truth . If they allow thus much , I will acknowledge that 1 am an orator —but not in accordance with their definition of the title . Now , I affirm , in the most unqualified manner , that those parties have ju'oduced no substantial authentic charge ; and that such is the case , you shall be
enabled to learn , when you have heard from me the whole undisguised truth . Not , however—by Olympian Jove ! I swear , Athenians—clothed in an ornamental diction , as was the case with the statements of my prosecutors ; nor embellished with set phrases and measured sentences , arranged in studied order ; but I will deliver my observations to you , so to say , at random , and in words not artificially , but promiscuously chosenand such as the subject may suggest . Yetbelieve mewhat I
, , , speak is just ; and let no one among you think otherwise : for it would not in any respect become me , Athenians , at my time of life , as in tho days of boyhood , to make a speech in order to mislead your judgment . Slill , Athenians , I urgently make one request of you , and it is this i should you catch mc defending myself against these charges in a style of language similar to that 1 was accustomed to use in the senate upon
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Defence Of Socrates.
THE DEFENCE OF SOCRATES .
ATTOAOriA SnKPATOTS , OR ,
FROM TIIE DIALOGUES OF PLATO . A translation of the original Greek from tlie pen of Brother the Rev . II . R . Sludc , late Chaplain of the Lodge 48 , Bath , tyc . SjC . Socrates , of whom the following defence or apology was committed to writing by his disciple Plato , was a native of Athens , and , if not a Free and Accepted Mason , certainly one of the Pythagorean Initiation . His father , Sophroniscus , was a statuary ; and his mother ,
I'hienarete , a midwife . For some time he followed his father ' s occupation , but was called away by Crito , who admired his genius and courted his friendship . Hestudied philosophy under Archelaus and Anaxagoras , and taught his disciples in the groves of Academus , or in the Lyceum , or on the banks of the Ilyssus . He was accused by Melitus , Anytus , and Lvcon , of corrupting the Athenian youth , by instilling into their minds a contempt for the superstition * ivttrship of the idol gods , and summoned before the tribunal of the Five Hundred , where he was condemned only by a majority of three voices . His death took place 4110 years B . C , in tho seventieth year of his age . From the principles of his philosophy , which were enforced hythe unparalleled examples of those trai n Masonic virtues , au affectionate husband , a tender parent , a brave soldier , and a patriotic citizen , arose , soon after , the celebrated sects of the Academics , Cyrenaics , Stoics , & c .
How you , Athenians , may have been affected by the imposing representations of my accusers , I am of course ignorant ; but , as to myself , they have well-nigh put me beside myself by their persuasive orations ; and the only consolation left me is , that they contain not one word ot * truth . What most astonishes me of the numerous charges so falsel y alleged against me , is that wherein they affirm it behoves you to beware of being completely deluded by me , inasmuch as I am an admirable
speaker ? This unworthy innuendo appears to me to constitute the most shameless part of their conduct : and that I may not be put to the blush on account of the mendacity of such a statement , you shall instantly have convincing evidence from the address I am now going to make to you , that I am by no means an admirable speaker ; nor , what they would insinuateso skilful an orator as to be ableby my rhetoric and eloquence
, , , to captivate and mislead your judgment , unless they would intend , to attach that character to him who speaks the plain unvarnished truth . If they allow thus much , I will acknowledge that 1 am an orator —but not in accordance with their definition of the title . Now , I affirm , in the most unqualified manner , that those parties have ju'oduced no substantial authentic charge ; and that such is the case , you shall be
enabled to learn , when you have heard from me the whole undisguised truth . Not , however—by Olympian Jove ! I swear , Athenians—clothed in an ornamental diction , as was the case with the statements of my prosecutors ; nor embellished with set phrases and measured sentences , arranged in studied order ; but I will deliver my observations to you , so to say , at random , and in words not artificially , but promiscuously chosenand such as the subject may suggest . Yetbelieve mewhat I
, , , speak is just ; and let no one among you think otherwise : for it would not in any respect become me , Athenians , at my time of life , as in tho days of boyhood , to make a speech in order to mislead your judgment . Slill , Athenians , I urgently make one request of you , and it is this i should you catch mc defending myself against these charges in a style of language similar to that 1 was accustomed to use in the senate upon