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Apología de Sócrates (Doce uvas)
Sócrates (siglo V a. C.) no es un filósofo convencional. Participa en la vida pública, y en varias batallas demuestra ser un ciudadano ejemplar. Su facilidad para descubrir la ignorancia lo hace molesto ante muchos, que lo acaban acusando falsamente de traición al Estado. Sócrates aprovecha la ocasión de su defensa para dar una lección de entereza y dignidad.
68 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 372
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About the author
Xenophon
2,648 books477 followersXenophon (Ancient Greek Ξενοφῶν, Modern Greek Ξενοφώντας; ca. 431 – 355 BC), son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, was a soldier, mercenary and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates. He is known for his writings on the history of his own times, preserving the sayings of Socrates, and the life of ancient Greece.
Historical and biographical works:
Anabasis (or The Persian Expedition)
Cyropaedia
Hellenica
Agesilaus
Socratic works and dialogues:
Memorabilia
Oeconomicus
Symposium
Apology
Hiero
Short treatises:
On Horsemanship
The Cavalry General
Hunting with Dogs
Ways and Means
Constitution of Sparta
Historical and biographical works:
Anabasis (or The Persian Expedition)
Cyropaedia
Hellenica
Agesilaus
Socratic works and dialogues:
Memorabilia
Oeconomicus
Symposium
Apology
Hiero
Short treatises:
On Horsemanship
The Cavalry General
Hunting with Dogs
Ways and Means
Constitution of Sparta
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August 19, 2024
آپولوژی گزنفون
آوازه آپولوژی افلاطون به گوش همه رسیده ، دفاعیات سقراط در دادگاه آتن
گزنفون نیز یکی دیگر از شاگردان سقراط بود که وقایع رو به رشته تحریر درآورد ولی نه به دقت افلاطون ، بلکه قصد داشته مطالبی رو بنویسه که بقیه اشاره نکردند.
ماجرا از این قرار است که سقراط فیلسوف بزرگ آتن به فاسد کردن جوانان و متهم میشه ، جرمی که در آن زمان حکم مرگ داشت و گویا به سقراط شش ماه زمان داده میشه که در دادگاه حاضر بشه و از خودش دفاع کنه . سقراط در این شش ماه زمان داشته که یا از آتن فرار کنه یا دفاعیه ای تنظیم و آماده کنه که او را از مرگ نجات بده از قرار معلوم در دادگاه های اون زمان دفاعیه هایی برنده می شد که فن بیان قوی داشت و احساسات افراد رو تحت تاثیر قرار می داد ولی سقراط همچنین دفاعیه رو آماده نمیکنه و با دفاعیه ای متفاوت وارد دادگاه میشه
ما در اینجا می خوانیم که سقراط میگه :
تا کنون دو بار تلاش کرده ام تا دفاعیه ی خود را آماده کنم، و هر دو بار ندایی الهی مانع من شده است .
سقراط هیچ وقت ادعا نکرده سخن هایی گفته ندای الهی و از زبان خدایان بوده ولی مدعی بوده که ندای الهی مانع می شد که بعضی سخن ها رو بیان کنه .
و در این فرصت شش ماهه ی دادگاه هر دو باری که خواسته دفاعیه خودش رو آماده کنه یا صدایی رو شنیده یا بهش الهام شده که دفاعیه رو آماده نکنه و سقراط هم به این صدا یا وحی گوش می کنه و دنبال دلیل میگرده که چرا چنین دستوری بهش داده شده و به این نتیجه میرسه که مردن در سلامتی بهتر از مردن بر اثر مریضی های کهنسالی است .
هر دو نویسنده یعنی افلاطون و گزنفون متهم اند که افکار خودشون رو به سقراط نسبت دادند ولی نمیشه این کتاب یا کتاب افلاطون رو رد کرد چون سقراط هیچ آثار مکتوبی از خودش منتشر نکرد که افکار او را مستقیم از زبان خودش بشنویم
قسمتی از کتاب
سقراط خطاب به هرموگنس:
تا کنون دو بار تلاش کرده ام تا دفاعیه ی خود را آماده کنم، و هر دو بار ندایی الهی مانع من شده است
هرموگنس در جواب این نظر گفت: حرف عجیبی است
سقراط جواب داد: آیا به نظرت عجیب می آید که حتی به نظر خدایان نیز برای من بهتر است که اکنون بمیرم؟مگر نمیدانی که، من تصور نمی کنم هیچ مردی تا کنون از من بهتر زندگی کرده باشد؟ چرا که میدانم که تمام زندگی ام را با حق پرستی و عدالت نسبت به خدایان و انسانها گذرانده ام، و دانستن چه چیز بیش از این می تواند خرسندی و لذت بیشتری ایجاد کند؟ در حقیقت در خصوص این احترام به خود و عزت نفسی که اکنون دارم باید بگویم، در دوستان و آشنایانم نیز این احترام در خصوص من شکل گرفته و بازتاب یافته است. اما حال اگر عمرم باز ادامه پیدا کند، خوب میدانم که نمی توانم از عقوبت کهنسالی فرار کنم. چشمانم به تیرگی می گراید و گوشهایم سنگین خواهد شد، علاوه بر اینها خود را در آموختن درس های جدید کندتر، در فراموش کردن درسهایی که آموخته ام مستعد تر خواهم یافت؛ و حال اگر نابود شدن قدرت و نیروی خود را ببینم و شروع به سرزنش خویشتن نیز بکنم، برای لذت بردن بیشتر از زندگی، چه چشم انداز و آیندهای پیش روی من قرار خواهد داشت؟
سقراط در ادامه گفت: شاید خدا تنها از سر لطف و مهربانی است که برای مقدر کرده است تا در سن پختگی و توسط شریف ترین و سهل ترین مرگ ها، عمرم را به پایان برسانم. چرا که اگر اکنون مجازات مرگ برای من صادر شود، واضح خواهد بود که من اجازه ی این را خواهم داشت تا در این خصوص مرگی را انتخاب کنم که به نظر صاحب نظران، نه تنها آسان ترین راه برای مرگ است، بلکه موجب می گردد کمترین آزردگی و مشکل برای دوستان فرد ایجاد شود، و در عین حال عمیق ترین حزن و اندوه و دلتنگی را برای از دست دادن او ایجاد می کند. چرا که وقتی که فرد تنی عاجز و خاطراتی خجالت آور در قلب بازماندگان باقی نمی گذارد، بلکه در حالی که قادر به مهربانی کردن و در سلامت کامل بدنی و روحی است، خاموش و محو می شود؛ مگر میشود برای او دلتنگ نشد؟ ضرورتاً بازماندگان او را با نهایت تأسف و با دلتنگی بسیار به خاطر خواهند آورد
November 29, 2021
A Different Perspective
28 November 2021
The main thing about this rather short piece is that it provides us with a different view to the trail of Socrates. The thing is that when most of us think of the account of the trail we instantly go to Plato without actually realising that there are other sources out there that may provide us with a more rounded picture of what was actually going on. In fact, it is considered to be pretty bad analysis if we only rely upon a single source when trying to determine what occurred in history.
The thing is that while we generally hold Plato’s account in quite a high regard, we can’t forget that Plato is certainly colouring the event from his own perspective. Plato was certainly somewhat of a Socratic fanboy, but then again so was Xenophon. However, the main difference between the two writers is that Xenophon was a soldier, while Plato was a philosopher. Xenophon really only took up writing in retirement, sort of one of those hobbies that people in retirement tend to take up. Okay, Xenophon had also been exiled, and when the trial took place he wasn’t even in Athens – his account, and he doesn’t shy away from this, comes from his discussions with a third party. Plato was present.
One of the main takeaways from this work is the idea that Socrates really didn’t put up much of a defence. Normally one would have a pre-prepared speech, whether having written it themselves, or paid a sophist an extraordinary sum of money to write it for them. Another thing that comes out of this was that Socrates really didn’t want to beg for his life. His feeling was that if he did so, then he would come out of this event as less of a person than he would have been going into it. Sure, some could claim that this is an element of pride, or arrogance, but in another sense you can see it as basically not being a hypocrite
Actually, one of the things that was common at these trials was that the accused would basically come out with what we would call a ‘sob story’. They would attempt to tug at the heartstrings of the jury (there was no sitting judge in an Athenian trial – this task was performed by the jury, who would determine guilt, and the punishment). Apparently, because this method was used so frequently at trial, they ended up having to ban its practice. Mind you, this practice occurs quite often today, especially during sentencing, where the accused’s family would be paraded before the judge, to attempt to sway the decision in favour of the accused.
The theme really comes down to whether it is Socrates’ time to die, but the idea of it being his time to die has more to do with having the same reputation that he did prior to the trial. For instance, it was quite common for people in Athens who were sentenced to death to escape and live abroad. The option was given to Socrates and he turned it down. There was only one place where he wanted to live, and that was Athens. One could call him a stubborn old fool, but in another sense it feels as if the trial had basically delivered a mortal blow. Once his reputation had been damaged, it would have been pretty hard for him to bring it back to it’s previous position. Then again, he certainly had his fair share of enemies, and they certainly weren’t going to be going away.
The charges were basically offending the Gods, introducing new Gods, and corrupting the youth. The funny thing is that in Athens, the teacher would be held accountable for the actions of their students – this is the essence of the corruption of the youth. However, when it comes to Socrates, at least from the Platonic dialogues, we see Socrates not so much teaching his students, but rather teaching them to think for themselves. Like, it wasn’t as if Athens was a totalitarian state – by no means – not only was it a democracy, but the laws, or the nomos were quite vague and flexible (in some cases similar to what we have today). Sure, there were some hard and fast rules, but like the law in our society, it really comes down to interpretation.
The same things are the case with the Gods – the Greeks, and in turn the Romans, didn’t really have a dedicated priestly class. Sure, there were some people, such as the Pythia at Delphi, that were dedicated servants of the divine, but you didn’t have a concept back then of ‘the church’ – not like today – that actually comes from the Middle East, in particularly Judaism. Actually, you will notice that most of the Roman religions that had a priestly caste effectively came from the Middle East. Also, introducing new gods to the pantheon certainly wasn’t a bad thing either – it happened quite a lot, and while one could point of Dionysius as one example, by Socrates’ time he had actually been around for quite a while.
While one could argue that this was little more than a show trial, the reality was that the jury was made up of 501 randomly selected people, and when the decision was made regarding Socrates’ guilt, it was by the barest of margins that he was actually found guilty. However, it is still the case that there was no public prosecutor in those times, so any criminal charges had to be brought forward by private citizens. This certainly could be open to abuse, at since the trial occurred after the twenty tyrants were deposed, there was a lot of payback towards citizens who supported them, and Sparta.
While this one is nowhere near as refined, deep, or as tight as Plato’s accounts, it still gives us a different perspective, and helps us understand what the trial was about, and how it progressed.
28 November 2021
The main thing about this rather short piece is that it provides us with a different view to the trail of Socrates. The thing is that when most of us think of the account of the trail we instantly go to Plato without actually realising that there are other sources out there that may provide us with a more rounded picture of what was actually going on. In fact, it is considered to be pretty bad analysis if we only rely upon a single source when trying to determine what occurred in history.
The thing is that while we generally hold Plato’s account in quite a high regard, we can’t forget that Plato is certainly colouring the event from his own perspective. Plato was certainly somewhat of a Socratic fanboy, but then again so was Xenophon. However, the main difference between the two writers is that Xenophon was a soldier, while Plato was a philosopher. Xenophon really only took up writing in retirement, sort of one of those hobbies that people in retirement tend to take up. Okay, Xenophon had also been exiled, and when the trial took place he wasn’t even in Athens – his account, and he doesn’t shy away from this, comes from his discussions with a third party. Plato was present.
One of the main takeaways from this work is the idea that Socrates really didn’t put up much of a defence. Normally one would have a pre-prepared speech, whether having written it themselves, or paid a sophist an extraordinary sum of money to write it for them. Another thing that comes out of this was that Socrates really didn’t want to beg for his life. His feeling was that if he did so, then he would come out of this event as less of a person than he would have been going into it. Sure, some could claim that this is an element of pride, or arrogance, but in another sense you can see it as basically not being a hypocrite
Actually, one of the things that was common at these trials was that the accused would basically come out with what we would call a ‘sob story’. They would attempt to tug at the heartstrings of the jury (there was no sitting judge in an Athenian trial – this task was performed by the jury, who would determine guilt, and the punishment). Apparently, because this method was used so frequently at trial, they ended up having to ban its practice. Mind you, this practice occurs quite often today, especially during sentencing, where the accused’s family would be paraded before the judge, to attempt to sway the decision in favour of the accused.
The theme really comes down to whether it is Socrates’ time to die, but the idea of it being his time to die has more to do with having the same reputation that he did prior to the trial. For instance, it was quite common for people in Athens who were sentenced to death to escape and live abroad. The option was given to Socrates and he turned it down. There was only one place where he wanted to live, and that was Athens. One could call him a stubborn old fool, but in another sense it feels as if the trial had basically delivered a mortal blow. Once his reputation had been damaged, it would have been pretty hard for him to bring it back to it’s previous position. Then again, he certainly had his fair share of enemies, and they certainly weren’t going to be going away.
The charges were basically offending the Gods, introducing new Gods, and corrupting the youth. The funny thing is that in Athens, the teacher would be held accountable for the actions of their students – this is the essence of the corruption of the youth. However, when it comes to Socrates, at least from the Platonic dialogues, we see Socrates not so much teaching his students, but rather teaching them to think for themselves. Like, it wasn’t as if Athens was a totalitarian state – by no means – not only was it a democracy, but the laws, or the nomos were quite vague and flexible (in some cases similar to what we have today). Sure, there were some hard and fast rules, but like the law in our society, it really comes down to interpretation.
The same things are the case with the Gods – the Greeks, and in turn the Romans, didn’t really have a dedicated priestly class. Sure, there were some people, such as the Pythia at Delphi, that were dedicated servants of the divine, but you didn’t have a concept back then of ‘the church’ – not like today – that actually comes from the Middle East, in particularly Judaism. Actually, you will notice that most of the Roman religions that had a priestly caste effectively came from the Middle East. Also, introducing new gods to the pantheon certainly wasn’t a bad thing either – it happened quite a lot, and while one could point of Dionysius as one example, by Socrates’ time he had actually been around for quite a while.
While one could argue that this was little more than a show trial, the reality was that the jury was made up of 501 randomly selected people, and when the decision was made regarding Socrates’ guilt, it was by the barest of margins that he was actually found guilty. However, it is still the case that there was no public prosecutor in those times, so any criminal charges had to be brought forward by private citizens. This certainly could be open to abuse, at since the trial occurred after the twenty tyrants were deposed, there was a lot of payback towards citizens who supported them, and Sparta.
While this one is nowhere near as refined, deep, or as tight as Plato’s accounts, it still gives us a different perspective, and helps us understand what the trial was about, and how it progressed.
November 23, 2019
This short document of 19 pages is a negligible quantity on its own but it is a remarkable complement to Plato's four dialogues on the death of Socrates. Although a student of Socrates, Xenophon's greatest achievements were not as a philosopher but as an historian and military leader. Xenophon views Socrates death in more concrete and less theoretical terms than Plato.
Xenophon feels that Socrates was made a scapegoat because of a past association with Alcibiades. He is of the opinion that a deciding factor in determining Socrates decision was his awareness that at his advanced age he was on the verge of mental decline. Thus he decided to stick to his principles and depart this life on a high note.
If read after the Platonic dialogues, Xenophon's contribution packs a great deal of punch. The reader feels that he (or she) understands Socrates the man much better without necessarily feeling that he or she understands philosophy better.
Xenophon feels that Socrates was made a scapegoat because of a past association with Alcibiades. He is of the opinion that a deciding factor in determining Socrates decision was his awareness that at his advanced age he was on the verge of mental decline. Thus he decided to stick to his principles and depart this life on a high note.
If read after the Platonic dialogues, Xenophon's contribution packs a great deal of punch. The reader feels that he (or she) understands Socrates the man much better without necessarily feeling that he or she understands philosophy better.
January 23, 2016
Meh. This was okay, but Plato said it better.
June 12, 2024
Xenophons referat av vad han fick berättat för sig om Sokrates försvarstal. Betonar Sokrates tendens att skapa hårdare ungdomar än andra - frugalare, självständigare etc. Sokrates argumenterar för att hans agerande visserligen ökar självständighet, men att detta inte är negativt, och att varje objektiv standard för vad dekadens eller gudlöshet är förfaller. Det är intressant att teorin om Sokrates som besatt ges utrymme - hans daimon - detta tenderar itne att i lika hög grad framkomma i modernare böcker.
Want to read
March 22, 2025I keep learning more about the world and wanting to read even more books, what is this wizardry
May 8, 2025
This is very short, and serves as a nice companion to the Apology of Plato. I like Xeonphon's version better.
October 1, 2016
I think its hard to read Xenophon's work (of any Socratic relation) and not instantly compare it to that of Plato's. From a historical standpoint, to say that Xenophon's works are inferior does not mean to say that Plato's works are more accurate. It is difficult at points in Plato's work to differentiate between Socrates' thoughts and Plato's, However as these two writers are our only first hand source for Socrates, it is important to study both.
Xenophon is clearly the inferior writer from a stylistic point of view, "The Defense" lacks some of the wit and philosophical insight that Plato does so well. However, Xenophon's "Defense" does have a larger scope, including a section on Socrates' thoughts before the trial.
Xenophon also displays Socrates as more of an arrogant figure, but i wonder if it can be called arrogance if it is so beautifully reasoned as Socrates does;
"Do you know anyone who is less a slave to their body than i am? Do you know anyone more free? Since i accept to payment from anyone - Mustn't it be reasonable to call me wise, as since i first learned to understand speech, i have not stopped investigating and learning. Don't you think that the success of my efforts is proved by the fact that many Athenians and Non-Athenians, who have made virtue their goal, choose to associate with me rather than anyone else? - Suppose that all i have said is true, do you not think that i deserve congratulations from gods and men alike?"
I believe both accounts are important to study, and from both writers one can glimpse the remarkable character that is Socrates, however it is evident that Plato has the superior work when it comes to the written language and style.
Xenophon is clearly the inferior writer from a stylistic point of view, "The Defense" lacks some of the wit and philosophical insight that Plato does so well. However, Xenophon's "Defense" does have a larger scope, including a section on Socrates' thoughts before the trial.
Xenophon also displays Socrates as more of an arrogant figure, but i wonder if it can be called arrogance if it is so beautifully reasoned as Socrates does;
"Do you know anyone who is less a slave to their body than i am? Do you know anyone more free? Since i accept to payment from anyone - Mustn't it be reasonable to call me wise, as since i first learned to understand speech, i have not stopped investigating and learning. Don't you think that the success of my efforts is proved by the fact that many Athenians and Non-Athenians, who have made virtue their goal, choose to associate with me rather than anyone else? - Suppose that all i have said is true, do you not think that i deserve congratulations from gods and men alike?"
I believe both accounts are important to study, and from both writers one can glimpse the remarkable character that is Socrates, however it is evident that Plato has the superior work when it comes to the written language and style.
November 29, 2022
Xenophon’s Socrates invites the hostility of the jurors because he prefers death to senility.
December 21, 2025
Ending my year off strong with a little more Socrates’ philosophy. I had a great time with this one, particularly because Xenophon and Plato’s writing styles are so incredibly different. I’ll explain what I mean. Though both men were students of Plato and had the common goal of transcribing his philosophies and beliefs, they both viewed Socrates a little differently. Plato tends to express his mentor’s teachings in a much more literary way, using these big and dramatic tones in his writing. Xenophon, on the other hand, uses more straightforward prose, and is a lot more practical (which is to say direct, and concerned with real world application to one’s life). Now why do I raise this point? Often, the tone is my biggest issue when it comes to older scripts, because it becomes harder to read and get through. This may be why Plato is much more well known across all boards, compared to Xenophon. His writing is abstract, and his storytelling is masterful and well written.
This isn’t to discredit Xenophon’s Apology in the slightest, I still devoured the book. I only resented that it was so much more heavy handed than Plato’s texts. I do appreciate his take on this recount of Apologia, but I’m inclined to read Plato’s version, just to see if it makes any difference.
The main points:
- Socrates (being the bastard that he is, acts all high and mighty during his trial) accuses everyone of discrediting the gods, and corrupting the younger populations
- He doesn’t beg for life, instead choosing to die to preserve his senility instead of succumbing to old age and eventual mental deterioration
- Socrates’ pride prevents him from preparing an actual speech, and he says that a daimonion (divine voice) in his head (which he believed to be a sign from the Gods) told him to accept death with dignity
- Xenophon wants you to see his mentor as a brave hero, who was brave enough to call the city out on their misgivings. In his version, Plato admits he is a teacher (which he NEVER does in the republic, because it does against his entire philosophy of “I don’t know”
- My issue? Xenophon wasn’t there during the actual trial, he got the story second hand from a different man. And while Plato was at the trials, he wrote his version of events years later and edited them quite a bit. To say either one of these men captured the reality of events would be a lie.
- Final thoughts was that perhaps Socrates was a little crazy at the time of his death. It would explain why his end of life philosophies were so murky and fickle.
This isn’t to discredit Xenophon’s Apology in the slightest, I still devoured the book. I only resented that it was so much more heavy handed than Plato’s texts. I do appreciate his take on this recount of Apologia, but I’m inclined to read Plato’s version, just to see if it makes any difference.
The main points:
- Socrates (being the bastard that he is, acts all high and mighty during his trial) accuses everyone of discrediting the gods, and corrupting the younger populations
- He doesn’t beg for life, instead choosing to die to preserve his senility instead of succumbing to old age and eventual mental deterioration
- Socrates’ pride prevents him from preparing an actual speech, and he says that a daimonion (divine voice) in his head (which he believed to be a sign from the Gods) told him to accept death with dignity
- Xenophon wants you to see his mentor as a brave hero, who was brave enough to call the city out on their misgivings. In his version, Plato admits he is a teacher (which he NEVER does in the republic, because it does against his entire philosophy of “I don’t know”
- My issue? Xenophon wasn’t there during the actual trial, he got the story second hand from a different man. And while Plato was at the trials, he wrote his version of events years later and edited them quite a bit. To say either one of these men captured the reality of events would be a lie.
- Final thoughts was that perhaps Socrates was a little crazy at the time of his death. It would explain why his end of life philosophies were so murky and fickle.
January 2, 2020
Xenophon's recounting of Socrates trial before the Athenian state includes some of the best takes from Socrates, and some of the best anecdotes.
June 12, 2024
Ik moet mijn legitimiteit weer herstellen en tonen dat ik niet enkel slechte boeken lees dus bij deze.
(Verplicht voor een examen ma das bijzaak)
(Verplicht voor een examen ma das bijzaak)
September 3, 2025
Uno pensaría que al ser una versión más realista de Sócrates, menos idealizada y centrada en la filosofía, sería más pesada que la versión de Platón, pero para nada. Aparte de que su longitud es de menos de la mitad que la de Platón, a mí se me ha hecho mucho más interesante para la figura de Sócrates.
Es una pena que solo conservemos estas 2 apologías y que el resto se hayan perdido.
Es una pena que solo conservemos estas 2 apologías y que el resto se hayan perdido.
April 20, 2014
If only Xenophon had survived rather than Xenophon and Plato, would we still see the defence of Socrates as a philosophically amazing moment? This is a good counter to Plato's more elaborate/developed/imagined? version and one can only wish that some of the other versions Xenophon mentions had come down too.
April 2, 2017
An adapted Project Gutenberg text with one typo and hyperlinked footnotes. The translation is lively and slightly old-fashioned, but not so as to impair understanding. As a piece of writing it is not so connected and well envisioned as Plato's Apology, but worth reading as it is the only other source for this event.
July 16, 2015
I love Socrates after reading this.
September 13, 2016
it's pretty good
May 3, 2022
Relectura anual obligada. Luego uno puede terminar perdiendo leyendo lo último que sale de la panadería y dejar de lado los clásicos.
July 24, 2020
A Apologia de Sócrates escrita por Xenophon é um relato curtíssimo (cerca de 30 páginas) relatando a defesa de Sócrates no seu julgamento e sua reação à condenação subsequente.
Esse livro me serviu de ponte entre as obras de história do século V a.C. e as obras de filosofia ateniense do século IV a.C. que lerei em seguida, além de ser uma introdução não-cronológica ao Sócrates.
E a minha primeira impressão é de superação de expectativas. Sócrates dá uma absoluta aula de retórica, apesar de saber que isso irritaria mais seus acusadores e juízes, devido a um compromisso inabalável com a Verdade. Ele prefere ser morto e se manter fiel à Verdade do que se humilhar e assumir uma culpa que não tinha diante de seus julgadores para se manter vivo. Depois de anunciada sua sentença de morte, Sócrates ainda tem a coragem de se declarar afortunado, com toda mansidão do mundo, concluindo que viveu a vida com excelência e que é melhor morrer antes de sofrer a decadência do corpo e da mente que traz a velhice.
Se o livro continuasse, Sócrates provavelmente faria uma edição helênica de My Way. Só faltou isso pra completar a elegância com que ele escolheu encarar a morte. A classe é tanta que agora só consigo pensar que seu epônimo camisa 8 não herdou apenas seu nome.
Esse livro me serviu de ponte entre as obras de história do século V a.C. e as obras de filosofia ateniense do século IV a.C. que lerei em seguida, além de ser uma introdução não-cronológica ao Sócrates.
E a minha primeira impressão é de superação de expectativas. Sócrates dá uma absoluta aula de retórica, apesar de saber que isso irritaria mais seus acusadores e juízes, devido a um compromisso inabalável com a Verdade. Ele prefere ser morto e se manter fiel à Verdade do que se humilhar e assumir uma culpa que não tinha diante de seus julgadores para se manter vivo. Depois de anunciada sua sentença de morte, Sócrates ainda tem a coragem de se declarar afortunado, com toda mansidão do mundo, concluindo que viveu a vida com excelência e que é melhor morrer antes de sofrer a decadência do corpo e da mente que traz a velhice.
Se o livro continuasse, Sócrates provavelmente faria uma edição helênica de My Way. Só faltou isso pra completar a elegância com que ele escolheu encarar a morte. A classe é tanta que agora só consigo pensar que seu epônimo camisa 8 não herdou apenas seu nome.
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November 11, 2022I've been flipping through the catalog of old works to fill out my time, which brought me back to Xenophon, who I never got around to reading.
Socrates is usually seen as having been a good person, but I don't see how that could have ever been defensible. In this work he comes across as profoundly prideful, and as someone who saw himself as being beyond reproach. Socrates, who was dishonest, was perfectly moral and couldn't be criticized?
Read Euthyphro. Socrates pretended he never experienced what everyone inevitably experiences. Everyone knows that we have different preferences and those partially proceed from who we are. Why did he pretend not to know this? To corrupt the youth, theologically - that's why.
Now, tell me. What was Socrates executed for? Oh, look at that! He did was he was accused of. Not just that, but he wanted to skirt all responsibility for doing so. He was just too special of a fancy boy, and the state "just didn't get it". We all know this person in our lives, and we know how bad he is. Why don't we with Socrates?
Socrates is usually seen as having been a good person, but I don't see how that could have ever been defensible. In this work he comes across as profoundly prideful, and as someone who saw himself as being beyond reproach. Socrates, who was dishonest, was perfectly moral and couldn't be criticized?
Read Euthyphro. Socrates pretended he never experienced what everyone inevitably experiences. Everyone knows that we have different preferences and those partially proceed from who we are. Why did he pretend not to know this? To corrupt the youth, theologically - that's why.
Now, tell me. What was Socrates executed for? Oh, look at that! He did was he was accused of. Not just that, but he wanted to skirt all responsibility for doing so. He was just too special of a fancy boy, and the state "just didn't get it". We all know this person in our lives, and we know how bad he is. Why don't we with Socrates?
July 6, 2024
Xenophon's account of Socrates' defense during his trial is nearly as colorful as Plato's but not nearly as fanciful, resulting in a much more condensed volume. Despite its brevity, it aids in clarifying the actual facts, making it a recommended reading for those interested in a trial that occurred two and a half millennia ago. Of particular interest are Socrates' comments about Anytus, which, according to Xenophon, acquired the force of prophecy as borne out by subsequent events. Another passage that makes the price of admission worthwhile is Socrates' rapid-fire responses to a string of specific criticisms, which stands in contrast to Plato's more dilatory style. By and large, Xenophon corroborates Plato's much better-known account of Socrates' trial and provides further insight into how the great philosopher served as an irritant to Athenian society and, in this particular instance, the Athenian court.
December 12, 2022
Socrate al lui Xenofon știe ceva mai multe lucruri decat Socrate al lui Platon. În Banchetul lui Xenofon facem cunostinta și cu Antistene, unul din cei mai importanți elevi ai lui Socrate, cel care avea sa devina fondatorul școlii cinice de filosofie. Chiar dacă și acest Socrate este tot un personaj, precum cel al lui Platon, dacă vrei să-l cunoști pe Socrate si filosofia sa, este necesar sa-l cercetezi din ambele perspective. Si dacă vrei sa studiezi filosofia ca mod de viața, începi cu începutul, iar la început a fost Memorabilia lui Xenofon. Reviewul este pentru editia din 2010 de la Editura Antet, care contine Apologia, Banchetul si Memorabilia, în traducerea lui St. Bezdechi, publicata prima oara in 1925.
November 9, 2025
Um livro ótimo, mas diferente de Apologia escrito por Platão, este se diferencia por se tratar de uma "defesa" de Sócrates. Enquanto Platão parece mais fazer uma transcrição e uma espécie de documento sobre como foi o Julgamento de Sócrates, Xenofonte escreve uma defesa de teu mestre, escrevendo por cima do julgamento e fazendo um juízo próprio de Sócrates, inclusive usando como exemplo da inocência de Sócrates o que aconteceu com os acusadores de seu mestre poucos anos depois da morte do mesmo. Recomendo a Leitura para aqueles que queiram conhecer Sócrates além dos escritos de Platão
April 7, 2021
Hmmm. I think I would have gotten more out of this in a philosophy class 😂. Still, kind of interesting to read an explanation of Socrates defense/trial (written by his friend, Xenophon). I gained a tiny insight into why so many listen to Socrates after reading one quote he supposedly said when someone expressed their disappointment he was unjustly on trial, he answered, "Would you have been better pleased, my dear one, to see me put to death for some just reason rather than unjustly?"
November 13, 2019
Socrates' messages before his death reminded me of similar biblical stories. Socrates seemed resigned to his fate, and was interested in the truth and what was right, instead of escaping his sentence.
June 22, 2021
As Xenophon was not present when Socrates did defend himself in court, he recounts some anecdotes he was told by other friends of Socrates who were present. It is probably a bit more realistic than Platos Apology but nevertheless very impressive.
July 17, 2024
Un relato del juicio de Sócrates con bastantes similitudes a la platónica (aunque no sin diferencias), es un texto muy corto de lectura recomendada. Sería interesante comparar al daimon socrático con el que muestra Platón en algunos diálogos como el (de dudosa autoría) Teages
April 22, 2025
A very different characterization of Socrates than we see in Plato, and in my opinion, more nuanced. Xenophon doesn't seem to wear the same rose-tinted glasses that Plato wears in regard to their former teacher.
November 22, 2018
Xenophon writes historically about Hermogenes telling him about the trial of Socrates and just marveling about he lived as precisely as he viewed the world
July 15, 2020
Xenophon's brief record of Socrates's trial and outlook on death.
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