Page:History of Greece Vol VIII.djvu/503

 FEELING OF THE DIKASTS. 481 any reputation of mine, too, I should be a guilty man, if I sought to bias you by supplications. My duty is to instruct and persuade you, if I can ; but you have sworn to follow your convictions in judging according to the laws, not to make the laws bend to your partiality ; and it is your duty so to do. Far be it from me to habituate you to perjury ; far be it from you to contract nny such habit. Do not, therefore, require of me proceedings dis- honorable in reference to myself, as well as criminal and impious in regard to you, especially at a moment when I am myself rebutting an accusation of impiety advanced by Meletus. I leave to you and to the god, to decide as may turn out best both for me and for you." * No one who reads the " Platonic Apology" of Sokrates will ever wish that he had made any other defence. But it is the speech of one who deliberately foregoes the immediate purpose of a defence, persuasion of his judges ; who speaks for posterity, without regard to his own life : " sola posteritatis cura, et abruptis vita} blandimentis." 2 The effect produced upon the dikasts was such as Sokrates anticipated beforehand, and heard afterwards without surprise as without discomposure, in the verdict of guilty. His only surprise was, at the extreme smallness of the majority whereby that verdict was parsed. 3 And this is the true matter for astonishment. Never before had the Athenian dikasts heard such a speech addressed to them. While all of them, doubtless, knew Sokrates as a very able and very eccentric man, respecting his purposes and character they would differ ; some regarding him with unqualified hostility, a few others with respectful admi- ration, and a still larger number with simple admiration for ability, without any decisive sentiment either of antipathy or esteem. 1 Plato, Apol. Sok. c. 24, p. 35. 1 These are the striking words of Tacitus (Hist, ii, 54) respecting the last hours of the emperor Otho, after his suicide had been fully resolved upon, but before it had been censummatcd : an interval spent in the most careful and provident arrangements for the security and welfare of those around him : " ipsum vivcntem quidcin rclictum, scd soli posteritatis cura, ct abrnptis vitae blandimentis." TOVTO, uA/.il TroAt) p.u/J,ov davjiufa knaTcpuv TWV [>T)uv rbv yeyovora u Oy yup vpriv fyuye oiru nap' biyw laeadat, U'/^M Ttapil noM, etc. VOL. vnr. fl 31oc.
 * Plato, Apol. Sok. c. 25, p. 3S, A. OVK UVK^LCTOV ftoi yiyovE