II. War of the allies against the Athenians, III. Demosthenes excites the Athenians for war. II. The sacred war. Sequel of the history of Philip, 512 BOOK NINTH, CONTINUED. THE HISTORY OF THE PERSIANS AND GRECIANS. CHAPTER IV. HISTORY OF SOCRATES. ABRIDGED. As the death of Socrates is one of the most considerable events of antiquity, I thought it incumbent on me to treat that subject with all the extent it deserves. In this view I shall premise some things which are necessary to the reader's having a just idea of this prince of the philosophers. Two authors will supply me principally with what I have to say upon this subject, Plato and Xenophon, both disciples of Socrates. It is to them posterity is indebted for many of his discourses, that philosopher having left nothing in writing, and for an ample account of all the circumstances of his condemnation and death. Plato was an eye witness of the whole, and Socrates, cujus ingenium variosque sermones immortalitati scriptis suis Plato tradidit, literam nullam reliquit. Cic. de orat. I. iii. n. 57. relates, in his Apology, the manner of Socrates's accusation and defence; in his Criton, his refusal to make his escape out of prison; in his Phædon, his admirable discourse upon the immortality of the soul, which was immediately followed by his death. Xenophon was absent at that time, and upon his return after the expedition of young Cyrus against his brother Artaxerxes so that he wrote his apology of Socrates only upon the report of others; but his actions and discourses, in his four books of memorable things, he repeats from his own knowledge. Diogenes Laertius has given us the life of Socrates, but in a very dry and abridged manner. SECTION I. BIRTH AND EDUCATION OF SOCRATES. SOCRATES was born at Athens in the fourth year of the seventy seventh Olympiad. His father Sophroniscus was a sculptor, and his mother Phanarete a midwife. Hence we may observe, that meanness of birth is no obstacle to true merit, in which alone solid glory and real nobility consist. It appears from the comparison Socrates often used in his discourses, that he was neither ashamed of his father's or mother's profession. He was surprised that a sculptor should employ his whole attention to mould an insensible stone into the likeness of a man, and that a man should take so little pains not to resemble an insensible stone. He A. M. 3533. Ant. J. C. 471.. Diog. Laert. in Socrat. p. 100. would often say, that he exercised the function of a midwife with regard to the mind, in making it bring forth all its thoughts, which was indeed the peculiar talent of Socrates. He treated subjects in so simple, natural, and pure an order, that he made those with whom he disputed say what he would, and find an answer themselves to all the questions he proposed to them. He at first learned his father's trade, in which he made himself very expert. In the time of Pausanias, there was a Mercury and the Graces to be seen at Athens of his workmanship; and it is to be presumed, these statues would not have found place amongst those of the greatest masters in the art, if they had not been thought worthy of it. f Criton is reported to have taken him out of his father's shop, from the admiration of his fine genius, and the opinion that it was inconsistent for a young man, capable of the greatest things, to continue perpetually employed upon stone with a chisel in his hand. He was the disciple of Archelaus, who conceived a great affection for him. Archelaus had been pupil to Anaxagoras, a very celebrated philosopher. His first study was physics, the works of nature, and the movement of the heavens, stars, and planets; according to the custom of those times, wherein only that part of philosophy was known, and Xenophon & assures us of his being very learned in it. " But after having found by his • Pausan. l. ix. p. 596. g 8 Lib. iv. Mem. p. 710. f Diog. p. 101. ↳ Socrates primus philosophiam devocavit e cœlo, et in urbibus collocavit, et in domos etiam introduxit, et coegit de vita et moribus, rebusque bonis et malis quærere. Cic. Tusc. quæst. l. v. n. 10. Socrates mihi videtur, id quod constat inter omnes, primus a rebus accultis, et ab ipsa natura involutis, in quibus omnes ante eum philoso |