Plato · Complete work
Stephanus 37b
Stephanus 37b of 125. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Ancient Greek
μόνον κρίνειν ἀλλὰ πολλάς, ἐπείσθητε ἄν· νῦν δʼ οὐ ῥᾴδιον ἐν χρόνῳ ὀλίγῳ μεγάλας διαβολὰς ἀπολύεσθαι. πεπεισμένος δὴ ἐγὼ μηδένα ἀδικεῖν πολλοῦ δέω ἐμαυτόν γε ἀδικήσειν καὶ κατʼ ἐμαυτοῦ ἐρεῖν αὐτὸς ὡς ἄξιός εἰμί του κακοῦ καὶ τιμήσεσθαι τοιούτου τινὸς ἐμαυτῷ. τί δείσας; ἦ μὴ πάθω τοῦτο οὗ Μέλητός μοι τιμᾶται, ὅ φημι οὐκ εἰδέναι οὔτʼ εἰ ἀγαθὸν οὔτʼ εἰ κακόν ἐστιν; ἀντὶ τούτου δὴ ἕλωμαι ὧν εὖ οἶδά τι κακῶν ὄντων τούτου τιμησάμενος; πότερον δεσμοῦ;
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the complete Ancient Greek text across all 125 Stephanus sections for fidelity, philosophical precision, Socratic voice, legal clarity, and structure.
not merely to judge, but many, you would have been persuaded; but as it is, it is not easy in so short a time to free oneself from great slanders. Since I am convinced that I wrong no one, I am far from willing to wrong myself, to declare against myself that I deserve some evil, and to propose some such penalty for myself. What am I afraid of? That I may suffer the penalty Meletus proposes for me—a thing of which I say that I do not know whether it is good or evil? Instead of that, am I to choose something I know perfectly well to be evil and propose it as my penalty? Imprisonment, perhaps?
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from all 125 Ancient Greek Stephanus sections.
to judge not for just one day but many, you would have been persuaded. But as it is, it is not easy in a short time to clear oneself of serious slanders. Since I am convinced that I have wronged no one, I am far from intending to wrong myself, to say against myself that I deserve some harm, and to propose some such penalty for myself. What would I be afraid of? That I might suffer what Meletus proposes as my penalty—something that I say I do not know to be either good or bad? Instead of that, am I to choose one of the things I know perfectly well to be bad and propose it as my penalty? Imprisonment, perhaps?