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Section 35

Why will I not do any of these things? Not out of stubbornness, men of Athens, nor out of disrespect for you. Whether I am bold in the face of death or not is another matter. But for the sake of reputation—mine, yours, and the whole city's—it does not seem right for me to do such things at my age and with my reputation, whether true or false; for it is generally believed that Socrates is somehow superior to the majority of men. If those of you who seem superior in wisdom, courage, or any other virtue were to act this way, it would be shameful. I have seen men who were thought to be somebody do strange things when on trial, as if they thought suffering death would be a terrible thing, and as if they would be immortal if you did not kill them. They seem to bring shame upon the city, so that a stranger might assume that the men of Athens who excel in virtue, whom the Athenians themselves select for offices and honors, are no different from women. Those of you who are thought to be anybody at all should not do these things; and if we try to do them, you should not permit it. You should make it clear that you are much more likely to convict the man who stages these pitiful scenes and makes the city an object of ridicule than the man who remains quiet. Apart from reputation, gentlemen, it does not seem just to me to beg the judge or to be acquitted by begging, but rather to teach and persuade. The judge does not sit here to grant justice as a favor, but to judge what is just. He has sworn an oath not to grant favors to whoever he pleases, but to judge according to the laws. Therefore, we should not habituate you to breaking your oath, nor should you become habituated to it, for then neither of us would be acting piously. Do not ask me, men of Athens, to do before you things I consider neither honorable, nor just, nor pious—especially, by Zeus, when I am being prosecuted for impiety by Meletus here! For clearly, if I persuaded you and forced you by begging against your oaths, I would be teaching you not to believe there are gods, and by making my defense I would be simply accusing myself of not believing in the gods. But that is far from the truth. I do believe in them, men of Athens, in a way none of my accusers do. And I entrust it to you and to the god to judge me in the way that will be best for me and for you.