Plato’s “Apology” is a publication of the Pennsylvania State University. This Portable Document File is furnished free and without any charge of any kind. Any person using this document file, for any purpose, and in any way does so at his or her own risk. Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, nor anyone associated with the Pennsylvania State University assumes any responsibility for the material contained within the document or for the file as an electronic transmission, in any way.
Plato’s “Apology,” the Pennsylvania State University, Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, Hazleton, PA 18201-1291 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongoing student publication project to bring classical works of literature, in English, to free and easy access of those wishing to make use of them.
Copyright © 1998 The Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity university.
Apology
saying, they have hardly uttered a word, or not more than a Apology
word, of truth; but you shall hear from me the whole truth: not, however, delivered after their manner, in a set oration duly ornamented with words and phrases. No indeed! but I By Plato
shall use the words and arguments which occur to me at the moment; for I am certain that this is right, and that at my Translated by Benjamin Jowett time of life I ought not to be appearing before you, O men of Socrates’ Defense
Athens, in the character of a juvenile orator - let no one expect this of me. And I must beg of you to grant me one How you have felt, O men of Athens, at hearing the favor, which is this - If you hear me using the same words in speeches of my accusers, I cannot tell; but I know that their my defence which I have been in the habit of using, and persuasive words almost made me forget who I was - such which most of you may have heard in the agora, and at the was the effect of them; and yet they have hardly spoken a tables of the money-changers, or anywhere else, I would ask word of truth. But many as their falsehoods were, there was you not to be surprised at this, and not to interrupt me. For one of them which quite amazed me; - I mean when they I am more than seventy years of age, and this is the first told you to be upon your guard, and not to let yourselves be time that I have ever appeared in a court of law, and I am deceived by the force of my eloquence. They ought to have quite a stranger to the ways of the place; and therefore I been ashamed of saying this, because they were sure to be would have you regard me as if I were really a stranger, detected as soon as I opened my lips and displayed my defi-whom you would excuse if he spoke in his native tongue, ciency; they certainly did appear to be most shameless in and after the fashion of his country; - that I think is not an saying this, unless by the force of eloquence they mean the unfair request. Never mind the manner, which may or may force of truth; for then I do indeed admit that I am elo-not be good; but think only of the justice of my cause, and quent. But in how different a way from theirs! Well, as I was give heed to that: let the judge decide justly and the speaker speaktruly.