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Article THE DEFENCE OF SOCRATES. ← Page 2 of 8 →
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The Defence Of Socrates.
tions , whom the experience of age has matured in judgment , are so satisfied of the falsity of the charges , that they are eager to come forward in confutation of them . Whatever else I have to allege in my defence is similar to the preceding , Athenians . For some of you might justly have felt indignant had I acted a part in this defence unbecoming the dignity of this assembly , and , while protesting my innocence , I had attempted to work upon your passions , by supplicating and imploring you , my judges , with an abundance of tears , bringing forward my children , and relations , and friends , to excite your commiseration . But I disdain to do anything of the kind , although convinced these charges
expose my life to the most imminent danger . Then , on the other hand , if , upon reflection , any should bear towards me such a ferocious feeling as not to be open to an appeal to their reason and justice , and , being actuated by blind passion , should give their vote against me , under the influence of unjust anger ; however I may wish to disbelieve the possibility of their being among you any one so basely disposed , yet , to meet every probable view of the case , I must to address him thus Most
esteem it justifiable in my own vindication : " virtuous citizen , I have indeed some relations ; for , as Homer says , ' I did not spring from an oak , or out of a rock , but was born of a woman . ' So that , Athenians , I have relatives ; and , alas ! three sons , one of whom is now a youth , the other two are infants . But I have not brought one of them before you , to move you by their pathetic intreatics to acquit me . If it is asked , why I have done nothing of this kind ? I answer , not because I am obstinately proud , or that I disrespect you Athenians ; but , for a very different reason , that I might prove to
myself whether I had the courage to die ! According to my own opinion , and the opinion you and the whole state entertain of me , it would be inconsistent in me to act otherwise , especially at my time of life , and after acquiring such celebrity . It may now be seen that Socrates does indeed excel the generality of mankind . For it is disgraceful in them , who are reputed to excel in wisdom and courage , as I have witnessed some who were reported to be possessed of superior moral attainments , when the hour of trial approachesand they are condemned to suffer
, death , to shrink from what is to make them immortal , as if it were something terrible to contemplate ! Such persons , in my estimation , attach an odium to the state to which they belong . So that foreigners might be led to conclude , that the individuals who are extolled for virtue among the Athenians , and are preferred to the office of magistrates , and other posts of honour , do not even surpass women in
courage . Therefore , it would not become me , Athenians , who do not rank the least in your estimation , to show fear in this matter under any circumstances . But let it appear clearly that you should have been induced to have balloted against him who introduced , as in the performance of a drama , pathetic winnings to shake your nerves , and so have rendered yourselves and the state ridiculous in the eyes of strangers , rather than against him who awaited his sentence in the silent dignity Besides this
of fortitude , and the strength of conscious innocence . , men of Athens , it is my opinion , that it is neither doing justice to oneself to meanly supplicate the judge , when one feels unconscious of guilt , nor would an acquittal under such impressions he at all honourable to me ; for his decision ought to emanate from the evidence of the case which is brought before him , not from the impulse of passionate feeling . A judge sits not for the purpose of favouring either one side or the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Defence Of Socrates.
tions , whom the experience of age has matured in judgment , are so satisfied of the falsity of the charges , that they are eager to come forward in confutation of them . Whatever else I have to allege in my defence is similar to the preceding , Athenians . For some of you might justly have felt indignant had I acted a part in this defence unbecoming the dignity of this assembly , and , while protesting my innocence , I had attempted to work upon your passions , by supplicating and imploring you , my judges , with an abundance of tears , bringing forward my children , and relations , and friends , to excite your commiseration . But I disdain to do anything of the kind , although convinced these charges
expose my life to the most imminent danger . Then , on the other hand , if , upon reflection , any should bear towards me such a ferocious feeling as not to be open to an appeal to their reason and justice , and , being actuated by blind passion , should give their vote against me , under the influence of unjust anger ; however I may wish to disbelieve the possibility of their being among you any one so basely disposed , yet , to meet every probable view of the case , I must to address him thus Most
esteem it justifiable in my own vindication : " virtuous citizen , I have indeed some relations ; for , as Homer says , ' I did not spring from an oak , or out of a rock , but was born of a woman . ' So that , Athenians , I have relatives ; and , alas ! three sons , one of whom is now a youth , the other two are infants . But I have not brought one of them before you , to move you by their pathetic intreatics to acquit me . If it is asked , why I have done nothing of this kind ? I answer , not because I am obstinately proud , or that I disrespect you Athenians ; but , for a very different reason , that I might prove to
myself whether I had the courage to die ! According to my own opinion , and the opinion you and the whole state entertain of me , it would be inconsistent in me to act otherwise , especially at my time of life , and after acquiring such celebrity . It may now be seen that Socrates does indeed excel the generality of mankind . For it is disgraceful in them , who are reputed to excel in wisdom and courage , as I have witnessed some who were reported to be possessed of superior moral attainments , when the hour of trial approachesand they are condemned to suffer
, death , to shrink from what is to make them immortal , as if it were something terrible to contemplate ! Such persons , in my estimation , attach an odium to the state to which they belong . So that foreigners might be led to conclude , that the individuals who are extolled for virtue among the Athenians , and are preferred to the office of magistrates , and other posts of honour , do not even surpass women in
courage . Therefore , it would not become me , Athenians , who do not rank the least in your estimation , to show fear in this matter under any circumstances . But let it appear clearly that you should have been induced to have balloted against him who introduced , as in the performance of a drama , pathetic winnings to shake your nerves , and so have rendered yourselves and the state ridiculous in the eyes of strangers , rather than against him who awaited his sentence in the silent dignity Besides this
of fortitude , and the strength of conscious innocence . , men of Athens , it is my opinion , that it is neither doing justice to oneself to meanly supplicate the judge , when one feels unconscious of guilt , nor would an acquittal under such impressions he at all honourable to me ; for his decision ought to emanate from the evidence of the case which is brought before him , not from the impulse of passionate feeling . A judge sits not for the purpose of favouring either one side or the