Socrates

Milord, not having found anything to reprove in Socrates' writings,

I've adroitly accused him of thinking contrary to what he says. I

point out the venom in what he says.

ANITUS: Marvelous. Take that piece to the fourth judge. He's a man who lacks common sense and will understand you perfectly. And you, Bertios?

BERTIOS: Milord, here's my last paper on chaos. I show, cleverly passing from chaos to the Olympic games, that Socrates is perverting the youth.

ANITUS: Admirable! Go on my behalf to the seventh judge and tell him that I commend Socrates to him. Fine, here's Melitus already, the Chief of the Eleven coming forward. There's no beating around the bush to be done with him. We know each other, too well.

(Exit Bertios and Chomos, enter Melitus.)

ANITUS:

Your honor, the judge, a word. Socrates must be destroyed.

MELITUS:

Your Reverence, the Priest, I've been pondering it for a long while.

Let's unite on this point and we will be less embroiled on the rest.

ANITUS: I know quite well we hate each other. But while detesting each other, we must unite to govern the republic.

MELITUS: Agreed. No one can hear us here. I know that you are a fraud. You don't look on me as an honest man. I cannot injure you because you are a high priest. You cannot ruin me because I am the leading judge, But Socrates could hurt either of us by unmasking us. You and I must begin by compassing his death and then we will see how we can exterminate each other at the first opportunity.

ANITUS:

No one could say it better.

(Aside) Hum! How I'd like to hold this rascal from the Areopagus on an altar, arms hanging on one side, legs over the other, so as to open his stomach with my golden knife and consult his liver at my ease.

MELITUS: (aside) Will I ever get this gallows bird of a High Priest in jail and make him drink a pint of Hemlock at my pleasure?

ANITUS: There now, my dear chap, there are your comrades who are coming forward. I've prepared the mood of the people.

MELITUS: Very fine, my dear ally. Count on me as yourself at this moment. But the grudge still remains.

(Some judges pass through the porticoes. Anitus whispers in Melitus' ear.)

DRIXA, TERPANDRE, ACROS: Justice! Justice! Scandal, impiety! Justice, justice! Irreligion, impiety! Justice!

ANITUS:

What's all this, my friends? Of what are you complaining?

DRIXA, TERPANDRE, ACROS:

Justice! In the name of the people.

MELITUS:

Against whom?

DRIXA, TERPANDRE, ACROS:

Against Socrates.

MELITUS: Ah! ah! Against Socrates? It's not the first time he's been complained of. What's he done?

ACROS:

I don't know anything about it.

TERPANDRE:

They say that he gives money to girls to get married.

ACROS:

Yes. He's corrupting the youth.

DRIXA: He's impious. He never offers gifts to Ceres. He says there's too much gold and too much useless money in the temples. That the poor are dying of hunger and that they must be helped.

ACROS: Yes, he says that the priests of Ceres sometimes get drunk. It's true, he's impious.

DRIXA: He's a heretic. He denies the plurality of the gods. He's a deist. He believes only in one God. He's an atheist.

MELITUS: Now these are very grave accusations and very credible. They've already informed me of all that you are telling us.

ANITUS:

If such horrors are allowed to go unpunished, the state is in danger.

Minerva will withhold her aid from us.

DRIXA:

Yes, Minerva without doubt. I heard him make jokes about the owl of

Minerva.

MELITUS: About the owl of Minerva! Oh! Heavens! Aren't you of the opinion he should be put in prison immediately?

JUDGES: (together)

Yes, in prison. Right away. In prison!