10.  In addition to this, young men, who have much leisure and belong to the wealthiest families, following me of their own accord, take great delight in hearing men put to the test, and often imitate me, and themselves attempt to put others to the test; and then, I think, they find a great abundance of men who fancy they know something, although they know little or nothing.  Hence those who are put to the test by them are angry with me, and not with them, and say that “there is one Socrates, a most pestilent fellow, who corrupts the youth.”  And when any one asks them by doing or teaching what, they have nothing to say, for they do not know; but, that they may not seem to be at a loss, they say such things as are ready at hand against all philosophers; “that he searches into things in heaven and things under the earth, that he does not believe there are gods, and that he makes the worse appear the better reason.”  For they would not, I think, be willing to tell the truth that they have been detected in pretending to possess knowledge, whereas they know nothing.  Therefore, I think, being ambitions and vehement and numerous, and speaking systematically and persuasively about me, they have filled your ears, for a long time and diligently calumniating me.  From among these, Melitus, Anytus and Lycon have attacked me; Melitus being angry on account of the poets, Anytus on account of the artisans and politicians, and Lycon on account of the rhetoricians.  So that, as I said in the beginning, I should wonder if I were able in so short a time to remove from your minds a calumny that has prevailed so long.  This, O Athenians! is the truth; and I speak it without concealing or disguising anything from you, much or little; though I very well know that by so doing I shall expose myself to odium.  This, however, is a proof that I speak the truth, and that this is the nature of the calumny against me, and that these are its causes.  And if you will investigate the matter, either now or hereafter, you will find it to be so.

11.  With respect, then, to the charges which my first accusers have alleged against me, let this be a sufficient apology to you.  To Melitus, that good and patriotic man, as he says, and to my later accusers, I will next endeavor to give an answer; and here, again, as there are different accusers, let us take up their deposition.  It is pretty much as follows:  “Socrates,” it says, “acts unjustly in corrupting the youth, and in not believing in those gods in whom the city believes, but in other strange divinities.”  Such is the accusation; let us examine each particular of it.  It says that I act unjustly in corrupting the youth.  But I, O Athenians! say that Melitus acts unjustly, because he jests on serious subjects, rashly putting men upon trial, under pretense of being zealous and solicitous about things in which he never at any time took any concern.  But that this is the case I will endeavor to prove to you.

12.  Come, then, Melitus, tell me, do you not consider it of the greatest importance that the youth should be made as virtuous as possible?