Xenophon’s Defence of Socrates before his Judges

the corpus xenophonteum, to put it briefly, contains what might be called two apologies of Socrates, namely, the so-called Defence of Socrates before his Judges, ⁷⁰ and Memorabilia 1.1.-1.2.64. ⁷¹ From the fact that the Defence in chapter 31 refers to the death of Anytus, we are compelled to assume that it was written after 385/4, since Anytus served in that year as an official ‘grain inspector’ (σιτοφύλαξ). ⁷² Certain striking similarities between chapter 20 of the Defence and Memorabilia 1.2.49-55, and between the general tenor of the Defence and Memorabilia 4.8.1-11, have been the topic of many scholarly discussions as to the interdependence of these two apologies. It has been suggested that either the Defence is an expansion of Memorabilia 4.8.1-11, or that Memorabilia 4.8.1-11 contain an excerpt from the Defence. The better arguments, however, seem to be given by those who regard Memorabilia 4.8.1-11 as an excerpt from the Defence. Also, it is safe to assume that Defence 20 is a summary of Memorabilia 1.2.49-55. This bears out our contention that Xenophon first wrote Memorabilia 1.1.1-1.2.64 which originally constituted a separate work, then the Defence, and, finally, Memorabilia 1.3.1-4.8.11. However, some doubts have been entertained on the genuineness of the Defence. It has been argued that the Defence is written in a manner and style which in its crudeness and exaggerations is ‘unworthy’ of Xenophon. This argument, it seems, overlooks several important facts: (1) Demetrius Magnes in his canon of Xenophontean writings enumerates the Defence among the authentic works of Xenophon; (2) Memorabilia 4.8.1-11 in all probability are an excerpt from the Defence; (3) there can be little doubt that Memorabilia 4.8.1-11 are authentic; (4) that Defence 20 is Xenophon’s own summary of Memorabilia 1.2.49-55; and (5) that Memorabilia 1.2.49-55 are authentic. ⁷³