Source edition
Platonis Opera, Tomus I: Tetralogia I-II. Burnet, John, 1863-1928, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1905.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work records the defense of the philosopher Socrates before an Athenian court, where he faces charges of not believing in the city's gods and corrupting the youth. Socrates addresses the long-standing prejudices against him, explaining that his philosophical mission stems from the Delphic oracle's declaration that no one is wiser than he, which led him to search for true wisdom. In the court, he interrogates his primary accuser, Meletus, exposing the logical contradictions in the accusations and arguing that his questioning of citizens is a divine mission essential to Athens. Even after being found guilty, Socrates refuses to beg for mercy or abandon his philosophical principles, famously proposing instead that he deserves state honors. Following his death sentence, he calmly contemplates death as either a dreamless sleep or a journey to converse with ancient sages, concluding that whether life or death is better is known only to the gods.