ds, without any
mercy; for on what other account was it that Socrates was put to death
by them? For certainly he neither betrayed their city to its enemies,
nor was he guilty of any sacrilege with regard to any of their temples;
but it was on this account, that he swore certain new oaths [26] and
that he affirmed either in earnest, or, as some say, only in jest, that
a certain demon used to make signs to him [what he should not do]. For
these reasons he was condemned to drink poison, and kill himself. His
accuser also complained that he corrupted the young men, by inducing
them to despise the political settlement and laws of their city: and
thus was Socrates, the citizen of Athens, punished. There was also
Anaxagoras, who, although he was of Clazomente, was within a few
suffrages of being condemned to die, because he said the sun, which the
Athenians thought to be a god, was a ball of fire. They also made this
public proclamation, "That they would give a talent to any one who would
kill Diagoras of Melos," because it was reported of him that he laughed
at their mysteries. Protagoras also, who was thought to have written
somewhat that was not owned for truth by the Athenians about the
gods, had been seized upon, and put to death, if he had not fled away
immediately. Nor need we at all wonder that they thus treated such
considerable men, when they did not spare even women also; for they very
lately slew a certain priestess, because she was accused by somebody
that she initiated people into the worship of strange gods, it having
been forbidden so to do by one of their laws; and a capital punishment
had been decreed to such as introduced a strange god; it being manifest,
that they who make use of such a law do not believe those of other
nations to be really gods, otherwise they had not envied themselves the
advantage of more gods than they already had. And this was the happy
administration of the affairs of the Athenians! Now as to the Scythians,
they take a pleasure in killing men, and differ but little from brute
beasts; yet do they think it reasonable to have their institutions
observed. They also slew Anacharsis, a person greatly admired for his
wisdom among the Greeks, when he returned to them, because he appeared
to come fraught with Grecian customs. One may also find many to have
been punished among the Persians, on the very same account. And to be
sure Apollonius was greatly pleased with the laws of the Persians, and