The Apology is Plato's account of the speech Socrates gave in his own defence at his trial in Athens in 399 BCE. Accused of impiety and of corrupting the young, Socrates explains his mission of questioning his fellow citizens and refuses to abandon philosophy, even at the cost of his life.
The trial
Socrates is accused by Meletus, Anytus and Lycon. He answers each charge and cross-examines Meletus in his own way, through questions and answers.
He explains that the oracle of Delphi had declared that no one was wiser than he, and that he spent his life testing this claim by questioning others.
Wisdom and ignorance
Socrates concludes that his only wisdom is to know that he does not know, while others believe they know what they do not.
He compares himself to a gadfly sent by the god to keep the city awake and make it think.
The verdict
Found guilty, Socrates must propose a penalty. He first suggests free meals at the Prytaneum, as a public benefactor, and then a fine. The jury votes for death.
In his last words to the court, he says calmly that death is nothing to be feared.
Anecdotes
Plato present
Plato was at the trial: he names himself among the friends ready to pay a fine for Socrates. It is one of the very few times he appears in his own dialogues.
Jowett's translation
Benjamin Jowett, Master of Balliol College, Oxford, published his translation of the Dialogues of Plato in 1871. It remained the standard English version for a century.
Frequently asked questions
What was Socrates accused of?
Impiety and corrupting the young.
When did the trial take place?
In 399 BCE.
Who wrote the Apology?
Plato, Socrates' pupil.