APOLOGY OF SOCRATES

CHAPTER2 19a
18d

5 avaPtPacracr8at ot6v 't' Ecr'ttV atn&v EV'tau8o'i ODO' EcrX£t£ 'taUtf]V EV 6A,{ycp XP6vcp. PouA.o(µriv µ£v o?iv
ouoeva, aAA' avayKYJ C00"7t£p O"Ktaµaxc'iv U7tOAoyou- &.v 'tOU'tO ycvfo8at, d' 'tt aµttvov Kat uµ'iv Kat Eµo{,
µcv6v 't£ Kat EAEYX£tV U7t0Kptvoµ£vou. Kat 7tAEoV tt µ£ 7t0tll0"at anoA.oyouµcvov. otµm 0£ aU'tO
o?iv Kat C00"7t£p Eyro A.£yro, µou xaA.rnov dvm, Kat OU 7tcXVU µ£ A.av8av£t ot6v Ecr'ttV. 5
ycyov£vm, µ£v apn 0£ toUto µ£v l'tffi onn tcp 8ccp cp{A.ov, 'tcp OE v6µcp 7t£tcrtfov Kat
e 7tcXAat Eyro A.£yro, Kat 0£tV a7tOAO'Yfl'tEoV.
7tp&t6v µ£ Kat yap EKtlVffiV 7tp0t£pov
Kmr]yopouv1rov Kat noA.u µ&.A.A.ov 'tCOVO£ 'tCOV
UO"'t£pov.
Et£V. U7tOAOYT\'tEoV i1 'A8riva'iot, Kat E7tlX£tpT\-
19 'tEoV uµ&v OtaPoA.l)v ftv EV 7toAAcp xp6vcp

&vcxp1p&acxa0m < avcxp1pai;co bring into court

evtcxu0o'i lo this pince
aor. act. infin. < f)...£rxco exn111ine, refute
< as16co believe, think
&pt1 just now
olfi011te aor. pass. imper, < ofoµm think
elev very well then
aor. mid. infin. < esmpi\co re111ove

18d5 &vo:P1P&acxa00:1 Supply to 01Kmnfiptov.

The verb and its compounded form £sef.£rxe1v (cf. 17b2) suggest
both examination and refutation. They occur frequently in Plato's dialogues
to describe Socrates' characteristic style of conversation.
18d6 l6a11ep "Practically like."
aK1cxµcxxe'iv "Fight in the dark," and therefore "randomly" (as at Republic
52.0c). The verb can also mean "shadowbox," that is, practice fighting moves
without a partner. The first sense predominates. Note the parallelism cre-
ated by the two genitive absolutes: ef.£rxe1v µt)lievoc; chro11:p1voµevov and
cXTroAoyo11evov ovliev6c; (18c7).
18d8 oov Ko:\ o?iv often signals the return of the discussion to the main
point after a digression. Translate: "So, you also ... "
18d9 yeyovevm The perfect aspect is relevant. 111e first accusers began their
work in the past, and its effects continue into the present.
18e1 11aAcxt Supply
18e2 Kai y&p "In fact."
18e3 trov8e trov 11atepov That is, Meletus and his crew. Supply TJKoucrme Km11-
yopouvmv from the first part of the sentence: "In fact, you heard them
accusing [me] earlier and much longer than [you heard] these men [accusing
me] later."
18e5 a110Aoy11tfov , . , e111xe1p11tfov 111ese neuter verbal adjectives, like the Latin
gerundive, express necessity: "there must be a defense ... and an attempt."
19a1 "Remove the slander fro111 you." es- governs uµ&v.
foxete aor. act. indic. < E'.xco acquired
nil the sn111e, nonetheless
Acxv0&ve1 < f.av0avco escape tl1e notice of
hro 3rd person imper. < e\µ1 go
!S11n where, in what way
11e1atfov neut. verbal adj.< nd0oµm (+ dat.) one 111ust obey
19a2 tcxi>t11v 111e antecedent is ompot.l]v: "this one which."
oov 111is combination asserts the strong emotional interest of the
speaker, here affirmative (and ironic). Translate: "I would really like ... "
19a4 11Afov ti ... 11011\am "Succeed," literally, "do something more," an exam-
ple of rhetorical understatement (litotes). The infinitive is dependent on
pouf.olµriv.
19a5 oi> 11&vu Acxv0&ve1 ot6v fot1v Teclmically, the subject of f.av0ave1 is ot6v
ecmv, but the idiom does not translate literally into English. Try instead: "It
doesn't really escape me how it is."
19a6 tijl 0eijl No specific divinity is intended. 111e remark, coupled with a simi-
lar statement at 35d7-8, works to undermine further the charges of atheism
without committing Socrates to a very specific statement of belief.

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___J
19a CHAPTER3 19b

\jfcx.10 'tTJY "(pacpfiv 'tCX.UU]V. ctEV. 'tl on AE"(OVtE<;

CHAPTER 3 oi C00'7tEp o?iv KaUl"fOpcov -cnv avtcoµoa{av
OEt cXVCX."(VWVat aut&v. "IcoKpatn<; aOtKEt Kat 7tEptEp"fcXSE'tat
(19a7-d7) srit&v ta 'CE U7t0 oupavta 1ml 'COY A6yov KpElt'tCO 5
7t0t&v Kat aAAOU<; 'CCX.Uta 'CCX.Uta OtOcXO'KCOV ." totafrtn tt<; Ea'ttV. c
'CCX.Uta 'YUP ECOpU'tE Kat au-col EV -en 'Apwtocp&vou<; Kcoµcpot<(:,
LCOKpatri 'ttVa EKct 7tEpt<pEpoµEVOV' <paCTKOV'ta 'CE
Kat aAAl]Y 7tOAATJY <pAuap{av <pAUapouvta, &v E"(W OUOEV OU'tE
Socrates defends himself against the old accusers' charge of being
interested in science. The search for the causes of natural phenomena
was considered suspect by many cultual conservatives in fifth-
century Athens, inasmuch as such investigations sought to offer &vtroµocr(av < av1roµocr(a, formal charge, affidavit
mechanical explanations for things that heretofore had been left &vayv&vm aor. act. infin. < avay1yvc0crKro read
M11ce'i < &01Keco do wrong
to religion and mythology. As will become clear later in the speech, < nEptEpy&l;oµo:t busy oneself
Socrates only had a very minimal interest in such speculations, i\nro (= i\11ova) < i\11rov weaker
Kpe(nco (= Kpd11ova) < KpE(11rov stronger
preferring to concentrate on problems of self-knowledge. erop&1e < op&ro see
Nonetheless, to many, Socrates' consistent questioning of all <pU<JICOVta < <jlUCJKCO assert
received notions seemed as corrosive to traditional morality as the relative. Meletus is said to have written the indictment on behalf of the
the natural philosophers' attempt to substitute rational causes for poets Socrates has angered (23e). In the E11thypilro he is referred to as young
and unknown, and this sense of his relative obscurity is echoed in the Apology
the explanations offered by poetry, religion, and myth. This critical (36a-b). In addition, see on 23e5-24al.
approach to tradition was the basis, at least in part, of the charge eypaljlato ypa<prn9o:t takes an accusative of the charge and of the person
that Socrates had corrupted the youth. For additional discussion charged.
19b2 1( llfi "By saying what, precisely?" For the use of 011, see on 19bl.
of the chapter and questions for study, see essay 3. 19b3 &v1roµocr(av Literally, "the swearing against." TI1e formal charge was read
aloud before the trial began. The thought here is compressed. TI1e simplest
approach is to take OEt avayv&vo:t both in the main clause and in the C001!Ep-
clause: "So it is necessary to read their (a\n&v) indictment just as [it is nec-
oZiv tt<; ii Kcx.1YJ'YOpta E<nlv essary to read] that of the prosecutors."
19b5 1& 1e U!tO Ka\ oup&vm Ka\ 10V l\nco A.Oyov Kpe(nco ito'irov See on
b ii Eµfi "fE'YovEv, fl ofi Kal ntcnEucov M£A.ri-c6<; µE E"fp&- 18cl. In Clouds Aristophanes had portrayed Socrates and his students as
involved in both activities.
19cl tau1& mum !ltl>&crtcrov mimi = 1a am&, "the same things." 01oa0Kco
takes a double accusative to indicate the recipient and the content of the lesson.
101m)111 ecrttv "It's something like this." 101au111 agrees with av1roµocr(a.
a1t0Miy111fov neut. verbal adj. < ano!..oyfoµo:t one must make a defense 19c3 l:mKp&t11 nv& "Some Socrates." Socrates distances himself from Aristo-
avaMproµev aor. act. subj. < &va!..aµp&vro resume phanes' caricature of him in Clouds.
eypaljlCHO < ypaq>CO (mid.) indict 1tep1cpep6µevov In Clouds, we first meet Socrates suspended in a basket so his
thoughts can become as rarefied as the "middle air" that he proposes to study.
19bl Ti eµfi lhaPoA.Ti TI1e possessive adjective has the force of the objective geni- aepopme\v Quoted from Clouds 225.
tive: "the slander against me." 19c4 cpA.uap(av cpA.uapollv1a Cognate accusative: "talk nonsense."
fl The antecedent is oiapo!..fi. Socrates assumes that Meletus and his ©v The relative is governed by ni\p1 in the next line. The position of the
cronies would not dare bring him to trial without the implicit support of accent on the first syllable indicates that the preposition follows its object
the older accusers, an impression strengthened by ofi, which emphasizes (anastrophe). The word order is extremely disturbed here (hyperbaton).

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19c APOLOGY OF SOCRATES CHAPTER 3 19d

5 µeya OU'"CE µtKpov 7tEpt E7ta'{ro. Kat oux chi; chtµasrov Aeyro cppasE'IE o-Ov ti 7tc07t01E ll µtKpov ll µeya llKOUO'E
10taun1v cl' ni; 7tEpt 1&v 1owu1rov crocp6i; ni; uµ&v £µou 7tEpl 1&v '"COtoU'"C(J)V 8ta/..cyoµevou, Kat EK 5
7troi; £yffi U7to McMwo 10crau1ai; 8{Kai; cpcuyotµt- '"COU'"COU yvrocrrn8E O'"Ct '"COtaU't' Ecr'tl Kat -c&/..Aa 7tEpl £µou oia
a/../..a yap £µot 10u1rov, (1 av8pci; 'A8riva'iot, oU8£v µe1Ecmv. 7to'A'Aot A.eyoucrtv.
d µap1upai; 8£ a-0 uµ&v wui; 7tOAAoui; 7tapexoµat, Kat
uµ&.i; 8tOcXO'KEtV 'IE Kat cppasttv, OO'Ot £µou 7tc07t01E
CxlCT]KOa'"CE 8ta/..cyoµevou-7toAAot 8£ uµ&v oi '"COtoU'"COt dmv-

e11a'lro 1111derstand
anµ&1;rov < ch1µu1;ro treat witlt dislto11or
e111<nnµ11v < £n1crtnµ11, Ii knowledge
a:\.:\.a yap b11t as a matter offact
µenonv ltave a s/tare i11
< µupm;, ii witness
cppa1;e1V < <ppa1;rn point 0111
lha:\.eyoµevou < 01af.eyoµm converse

19c5 ou;i: ... In Plwedo, the dialogue where the death of Socrates is
narrated, Socrates recalls that as a young man he was deeply interested in
natural science and the structure of the cosmos, but that he later became
disillusioned with it (96-97). In this passage, Socrates' appreciation of the
sciences gives way to an ironic implication that these matters are unknow-
able nsp\ 1&v 10wu1oiv, etc.).
19c6 emoinµ11v 111e word is normally distinguished by Plato from 061;a, "opinion,
belief." Here it is used ironically.
19c7 µn ey<h ..• cpeuyo1µ1 Opt. of wish: "I hope I don't have
to defend myself against such great charges."
19d2 011'1&01mv 1ml cppa1;e1V The logical order of the two events is inverted
(hysteron proteron). 111e request that the jurors teach each other might look
like a Socratic maimerism, but it is not. Compare this passage to Andocides'
speech, On lite Mysteries 46, where he, too, calls upon members of the jury
to verify his version of events and to "teach" each other.
19d3 llia:\.eyoµevou On the most basic level, Socrates merely says that members
of the jury have heard him in conversation. The end result of such conver-
sations, as reported by Plato anyway, is often an exasperated anop(a, or
perplexity, on the part of the interlocutor. The dialogues with politicians,
poets, and craftsmen that Socrates summarizes a little later (21c5-22e6)
seem definitely to have been of this sort. 111e recollection of these conversa-
tions would quickly disprove the charge that Socrates engaged in scientific 19d4 cppa1;en TI1is extremely conversational sentence shifts its syntax midway
speculations or taught rhetoric. Nonetheless, it is not clear that bringing to through (anacolouthon). The original construction, based on a1;1& + subject
mind these conversations would have been effective in winning the jury acc. and infin., breaks off in favor of the imperative.
over to Socrates' side. 19d6 wialh' "Of such a sort," that is, "equally baseless" (Burnet 1924).

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