Then he turns to the judges again. As for death,—is it likely that one who has never shunned danger on the battle-field—who dared to record his solitary vote at the trial of the generals, in defence of the innocent and in defiance of the popular clamour—who had braved the anger of the Thirty Tyrants,—is it likely that he would desert the post of duty now?
"O Athenians!" he says solemnly, "I both love and honour you; but as long as I live and have the power, I shall never cease to seek the truth, and exhort you to follow it. For I seem to have been sent by God to rouse you from your lethargy, as you may see a gadfly stinging a strong and sluggish horse. Perhaps you will be angry at being thus awakened from your sleep. Shake me off, then, and take your rest, and sleep on—for ever. I shall not try (as others have done) to move your pity by tears and prayers, or by the sight of my weeping children—for Socrates is not as other men are; and if," he concludes, "O men of Athens, by force of persuasion or entreaty I could overpower your oaths, then I should indeed be teaching you to believe that there are no gods, and convict myself, in my own defence, of not believing in them. But that is not the case, for I do believe that there are gods, and in a far higher sense than that in which any of my accusers believe in them. And to you and to God I commit my cause, to be determined by you as is best, both for you and for me"—J.
It was not likely that any jury would be convinced. by such a speech as this—marked throughout by a "contempt of court" unparalleled in Athenian history; and accordingly Socrates was found guilty on both counts of the indictment—though by a majority of only five
