• Apology of Socrates •
• Xenophon •
Duration: 21 mins
Unabridged
Recorded: 2019
Price : $30
About Xenophon’s Apology of Socrates
One of the surviving works about the “Apology of Socrates” is the present audiobook of Xenophon’s version of the events. This one too is an effort to recall and explain the trial of Socrates, which took place in 399 BC and resulted in a death sentence.
Xenophon emphasized the boastful manner of speaking to the jury (Gr: μεγαληγορία), in which Socrates expressed his defence and positions against the accusations of "corrupting the youth" and been "impious to the city gods", brought by his accusers Meletus, Anytus and Lycon.
As Xenophon wasn’t in Athens at the time of the trial, he writes what has been presented to him by Hermogenes the philosopher.
You can read a concise biography of Xenophon here (wikipedia) or here (britannica).
You can follow both the original Greek text or an English translation online at the Perseus Library, or at Archive.org for the Greek text accompanied by one version of the metre for each Ode.
About the audiobook
The recording contains the complete Ancient Greek text of "the Apology of Socrates to the Jury" by Xenophon.
After purchase you will be able to download the zip file, containing both mp3 and m4a formats. The m4a file type is smaller, offering better sound quality.
You can listen to the first 3 paragraphs of Socrates’ Apology, an audio sample of the present audiobook. Please, click on the play-button bellow and, if you wish, follow the Ancient Greek text lower on the page, or alternatively watch the video. Thank you!
ΣΩΚΡΑΤΟΥΣ ΑΠΟΛΟΓΙΑ (§1-3) :
Σωκράτους δὲ ἄξιόν μοι δοκεῖ εἶναι μεμνῆσθαι καὶ ὡς ἐπειδὴ ἐκλήθη εἰς τὴν δίκην ἐβουλεύσατο περί τε τῆς ἀπολογίας καὶ τῆς τελευτῆς τοῦ βίου. γεγράφασι μὲν οὖν περὶ τούτου καὶ ἄλλοι καὶ πάντες ἔτυχον τῆς μεγαληγορίας αὐτοῦ· ᾧ καὶ δῆλον ὅτι τῷ ὄντι οὕτως ἐῤῥήθη ὑπὸ Σωκράτους. ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἤδη ἑαυτῷ ἡγεῖτο αἱρετώτερον εἶναι τοῦ βίου θάνατον, τοῦτο οὐ διεσαφήνισαν· ὥστε ἀφρονεστέρα αὐτοῦ φαίνεται εἶναι ἡ μεγαληγορία. [2] Ἑρμογένης μέντοι ὁ Ἱππονίκου ἑταῖρός τε ἦν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐξήγγειλε περὶ αὐτοῦ τοιαῦτα ὥστε πρέπουσαν φαίνεσθαι τὴν μεγαληγορίαν αὐτοῦ τῇ διανοίᾳ. ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἔφη ὁρῶν αὐτὸν περὶ πάντων μᾶλλον διαλεγόμενον ἢ περὶ τῆς δίκης εἰπεῖν: [3] οὐκ ἐχρῆν μέντοι σκοπεῖν, ὦ Σώκρατες, καὶ ὅ τι ἀπολογήσῃ; τὸν δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀποκρίνασθαι: οὐ γὰρ δοκῶ σοι ἀπολογεῖσθαι μελετῶν διαβεβιωκέναι; ἐπεὶ δ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐρέσθαι: πῶς; ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄδικον διαγεγένημαι ποιῶν· ἥνπερ νομίζω μελέτην εἶναι καλλίστην ἀπολογίας. ...
