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Plato’s The Apology
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Plato (427-347 BCE)• Member of an aristocratic family in
Athens• Had two brothers and a sister• Served in Athens’ army, either during
the Peloponnesian War or shortly thereafter
• Was one of Socrates’ students• Most of his works are written as
dialogues• In 387 BCE he founded the Academy• Aristotle was one of his students
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Socrates was Plato’s teacher and the main character in The Apology
• Apology = means an explanation or defense of one’s views, not an apology
• It is Plato’s version of a speech that Socrates made during his trial in 399 BCE
• This dialogue was probably Plato’s earliest dialogue but it is unclear when it was written; however, some scholars think it was written perhaps as early as a year or two after the trial
• Was Plato present at Socrates’ trial?
Yes, but he did not speak
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More on Socrates• At the time of the trial Socrates is around
70 years old
• He is married (to Xanthippe) and has three sons, two of whom are very young
• He is a stonemason and farmer by trade
• His mother (Phaenerete) was a midwife, his father (Sophroniscus) a stonemason and sculptor
• When young, Socrates fought for Athens in several battles; he served as a hoplite
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Did Socrates write any books?
• No, Socrates did not write any books
• We only know of him through others’ books or plays
• E.g., the playwright Aristophanes’ Clouds (ca 423 BCE) or the historian Xenophon’s Apology of Socrates to the Jury in addition to Plato’s works
• Does it matter if we only know of Socrates (or anyone else, for that matter) through others’ accounts?
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Background information to trial: Key events
• The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE): Sparta vs. Athens
• Rule of Athens by the 30 Tyrants (404-403 BCE): Plato’s uncle and cousin were two of the tyrants as was Critias, a former pupil of Socrates
• Democratic rebellion led by Alcibiades leads to overthrow of the tyrants in 403 BCE
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Important terms or references in the dialogue• Gadfly = horsefly; an insect that bites
livestock and torments them; a person who provokes others into action by criticism
• The Oracle at Delphi (aka the Pythian high priestess) = a person who makes prophecies
• Slander = false accusation that damages someone’s reputation
• Affidavit = written testimony; sworn declaration
• Enmity = the state of being hostile and actively opposed to someone
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Key vocabulary (continued)
• Calumnies = false and slanderous statements
• Pretense = false or deceptive claim
• Inveterate = long-established, unlikely to change
• Reproaching = expressing disapproval
• Exhorting = strongly encouraging someone to do something
• Impudence = impertinent, disrespectful
• Acquit = declare innocent