The dialogues of Plato in five volumes, Vol. 2 (of 5) : $b Translated into English with analyses and introductions — Plato — John Shaqi
The dialogues of Plato in five volumes, Vol. 2 (of 5) : $b Translated into English with analyses and introductions
Plato · en
How you, O Athenians, have been affected by my accusers, =Steph.= 17
I cannot tell; but I know that they almost made me forget
who I was—so persuasively did they speak; and yet they
have hardly uttered a word of truth. But of the many falsehoods
told by them, there was one which quite amazed me;—I
mean when they said that you should be upon your guard
and not allow yourselves to be deceived by the force of my
eloquence. To say this, when they were certain to be detected
as soon as I opened my lips and proved myself to be anything
but a great speaker, did indeed appear to me most shameless—unless
by the force of eloquence they mean the force of
truth; for if such is their meaning, I admit that I am eloquent.
But in how different a way from theirs! Well, as I was
saying, they have scarcely spoken the truth at all; but from me
you shall hear the whole truth: not, however, delivered after
their manner in a set oration duly ornamented with words and
phrases. No, by heaven! but I shall use the words and arguments
which occur to me at the moment; for I am confident
in the justice of my cause[14]: at my time of life I ought not to
be appearing before you, O men of Athens, in the character
of a juvenile orator—let no one expect it of me. And I must
beg of you to grant me a favour:—If I defend myself in my
accustomed manner, and you hear me using the words which
I have been in the habit of using in the agora, at the tables of
the money-changers, or anywhere else, I would ask you not to
be surprised, and not to interrupt me on this account. For
I am more than seventy years of age, and appearing now for
the first time in a court of law, I am quite a stranger to the
language of the place; and therefore I would have you regard
me as if I were really a stranger, whom you would excuse if 18
he spoke in his native tongue, and after the fashion of his
country:—Am I making an unfair request of you? Never
mind the manner, which may or may not be good; but think
only of the truth of my words, and give heed to that: let the
speaker speak truly and the judge decide justly.
[Sidenote: _Socrates and his accusers._]
[Sidenote: The judges must excuse Socrates if he defends himself in his
own fashion.]
[Sidenote: He has to meet two sorts of accusers.]