ithstanding also that
defendants owed their acquittal by the court to the employment of such
methods, he refused to do a single thing however habitual in a court of
law which was not strictly legal; and though by only a slight deflection
from the strict path he might easily have been acquitted by his judges,
(8) he preferred to abide by the laws and die rather than transgress
them and live.

(1) L. Dindorf suspects (SS. 1-6, {'Alla men... pollakis}), ed.
Lips. 1872. See also Praef. to Ox. ed. p. viii.

(2) Or, "by his conduct to all, which was not merely innocent in the
eye of law and custom but positively helpful."

(3) See above, I. i. 18; "Hell." I. vii. 14, 15; Grote, "H. G." viii.
272.

(4) See above, I. ii. 35.

(5) Leon of Salamis. See "Hell." II. iii. 39; Plat. "Apol." 32 C;
Andoc. "de Myst." 46.

(6) See above, I. i. 1; Plat. "Apol." 19 C.

(7) Kuhner cf. Quintil. VI. i. 7: "Athenis affectus movere etiam per
praeconem prohibatur orator"; "Apol." 4; Plat. "Apol." 38 D, E.

(8) See Grote, "H. G." viii. p. 663 foll.

These views he frequently maintained in conversation, now with one and
now with another, and one particular discussion with Hippias of Elis (9)
on the topic of justice and uprightness has come to my knowledge. (10)

(9) For this famous person see Cob. "Pros. Xen." s.n.; Plat. "Hipp.
maj." 148; Quint. xii. 11, 21; Grote, "H. G." viii. 524.

(10) Or, "I can personally vouch for."

Hippias had just arrived at Athens after a long absence, and chanced to
be present when Socrates was telling some listeners how astonishing
it was that if a man wanted to get another taught to be a shoemaker or
carpenter or coppersmith or horseman, he would have no doubt where to
send him for the purpose: "People say," (11) he added, "that if a man
wants to get his horse or his ox taught in the right way, (12) the world
is full of instructors; but if he would learn himself, or have his son
or his slave taught in the way of right, he cannot tell where to find
such instruction."

(11) L. Dindorf, after Ruhnken and Valckenar, omits this sentence
{phasi de tines... didaxonton}. See Kuhner ad loc. For the
sentiment see Plat. "Apol." 20 A.

(12) Cf. "Cyrop." II. ii. 26; VIII. iii. 38; also "Horsem." iii. 5;
"Hunting," vii. 4.

Hippias, catching the words, exclaimed in a bantering tone: What! still
repeating the same old talk, (13) Socrates, which I used to hear from