dissentient was Socrates, the son of
Sophroniscus, who insisted that he would do nothing except in accordance
with the law. (8) After this Euryptolemus rose and spoke in behalf of
the generals. He said:--

(7) Prytanes--the technical term for the senators of the presiding
tribe, who acted as presidents of the assembly. Their chairman for
the day was called Epistates.

(8) For the part played by Socrates see further Xenophon's
"Memorabilia," I. i. 18; IV. iv. 2.

"I stand here, men of Athens, partly to accuse Pericles, though he is a
close and intimate connection of my own, and Diomedon, who is my friend,
and partly to urge certain considerations on their behalf, but chiefly
to press upon you what seems to me the best course for the State
collectively. I hold them to blame in that they dissuaded their
colleagues from their intention to send a despatch to the senate and
this assembly, which should have informed you of the orders given to
Theramenes and Thrasybulus to take forty-seven ships of war and pick up
the shipwrecked crews, and of the neglect of the two officers to carry
out those orders. And it follows that though the offence was committed
by one or two, the responsibility must be shared by all; and in return
for kindness in the past, they are in danger at present of sacrificing
their lives to the machinations of these very men, and others whom I
could mention. In danger, do I say, of losing their lives? No, not so,
if you will suffer me to persuade you to do what is just and right; if
you will only adopt such a course as shall enable you best to discover
the truth and shall save you from too late repentance, when you find you
have transgressed irremediably against heaven and your own selves. In
what I urge there is no trap nor plot whereby you can be deceived by me
or any other man; it is a straightforward course which will enable
you to discover and punish the offender by whatever process you like,
collectively or individually. Let them have, if not more, at any rate
one whole day to make what defence they can for themselves; and trust to
your own unbiased judgment to guide you to the right conclusion.

"You know, men of Athens, the exceeding stringency of the decree of
Cannonus, (9) which orders that man, whosoever he be, who is guilty of
treason against the people of Athens, to be put in irons, and so to meet
the charge against him before the people. If he be convicted, he is to
be thrown in