as belong to their nature; and he would have been a groom or an agricultural laborer.  But now, since your sons are men, what master do you intend to choose for them?  Who is there skilled in the qualities that become a man and a citizen?  For I suppose you must have considered this, since you have sons.  Is there any one,” I said, “or not?” “Certainly,” he answered.  “Who is he?” said I, “and whence does he come? and on what terms does he teach?” He replied, “Evenus the Parian, Socrates, for five minae.”  And I deemed Evenus happy, if he really possesses this art, and teaches admirably.  And I too should think highly of myself, and be very proud, if I possessed this knowledge, but I possess it not, O Athenians.

5.  Perhaps, one of you may now object:  “But, Socrates, what have you done, then?  Whence have these calumnies against you arisen?  For surely if you had not busied yourself more than others, such a report and story would never have got abroad, unless you had done something different from what most men do.  Tell us, therefore, what it is, that we may not pass a hasty judgment on you.”  He who speaks thus appears to me to speak justly, and I will endeavor to show you what it is that has occasioned me this character and imputation.  Listen, then:  to some of you perhaps I shall appear to jest, yet be assured that I shall tell you the whole truth.  For I, O Athenians! have acquired this character through nothing else than a certain wisdom.  Of what kind, then, is this wisdom?  Perhaps it is merely human wisdom.  For in this, in truth, I appear to be wise.  They probably, whom I have just now mentioned, possessed a wisdom more than human, otherwise I know not what to say about it; for I am not acquainted with it, and whosoever says I am, speaks falsely, and for the purpose of calumniating me.  But, O Athenians! do not cry out against me, even though I should seem to you to speak somewhat arrogantly.  For the account which I am going to give you is not my own; but I shall refer to an authority whom you will deem worthy of credit.  For I shall adduce to you the god at Delphi as a witness of my wisdom, if I have any, and of what it is.  You doubtless know Chaerepho:  he was my associate from youth, and the associate of most of you; he accompanied you in your late exile, and returned with you.  You know, then, what kind of a man Chaerepho was, how earnest in whatever he undertook.  Having once gone to Delphi, he ventured to make the following inquiry of the oracle (and, as I said, O Athenians! do not cry out), for he asked if there was any one wiser than I. The Pythian thereupon answered that there was not one wiser; and of this, his brother here will give you proofs, since he himself is dead.