and
expressed a great civility for all sorts of persons; insomuch that
whenever he was consulted, either by the Athenians or by foreigners, he
would never take anything of any man for the instructions he gave them,
but imparted his wisdom freely, and without reward, to all the world;
while they, who became rich by his liberality, did not afterwards behave
themselves so generously, but sold very dear to others what had cost them
nothing; and, not being of so obliging a temper as he, would not impart
their knowledge to any who had it not in their power to reward them. In
short, Socrates has rendered the city of Athens famous throughout the
whole earth; and, as Lychas was said to be the honour of Sparta, because
he treated, at his own expense, all the foreigners who came to the feasts
of the Gymnopaedies, so it may, with much greater reason, be said of
Socrates that he was the glory of Athens, he who all his life made a
continual distribution of his goodness and virtues, and who, keeping open
for all the world the treasures of an inestimable wealth, never sent any
man out of his company but more virtuous, and more improved in the
principles of honour, than formerly he was. Therefore, in my opinion, if
he had been treated according to his merit, they should have decreed him
public honours rather than have condemned him to an infamous death. For
against whom have the laws ordained the punishment of death? Is it not
for thieves, for robbers, for men guilty of sacrilege, for those who sell
persons that are free? But where, in all the world, can we find a man
more innocent of all those crimes than Socrates? Can it be said of him
that he ever held correspondence with the enemy, that he ever fomented
any sedition, that he ever was the cause of a rebellion, or any other the
like mischiefs? Can any man lay to his charge that he ever detained his
estate, or did him or it the least injury? Was he ever so much as
suspected of any of these things? How then is it possible he should be
guilty of the crimes of which he was accused; since, instead of not
believing in the gods, as the accuser says, it is manifest he was a
sincere adorer of them? Instead of corrupting the youth, as he further
alleges against him, he made it his chief care to deliver his friends
from the power of every guilty passion, and to inspire them with an
ardent love for virtue, the glory, the ornament, and felicity of families
as well as of states? And this