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10/66 corrupt the youth?' 'Yes, it is.' 'Has he only new gods, or none at all?' 'None at all.' 'What, not even the sun and moon?' 'No; why, he says that the sun is a stone, and the moon earth.' That, replies So- crates, is the old confusion about Anaxagoras; the Athenian people are not so ignorant as to attribute to the influence of Socrates no- tions which have found their way into the drama, and may be learned at the theatre. Socrates undertakes to show that Meletus (rather unjustifiably) has been compounding a riddle in this part of the indictment: 'There are no gods, but Socrates believes in the ex- istence of the sons of gods, which is absurd.' Leaving Meletus, who has had enough words spent upon him, he returns to the original accusation. The question may be asked, Why will he persist in following a profession which leads him to death? Why?— because he must remain at his post where the god has placed him, as he remained at Potidaea, and Amphipolis, and Deli- um, where the generals placed him. Besides, he is not so overwise as to imagine that he knows whether death is a good or an evil; and he is certain that desertion of his duty is an evil. Anytus is quite right in saying that they should never have indicted him if they meant to let him go. For he will certainly obey God rather than man; and will continue to preach to all men of all ages the necessity of virtue and improvement; and if they refuse to listen to him he will still persevere and reprove them. This is his way of corrupting the youth, which he will not cease to follow in obedience to the god, even if a thousand deaths await him. He is desirous that they should let him live— not for his own sake, but for theirs; because he is their heaven-sent friend (and they will never have such another), or, as he may be ludicrously de- scribed, he is the gadfly who stirs the generous steed into motion. Why then has he never taken part in public affairs? Because the fa- miliar divine voice has hindered him; if he had been a public man, and had fought for the right, as he would certainly have fought