Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/431

 SPKCIAL MISSION FROM THE GODS. 405 his master was found guilty, to affirm that the latter pretended to nothing beyond what was included in the creed of every pious man. But this is not an exact statement of the matter in debate ; for it slurs over at least, if it does not deny, that speciality of in- spiration from the gods, which those who talked with Sokrates as we learn even from Xenophon believed, and which Sokra- tes himself believed also. 1 Very different is his own representa- tion, as put forth in the defence before the dikastery. He had been accustomed constantly to hear, even from his childhood, a divine voice, interfering, at moments when he was about to act, in the way of restraint, but never in the way of instigation. Such prohibitory warning was wont to come upon him very frequently, not merely on great, but even on small occasions, intercepting what he was about to do or to say. 2 Though later writers speak 1 See the conversation of Sokrates (reported by Xenophon, Mem. i, 4, t5) with Aristodemus, respecting the gods: " What will be sufficient to persuade you (asks Sokrates) that the gods care about you?" "When they send me special monitors, as you say that they do to you (replies Aristode- mus) ; to tell me what to do, and what not to do." To which Sokrates replied, that they answer the questions of the Athenians, by replies of the oracle, and that they send prodigies (rt'para) by way of information to the Greeks generally. lie further advises Aristodemus to pay assiduous court (depaiTEVEiv) to the gods, in order to see whether they will not send him monitory information about doubtful events (i, 4, 18). So again in his conversation with Euthydemus, the latter says to him : 2c2 <5, (L 2(iparf, ioixaaiv ETI I%,IK<JTE pov f) rotf A.^,oic %pi}0- &ai t olye fj.ij6e cTtepuTu/ievoi {mb cov Trpoan/tatvovatv, are %pr) noteiv /cat a u} (iv, 3, 12). Compare i, 1, 19; and iv, 8, 11, where this perpetual communication and advice from the gods is employed as an evidence to prove the superior piety T Sokrates. 8 Plato, Ap. Sok. c. 19, p. 31, D. TOVTOV uvfi rif yiyvofitevt], % Irav yevriTai, uei uTrorpiirei JJIE TOVTOV o uv fisTJ^u TrpurTciVj irpoTpenei 6e oinroTe. TOVT'' IVTIV o uoi ivavTioiJTai TU TTO^ITIKU npaTTeiv. Again, c. 31, p. 40, A. he tells the dikasts, after his condemnation : '11 yilp eiudvlu fioi HUVTIKJ/ ?j TOV 6ai/ioviov iv fj.ev T Trpoatiev xpov^i iravrl IT aw rrvKvf) a el TJV nal navv ITT I a/jucpoff ivavTiov el ri pi}. Aotut pi) bp&u? ITOU^EIV Nvi'2 6} VOL. VIII. 18
 * eason why Sokrates had never entered on public life) o itfteif ipoH