Apologia de Sócrates

[Ici les juges avant été aux voix, la majorité déclare que Socrate est coupable. Il reprend la parole : ]

Mais je n'ai pas besoin d'une plus longue défense, Athéniens; et ce que je viens de dire suffit, il me semble, pour faire voir que je ne suis point coupable, et que l'accusation de Mélitus est sans fondement.

Ainsi mettez-vous dans l'esprit que j'ai affaire à deux sortes d'accusateurs, comme je viens de le dire; les uns qui m'ont accusé depuis longtemps, les autres qui m'ont cité en dernier lieu; et croyez, je vous prie, [18e] qu'il est nécessaire que je commence par répondre aux premiers; car ce sont eux que vous avez d'abord écoutés, et ils ont fait plus d'impression sur vous que les autres.

[17a] Je ne sais, Athéniens, quelle impression mes accusateurs ont faite sur vous. Pour moi, en les entendant, peu s'en est fallu que je ne me méconnusse moi-même, tant ils ont parlé d'une manière persuasive; et cependant, à parler franchement, ils n'ont pas dit un mot qui soit véritable.

[The jury condemns Socrates to death.]

{Socrates’ Comments on his Sentence}

[The jury finds Socrates guilty.]

{Socrates’ Proposal for his Sentence}

But I shall be asked, Why do people delight in continually conversing with you ? I have told you already, Athenians, the whole truth about this : they like to hear the cross-examination of the pretenders to wisdom ; there is amusement in this. And this is a duty which the God has imposed upon me, as I am assured by oracles, visions, and in every sort of way in which the will of divine power was ever signified to anyone. This is true, O Athenians ; or, if not true, would be soon refuted.

Someone will say : And are you not ashamed, Socrates, of a course of life which is likely to bring you to an untimely end ? To him I may fairly answer : There you are mistaken : a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying ; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he is doing right or wrong — acting the part of a good man or of a bad.

I have said enough in my defence against the first class of my accusers ; I turn to the second class, who are headed by Meletus, that good and patriotic man, as he calls himself. And now I will try to defend myself against them : these new accusers must also have their affidavit read. What do they say ? Something of this sort : — That Socrates is a doer of evil, and corrupter of the youth, and he does not believe in the gods of the state, and has other new divinities of his own. That is the sort of charge ; and now let us examine the particular counts.