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Section 17

How you, men of Athens, have been affected by my accusers, I do not know. But I myself was almost carried away by them, so persuasively did they speak. And yet, hardly a single word they said was true. But among their many falsehoods, one amazed me most of all: they said you should be careful not to be deceived by me, because I am a formidable speaker. That they were not ashamed to be immediately refuted by the facts, the moment I show myself not to be a formidable speaker in the slightest—that seemed to me their most shameless act. Unless, of course, they call a formidable speaker the one who speaks the truth. If that is what they mean, I would agree that I am an orator, though not of their sort. Well, as I say, they have spoken hardly a word of truth; but from me, you shall hear the whole truth. Not, by Zeus, men of Athens, speeches beautifully crafted with phrases and words, arranged like theirs. No, you will hear things spoken simply, with whatever words come to mind, for I believe that what I say is just. Let none of you expect anything else. For it would certainly not be fitting, men of Athens, at my age, to come before you like a youth, weaving fine speeches. But I do make this one great request and plea to you, men of Athens: if you hear me making my defense using the same words I am accustomed to use in the marketplace by the bankers' tables, where many of you have heard me, and elsewhere, do not be surprised and do not make a disturbance on that account. For the situation is this: this is the first time I have ever come before a law court, though I am seventy years old. Therefore, I am simply a stranger to the manner of speaking here. Just as if I were truly a foreigner, you would surely excuse me if I spoke in the dialect and manner in which I had been raised, so I now ask this just request of you, as it seems to me: disregard the manner of my speech—perhaps it may be worse, perhaps better—and consider this one thing alone, and apply your mind to this: whether the things I say are just or not. For this is the virtue of a judge, while the virtue of an orator is to speak the truth.