did unintentionally - no doubt I should; whereas you hated And is there anyone who would rather be injured than benefited to converse with me or teach me, but you indicted me in by those who live with him? Answer, my good friend; the law this court, which is a place not of instruction, but of pun-requires you to answer - does anyone like to be injured?
ishment.
Certainly not.
I have shown, Athenians, as I was saying, that Meletus And when you accuse me of corrupting and deteriorating has no care at all, great or small, about the matter. But still the youth, do you allege that I corrupt them intentionally I should like to know, Meletus, in what I am affirmed to or unintentionally?
corrupt the young. I suppose you mean, as I infer from your Intentionally, I say.
indictment, that I teach them not to acknowledge the gods But you have just admitted that the good do their neigh-which the state acknowledges, but some other new divini-bors good, and the evil do them evil. Now is that a truth ties or spiritual agencies in their stead. These are the les-which your superior wisdom has recognized thus early in sons which corrupt the youth, as you say.
life, and am I, at my age, in such darkness and ignorance as Yes, that I say emphatically.
not to know that if a man with whom I have to live is cor-Then, by the gods, Meletus, of whom we are speaking, tell rupted by me, I am very likely to be harmed by him, and yet me and the court, in somewhat plainer terms, what you I corrupt him, and intentionally, too; - that is what you are mean! for I do not as yet understand whether you affirm saying, and of that you will never persuade me or any other that I teach others to acknowledge some gods, and therefore human being. But either I do not corrupt them, or I corrupt do believe in gods and am not an entire atheist - this you do them unintentionally, so that on either view of the case you not lay to my charge; but only that they are not the same lie. If my offence is unintentional, the law has no cogni-gods which the city recognizes - the charge is that they are zance of unintentional offences: you ought to have taken different gods. Or, do you mean to say that I am an atheist me privately, and warned and admonished me; for if I had simply, and a teacher of atheism?
been better advised, I should have left off doing what I only I mean the latter - that you are a complete atheist.