Apology (Xenophon) - Contrast With Plato's Apology

Contrast With Plato's Apology

One thing that distinguishes Xenophon's account from Plato's is that in the former, the Oracle at Delphi claimed that no one was "more free, more just, or more sound of mind" than Socrates, while in Plato's text the claim was only that no one was "wiser". Some scholars have suggested that what accounts for the difference is that Xenophon wished to avoid the explicit attribution of "wisdom", a term which, to the average Athenian, would suggest that Socrates indeed was properly characterized as an atheistic natural philosopher as Aristophanes had done. However, Xenophon's Socrates does claim to be "wise" in the sense that "from the time when I began to understand spoken words have never left off seeking after and learning every good thing that I could".

Another difference is that in Xenophon's Apology Socrates' "divine sign" (daimonion) is described as giving positive indications as to what should be done (12), while Plato's Socrates consistently and explicitly describes the sign as "turn me away from something I am about to do" but "never encourag me to do anything".

A further difference between Plato and Xenophon is that whereas Plato has Socrates finally suggest a thirty-mina penalty for himself. the Xenophon/Hermogenes version says that he refused to suggest any and refused to allow his friends to do so, claiming that to do otherwise would imply guilt.

Finally, whereas Socrates' willingness to face the death penalty is in Plato's Apology explained by Socrates' unwavering commitment to his divinely appointed mission to keep philosophizing at all costs, it is explained in the Xenophon/Hermogenes version by the claim that it is better for him to die now than to face the pains and limitations of advanced old age