Men of Athens, I love and respect you, but I will obey God rather than you.
And while I have life and strength in me, I will never abstain from the practice
and teaching of philosophy, exhorting anyone whom I meet and telling him in
my way: 'You, my friend--a citizen of the great and mighty and wise city of
Athens--are you not ashamed of heaping up the greatest amount of money and honor
and reputation, and caring so little about wisdom and truth and the greatest
improvement of the soul, something that you never consider or heed at all?'
And if the person with whom I am discussing says: 'Sure, but I do care,’
then I do not let him go right away, but rather interrogate and examine and
cross-examine him. And if I think he has no virtue in him, but only says he
has, I reproach him by saying that he undervalues what is best, and overvalues
what is worth less.... For I don't do anything except go around persuading you
all, old and young, not to take thought for your social standing or your properties,
but first and chiefly to care about the great improvements of the soul. I tell
you that virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and
every other good, public and private. This is my teaching, and if this is the
doctrine that corrupts the youth, I am indeed a mischievous person. But if anyone
says that this is not my teaching, then he is lying. Thus, men of Athens, do
or do not as Anytus demands, and either acquit me or not. But whichever you
choose, understand that I will never alter my ways--even if I have to die more
than once…(9)