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Section 33

Do you think I would have survived so many years if I had engaged in public affairs and, acting as a good man must, supported just causes and made that my highest priority? Far from it, men of Athens; nor would any other man. But throughout my entire life, whether acting publicly—if I ever did—or privately, you will find I am always the same man, never yielding to anyone contrary to justice, not even to one of those my slanderers claim are my pupils. I have never been anyone's teacher. If anyone, young or old, desired to listen to me while I was speaking and doing my own work, I never begrudged it to anyone. I do not converse only when I receive money and refuse when I do not. Rather, I offer myself equally to the rich and the poor to question, and to listen and answer if anyone wishes. If any of these people becomes a good man or not, I cannot justly be held responsible, since I never promised to teach any of them anything, nor did I teach them. If anyone says he ever learned or heard anything privately from me that everyone else did not hear, know well that he is not speaking the truth. Why, then, do some people enjoy spending so much time with me? You have heard the reason, men of Athens. I told you the whole truth: they enjoy hearing the cross-examination of those who think they are wise but are not. For it is not unpleasant. And as I say, I have been commanded by the god to do this, through oracles, dreams, and every way any divine apportionment has ever commanded a human being to do anything. This is true, men of Athens, and easily proven. If I am currently corrupting some of the youth, and have already corrupted others, surely some of those who are now older and have realized that I gave them bad advice when they were young should come forward now to accuse me and exact punishment. Or if they did not wish to, some of their relatives—fathers, brothers, or other kin—should remember and exact punishment now, if their relatives suffered any harm from me.