| 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
matter: they like to hear the
cross-examination of the pretenders to
wisdom; there is amusement in it. Now
this duty of cross-examining other men
has been imposed upon me by God;
and has been signified to me by
oracles, visions, and in every way in
which the will of divine power was ever
intimated to any one. This is true, O
Athenians; or, if not true, would be
refuted. If I am or have been corrupting
the youth, those of them who are now
grown up and have become sensible
that I gave them bad advice in the days
of their youth should come forward as
accusers, and take their revenge; or if
they do not like to come themselves,
some of their relatives, fathers,
brothers, or other kinsmen, should say
what evil their families have suffered at
my hands. Now is their time. Many of
them I see in the court. There is Crito,
who is of the same age and of the same
deme with myself, and there is
Critobulus his son, whom I also see.
Then again there is Lysanias of
Sphettus, who is the father of
Aeschines, he is present; and also
there is Antiphon of Cephisus, who is
the father of Epigenes; and there are the
brothers of several who have
associated with me. There is
Nicostratus the son of Theosdotides,
and the brother of Theodotus (now
Theodotus himself is dead, and
therefore he, at any rate, will not seek
to stop him); and there is Paralus the
son of Demodocus, who had a brother
Theages; and Adeimantus the son of
Ariston, whose brother Plato is
present; and Aeantodorus, who is the
brother of Apollodorus, whom I also
see. I might mention a great many
others, some of whom Meletus should
have produced as witnesses in the
course of his speech; and let him still
produce them, if he has forgotten, I will
make way for him. And let him say, if
he has any testimony of the sort which
he can produce. Nay, Athenians, the
very opposite is the truth. For all these
are ready to witness on behalf of the
corrupter, of the injurer of their
kindred, as Meletus and Anytus call
me; not the corrupted youth only, there
might have been a motive for that, but
their uncorrupted elder relatives. Why
should they too support me with their
testimony? Why, indeed, except for the
sake of truth and justice, and because
they know that I am speaking the truth,
and that Meletus is a liar | Student name:
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