Nov. 3rd, 2012
Plato, Apology, 34d-35a start
Nov. 3rd, 2012 08:24 pm[34δ] εἰ δή τις ὑμῶν οὕτως ἔχει—οὐκ ἀξιῶ μὲν γὰρ ἔγωγε, εἰ δ᾽ οὖν—ἐπιεικῆ ἄν μοι δοκῶ πρὸς τοῦτον λέγειν λέγων ὅτι ‘ἐμοί, ὦ ἄριστε, εἰσὶν μέν πού τινες καὶ οἰκεῖοι: καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο αὐτὸ τὸ τοῦ Ὁμήρου, οὐδ᾽ ἐγὼ ‘ἀπὸ δρυὸς οὐδ᾽ ἀπὸ πέτρης’ πέφυκα ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, ὥστε καὶ οἰκεῖοί μοί εἰσι καὶ ὑεῖς γε, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, τρεῖς, εἷς μὲν μειράκιον ἤδη, δύο δὲ παιδία: ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως οὐδένα αὐτῶν δεῦρο ἀναβιβασάμενος δεήσομαι ὑμῶν ἀποψηφίσασθαι.’ τί δὴ οὖν οὐδὲν τούτων ποιήσω; οὐκ αὐθαδιζόμενος, ὦ ἄνδρες
If indeed someone of you holds thusly - I at least do not deem it so, but if, therefore - it seems to me fitting if I were to speak to him, saying that, "O excellent man, I indeed also have some kinfolk: for this is the same thing as the thing of Homer, I'm not either "from a tree nor from a stone," but I was begot from men, so that I also have kinfolk and sons too, O Athenian men; three sons, one a stripling already, and two children yet: but however I won't bring up any one of them here, while I will be begging you to release me." So why will I not do any of these things? Not through being stubborn, O men
[34ε] Ἀθηναῖοι, οὐδ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἀτιμάζων, ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὲν θαρραλέως ἐγὼ ἔχω πρὸς θάνατον ἢ μή, ἄλλος λόγος, πρὸς δ᾽ οὖν δόξαν καὶ ἐμοὶ καὶ ὑμῖν καὶ ὅλῃ τῇ πόλει οὔ μοι δοκεῖ καλὸν εἶναι ἐμὲ τούτων οὐδὲν ποιεῖν καὶ τηλικόνδε ὄντα καὶ τοῦτο τοὔνομα ἔχοντα, εἴτ᾽ οὖν ἀληθὲς εἴτ᾽ οὖν ψεῦδος, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν δεδογμένον
of Athens, nor through being disrespectful of you, but whether I have good courage for death or not, another reason, or towards therefore to seem to me and to you and to the whole city, it does not seem to me to be good for me to do any of this things and, since I'm of such an age and since I have such a name as this, whether either truth or untruth, but the opinion has been held that
[35α] γέ ἐστί τῳ Σωκράτη διαφέρειν τῶν πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων.
it is Socrates who surpasses many men.
If indeed someone of you holds thusly - I at least do not deem it so, but if, therefore - it seems to me fitting if I were to speak to him, saying that, "O excellent man, I indeed also have some kinfolk: for this is the same thing as the thing of Homer, I'm not either "from a tree nor from a stone," but I was begot from men, so that I also have kinfolk and sons too, O Athenian men; three sons, one a stripling already, and two children yet: but however I won't bring up any one of them here, while I will be begging you to release me." So why will I not do any of these things? Not through being stubborn, O men
[34ε] Ἀθηναῖοι, οὐδ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἀτιμάζων, ἀλλ᾽ εἰ μὲν θαρραλέως ἐγὼ ἔχω πρὸς θάνατον ἢ μή, ἄλλος λόγος, πρὸς δ᾽ οὖν δόξαν καὶ ἐμοὶ καὶ ὑμῖν καὶ ὅλῃ τῇ πόλει οὔ μοι δοκεῖ καλὸν εἶναι ἐμὲ τούτων οὐδὲν ποιεῖν καὶ τηλικόνδε ὄντα καὶ τοῦτο τοὔνομα ἔχοντα, εἴτ᾽ οὖν ἀληθὲς εἴτ᾽ οὖν ψεῦδος, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν δεδογμένον
of Athens, nor through being disrespectful of you, but whether I have good courage for death or not, another reason, or towards therefore to seem to me and to you and to the whole city, it does not seem to me to be good for me to do any of this things and, since I'm of such an age and since I have such a name as this, whether either truth or untruth, but the opinion has been held that
[35α] γέ ἐστί τῳ Σωκράτη διαφέρειν τῶν πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων.
it is Socrates who surpasses many men.