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Audiobook edition · 32 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if your strongest defence in court is the life you have already lived?
Socrates stands before his jurors, accused of dishonouring the city's gods and corrupting the young. Yet his manner is proud rather than pleading. In The Apology, Xenophon explores that boldness and presents a teacher who answers serious charges by pointing to his own conduct.
Xenophon builds his account on reports from others, above all Hermogenes, rather than claiming to witness the trial himself. His portrait is brief, clear and practical. Socrates points to his public worship, questions his accuser Meletus, and faces his judges without fear. At stake is how a man defends both his actions and his integrity.
What you’ll discover
- Courage before the jurors Explore why Socrates speaks with pride when his judges hold his fate.
- A life in evidence See Socrates turn from accusation to the conduct others can observe.
- Questions for Meletus Follow Socrates as he questions the man who accuses him of corrupting the young.
- Public acts of worship Discover how sacrifices at festivals and public altars become part of his defence.
- Integrity under pressure Consider a man who values his reputation above the opinion of his judges.
Who will love it
This book suits readers who love ancient Greece, courtroom scenes and philosophy told through people rather than theory. It also rewards anyone curious how a person can face a verdict with courage.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- His boldness has a reason
- A just life prepares the defense
- The divine sign counsels restraint
- Longer life may bring less joy
- Public worship answers the religious charges
- Character and custom answer the accusation
- Conscience matters more than desperate pleading
- His reasons form one calm decision
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The Apology
by Xenophon
Socrates, on trial for his life, tells a worried friend that he has spent his whole life preparing his defense.
Medium levelUnder 2 hours to read2 languages
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In short
What would you say if a friend urged you to prepare your trial speech, and you answered that you had been preparing it all your life? That is how Socrates replies to his friend Hermogenes in The Apology, written by Xenophon, a soldier, historian and pupil of Socrates.
The Apology at a glance
- Reading time
- About 20 min15 min fast, 20 min slow
- Length
- 4,360 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- about 360 BCby Xenophon
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Xenophon writes to explain Socrates' bold manner
Xenophon opens by naming a gap. Several writers have described the lofty way Socrates spoke before the Athenian court. Yet none has made clear why he did it.
The missing piece is simple. Socrates had come to see death as better for him than life. Once you know that, the proud speech stops looking like arrogance. Without it, his boldness seems foolhardy.
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- 15-minute summary
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Details
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 20 min
- Level
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Cite this edition
Xenophon. The Apology. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-apology.
Xenophon. (2026). The apology. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-apology (Original work published ca. 360 B.C.E.)
Xenophon. The Apology. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-apology.
@book{xenophon2026apology,
author = {Xenophon},
title = {The Apology},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-apology},
note = {First published ca. 360 BCE}
}
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What is Xenophon's Apology of Socrates about?
It records how Socrates faced his trial in Athens. It gives a private talk with Hermogenes, the answers he gives to charges about the gods and the young, and his calm conduct after the verdict.
Who are Hermogenes, Meletus and Anytus?
Hermogenes is a close companion of Socrates who reports his thoughts before the trial. Meletus is the accuser who brings the charges. Anytus is a man of high honor who is angry with Socrates for what he said about his son.
What is the divine sign of Socrates?
It is an inner voice or warning that Socrates says comes from God and tells him what he ought to do. In this work it stops him twice from preparing a speech for the court.
The author
Xenophon
430 BC–353 BC · Ancient Greek historian and philosopher
Greek philosopher, historian, and soldier.
More by Xenophon
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