Now if in fact I happened to be a foreigner, you would surely have forgiven me if I spoke in my own dialect, and in the way I had been brought up 18A to speak. For the fact of the matter is that I am appearing before the court now, for the first time, at seventy years of age, so the language of the place is simply foreign to me. What is more, men of Athens, I ask this of you, indeed I implore you, neither to be surprised nor to cause a commotion 17D if you hear me defending myself using the same arguments I am also accustomed to using at the tables in the Agora, where so many of you have heard me, and elsewhere too. For it certainly would not be appropriate, at my age, to appear before you, men of Athens, with contrived arguments like some juvenile orator. No, men of Athens, by Zeus, you shall hear me say whatever occurs to me to say, in a random manner, and none of you should expect anything else since I am convinced of the justice of what I am saying. These men, as I say, have said little or nothing that is true, but from me you shall hear the complete truth, without ornate speeches, beautifully adorned in every word and phrase, like the ones you heard from my accusers. For if that is what they mean I would accept that I am an orator, but not after their fashion. The fact that they were not ashamed of being immediately refuted by me, once I actually show myself to be no formidable speaker at all, this I thought utterly disgraceful of them, unless they are calling the person who speaks the truth a formidable speaker. But of the many lies they told, there was one that amazed me more than any, when they said that you must be on your guard lest you be deceived 17B by me because I am a formidable speaker.
As for me, they spoke so persuasively that they almost made me forget myself, and yet they have hardly spoken one word of truth. Support the Projectġ7A How you, men of Athens, have been affected by my accusers, I do not know. You can also send feedback to Foundation for Platonic Studies is a charity registered with the Charities Regulatory Authority of Ireland: RCN 20206186.įor more information on the Foundation please visit our About the Foundation page. You can highlight text on any page to quickly send feedback about the work (may not work on all devices). We welcome your feedback on this new translation, which is still being finalised. This project is supported by the Foundation for Platonic Studies. This website exhibits the fruits of a project, commenced in 2008, to translate the complete works of Plato from the original Greek into English. Apology - The Dialogues of Plato The Dialogues of Plato - Translation by David Horan
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