The Apology
The Apology
Translated by Henry Graham Dakyns
The most radical defense speech ever written. When Athens put Socrates on trial in 399 BC for impiety and corrupting the youth, the old philosopher did not beg for mercy. He did not dilute his ideas or apologize for a lifetime of asking uncomfortable questions. Instead, he told the court that a man who is any good at all would never think of life as the greatest good, not when living well means living justly. Xenophon, who sat at Socrates' feet, records that final confrontation with death in plain, fierce prose. The Apology is not merely a historical document. It is a provocation. It asks whether you are willing to die for your convictions, and whether you would even want to live in a world where principle is negotiable. Two thousand four hundred years later, it still burns.
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“Glaucon, the son of Ariston, had conceived such an ardour to gain the headship of the state that nothing could hinder him but he must deliver a course of public speeches, though he had not yet reached the age of twenty. His friends and relatives tried in vain to stop him making himself ridiculous and being dragged down from the bema. Socrates, who took a kindly interest in the youth for the sake of Charmides the son of Glaucon, and of Plato, alone succeeded in restraining him.””
— Xenophon
About The Apology
Chapter Summaries
- 1
- Xenophon presents Socrates' defense and final days, emphasizing how the philosopher viewed death as preferable to life. Through Hermogenes' testimony, we learn of Socrates' refusal to prepare a conventional defense, his belief in divine guidance, and his dignified acceptance of death as a blessing that spares him from the infirmities of old age.
Key Themes
- Death as Liberation
- Socrates views death not as a punishment but as a divine gift that spares him from the degradations of old age. He argues that dying at his peak is preferable to living through physical and mental decline.
- Divine Providence
- Throughout the work, Socrates interprets his circumstances as guided by divine will, from his daimonion preventing him from preparing a defense to his belief that the gods favor his death at this time.
- Philosophical Integrity
- Socrates refuses to compromise his principles for survival, maintaining that a life lived according to philosophical truth is more valuable than mere existence obtained through moral compromise.
Characters
- Socrates(protagonist)
- The central figure, a philosopher on trial for impiety and corrupting youth. He faces death with dignity and philosophical acceptance, believing it preferable to the decline of old age.
- Hermogenes(major)
- Son of Hipponicus and intimate friend of Socrates. He serves as Xenophon's primary source for the account of Socrates' final days and conversations.
- Meletus(antagonist)
- One of Socrates' accusers in the trial, representing the formal charges against the philosopher. He engages in direct dialogue with Socrates during the proceedings.
- Apollodorus(minor)
- A simple-minded but devoted follower of Socrates who expresses grief at the injustice of his master's death sentence.
- Anytus(minor)
- One of Socrates' accusers, a prominent Athenian politician. Socrates prophesies about the moral decline of his son.
- Anytus's son(minor)
- The son of Anytus who Socrates prophesies will fall into depravity due to poor guidance. The prophecy proves accurate as he becomes a drunkard.
