A Life of Socrates by Dr. G. Wiggers [pp. 236-265]

His Defence.
perhaps you would consent to this award. I should indeed be
very fond of life, O Athenians, if I were so devoid of reason as
not to be able to reflect that you, who are my fellow-citizens,
have been unable to endure my manner of life and my discourses, but they have become so burdensome and odious to you,
that you now seek to be rid of them. Others, however, will easily
bear them: far from it, O Athenians; a fine life it would be for
me at my age to go out wandering and driven from city to city,
and so to live! For I well know that, wherever I may go, the
youth will listen to me when I speak, as they do here. And if
I repulse them, they will themselves drive me out, persuading
the elders; and if I do not repulse them, their fathers and kindred will banish me on their account."
"Perhaps, however, some one will say, Can you not, Socrates,
when you have gone from us, live a silent and quiet life? This
is the most difficult thing of all to persuade some of you. For
if I say that would be to disobey the Deity, and that therefore it
is impossible for me to live quietly, you would not believe me,
thinking that I spoke ironically. If, on the other hand, I say
that this is the greatest good to man, to discourse daily on virtue, and other things which you have heard me discussing,
examining both myself and others, but that a life without investigation is not worth living for, still less would you believe me if
I said this. Such, however, is the case, as I affirm, O Athenians, though it is not easy to persuade you. And at the same
time I am not accustomed to think myself deserving of any ill.
If indeed I were rich, I would amerce myself in such a fine as I
should be able to pay; for then I should have suffered no harm,
but now-for I cannot, unless you are willing to amerce me in
such a sum as I am able to pay. But perhaps I could pay you
a mina of silver: in that sum I amerce myself. But Plato here,
O Athenians, and Crito, and Critobulus, and Apollodorus bid
me amerce myself in thirty mine, and they offer to be sureties.
I amerce myself then in that sum; and they will be sufficient
sureties for the money."''
The judges now proceeded to pass sentence, and condemned
Socrates to death, after which he continued his affecting address,
concluding as follows: "You, therefore; O my Judges, ought to
entertain good hopes with respect to death, and to meditate on
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