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Plato, Apology 32 c 8-d 3

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

John J. Keaney
John J. Keaney
Affiliation:
Princeton University
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Extract

Whether Meletus, the accuser of Socrates, is to be identified with Meletus, the accuser of Andocides and participant in the arrest of Leon of Salamis (And. 1.94), has recently been discussed, with inconclusive results, by H. Blumenthal. The strongest argument against the identification, it may be thought, is that Socrates mentions the arrest (32 c 4-e 1) without implicating Meletus. I propose to argue that the Meleti are one, that there is a veiled allusion to Meletus in this passage and that Socrates effects this allusion in two ways.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Classical Quarterly , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , December 1980 , pp. 296 - 298
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1980

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References

1 H. Blumenthal ’Meletus the Accuser of Andocides and Meletus the Accuser of Socrates: One Man or Two?’ Philologus 117 (1973), pp. 169–78. None of the recent participants in the debate (Blumenthal, 169–70) seem to have noted Socratesü statement of Meletus, (24c6), where the plural surely implies that he was not Meletusü only victim. I would agree with Blumenthal (174–5) that Meletusü motive in these prosecutions was to get himself into the good graces of the restored democracy and adduce in support Socratesü sarcastic MeNnrov rOv tcyalikiv Kai ilukinoNtv, Lc Onat (2464–5).

2 Cf. Burnet ad 24c7.

3 In (b) the negative is, of course, implied.

4 The usage is found only here in the genuine works of Plato. It also occurs at Alcib. II 147b6, e7.

5 Cf. Burnet ad loc. and Dodds, ad Gorg. 462e6 and 508e7.

6

7 For variants, cf. Ach. 833 and Nu. 40.

8 The word is found only here in Plato.

9 Cf. Et. Mag. 529.39: Bernhardy, G., Eratosthenica (Berlin, 1922), p. 233, referred the citation to Eratosthenesü Cf. also Aelius Dionusius E 55 Erbse.Google Scholar

10 The verb (a comic coinage by Plato?) has been discussed by Hommel, H., Schöpfer and Erhalter (Berlin, 1956), p. 24, n. 47.Google Scholar

11

12 Elsewhere in Plato only at Rep. 436 d 4.

13 Cf. Ar. F 166: in Comedy, cf. Laws 935 d 3–7

14 Greek Popular Morality, p. 193.