Plato’s Apology of Socrates: The Rhetoric of Socrates’ Defence and the Foundation of the Ancient Quarrel between Philosophy and Poetry
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Ioannis N. Perysinakis
Abstract
In Plato’s Apology of Socrates, Socrates defends himself against both the accusers and the accusation proper. His re-evaluation of archaic moral values had motivated the allegations. Thus, all the above are vital components of the ancient quarrel between philosophy and poetry. By applying Socrates’ teaching, Plato seeks to protect his adored teacher, thereby laying the foundations of his own philosophy. Anticipating Aristotle’s Rhetoric, Socrates, as well as counteracting the prejudicial attack, deploys arguments aiming to disprove horrible suspicions; he contests the disputed points by both denying the alleged events and their supposed harmfulness and arguing for his beneficent influence on the Athenians. More than this, Plato portrays Socrates putting Meletus on trial for the same charge. It is therefore Socrates who brings his opponents to trial and eventually points the finger at the majority of the judges and their incompetence, while inveighing against the grave injustice inherent in the unfair trial brought against him.
Abstract
In Plato’s Apology of Socrates, Socrates defends himself against both the accusers and the accusation proper. His re-evaluation of archaic moral values had motivated the allegations. Thus, all the above are vital components of the ancient quarrel between philosophy and poetry. By applying Socrates’ teaching, Plato seeks to protect his adored teacher, thereby laying the foundations of his own philosophy. Anticipating Aristotle’s Rhetoric, Socrates, as well as counteracting the prejudicial attack, deploys arguments aiming to disprove horrible suspicions; he contests the disputed points by both denying the alleged events and their supposed harmfulness and arguing for his beneficent influence on the Athenians. More than this, Plato portrays Socrates putting Meletus on trial for the same charge. It is therefore Socrates who brings his opponents to trial and eventually points the finger at the majority of the judges and their incompetence, while inveighing against the grave injustice inherent in the unfair trial brought against him.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Acknowledgements VII
- Introduction: Witness and Evidence in Legal, Oratorical and Other Literary Contexts in Antiquity 1
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Part I: Written and Oral Evidence
- The Role of Written Documents in Athenian Trials 17
- Rumour and Hearsay Evidence in the Athenian Law-courts 39
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Part II: The Rhetoric of Information-Gathering and Decision- Making
- Audience Memory as Evidence in the Trial on the Crown 59
- Additional Information in Witness Testimonies in Classical Athens 81
- Self-Quotations as Witnesses and Evidence: The Case of Isocrates’ Antidosis 97
- Antiphon’s Witnesses: Extending the Earliest Greek Theories of Argumentation 113
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Part III: Scripting Witnesses and Evidence: Prose and Verse Texts
- The Questions in (Answering the Question about the Historicity of) Plato’s Apology of Socrates 135
- Plato’s Apology of Socrates: The Rhetoric of Socrates’ Defence and the Foundation of the Ancient Quarrel between Philosophy and Poetry 155
- Witnesses and Evidence in Thucydides: The Institutional and Rhetorical Context of the Digression on the Tyrannicides 185
- The Torture of Prometheus 215
- Poet, Patron, Message: Witness-Roles and the Game of Truth in Epinician Eidography 229
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Part IV: The Cultural Workings of Witnesses and Evidence
- Information and Decision in Sophocles’ Trachiniae and Euripides’ Medea and Ino 249
- Scandals as Evidence in Attic Forensic Oratory: The Case of Aeschines’ Against Timarchus 267
- Notes on Editors and Contributors 283
- General Index 285
- Index Locorum 289
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Acknowledgements VII
- Introduction: Witness and Evidence in Legal, Oratorical and Other Literary Contexts in Antiquity 1
-
Part I: Written and Oral Evidence
- The Role of Written Documents in Athenian Trials 17
- Rumour and Hearsay Evidence in the Athenian Law-courts 39
-
Part II: The Rhetoric of Information-Gathering and Decision- Making
- Audience Memory as Evidence in the Trial on the Crown 59
- Additional Information in Witness Testimonies in Classical Athens 81
- Self-Quotations as Witnesses and Evidence: The Case of Isocrates’ Antidosis 97
- Antiphon’s Witnesses: Extending the Earliest Greek Theories of Argumentation 113
-
Part III: Scripting Witnesses and Evidence: Prose and Verse Texts
- The Questions in (Answering the Question about the Historicity of) Plato’s Apology of Socrates 135
- Plato’s Apology of Socrates: The Rhetoric of Socrates’ Defence and the Foundation of the Ancient Quarrel between Philosophy and Poetry 155
- Witnesses and Evidence in Thucydides: The Institutional and Rhetorical Context of the Digression on the Tyrannicides 185
- The Torture of Prometheus 215
- Poet, Patron, Message: Witness-Roles and the Game of Truth in Epinician Eidography 229
-
Part IV: The Cultural Workings of Witnesses and Evidence
- Information and Decision in Sophocles’ Trachiniae and Euripides’ Medea and Ino 249
- Scandals as Evidence in Attic Forensic Oratory: The Case of Aeschines’ Against Timarchus 267
- Notes on Editors and Contributors 283
- General Index 285
- Index Locorum 289
