Outline of Plato's Apology (Jeffrey McBride 01/23/97)

I. Primary defense (17a-35d).
 A. Opening statements (17a-18a).
 B. The first accusers, the informal charges (18a-24b).
  1. Nature of the charges (18a-19b).
  2. Statement of the charges (19b): “Socrates is guilty of wrong-doing in that [1] he busies himself studying things in the sky and below the earth; [2] he makes the worse into the stronger argument, and [3] he teaches these same things to others.”
  3. No one has seen or heard Socrates do these things (19c-d).
  4. Socrates charges no fee, teaches no new knowledge (19d-20c).
  5. Story of the oracle at Delphi (20c-22e).
  6. Socrates' quest has made him unpopular (23a-b).
  7. Citizens blame Socrates for the youth who imitate him (23c-24a).
  8. Plea for understanding (24a-b).
 C. The second accusers, the formal charges (24b-28b).
  1. Meletus' sworn deposition (24b-c): “Socrates is guilty [1] of corrupting the young and [2] of not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but [3] in other new divinities.”
  2. Socrates' examination of Meletus (24c-28b) demonstrating: “that Meletus is guilty of [1] dealing frivolously with serious matters, of [2] irresponsibly bringing people into court, and of [3] professing to be seriously concerned with things about none of which he has ever     cared...(24c).”
 D. Socrates' defense of ‘the life of a philosopher' (28b-30b).
 E. Killing a man like Socrates harms more the killers (30b-31c).
 F. Why Socrates has led a private instead of public life (31c-32e).
  1. The ten generals case (32b-c).
  2. The Leon case (32c-e).
 G. Socrates is innocent of corrupting the youth (33a-34b).
 H. Closing and jury-scolding remarks (34b-35d).
II. Self-assessment of proper punishment (35e-38b).
 A. “Free meals in the Prytaneum (37a)” ... “and perhaps I could pay you one mina  of silver (38b).”
 B. “[Friends] bid me to put the penalty at thirty minae, and they will stand surety  for the money (38b).”
III. Parting remarks (38c-42a).
 A. Words for the wicked (38c-39d): others will take up Socrates' ways.
 B. Words for the true judges (39e-42a): what has occurred has a meaning Socrates can and would like to explain.
 C. Whose is the better fate (42a)?