Dialogues of Plato--Apology Summary and Reflections

The Apology part in the Dialogues of Plato was Socrates' "confession" saying he really didn't do anything wrong, except try to better humanity with the men he conversed with. He is accused of "intentionally corrupting" his students and being an atheist, while on the contrary, he believes in demigods, saying that one cannot simply "believe in horsemanship but not horses". He also makes the point that he is the wisest around, after searching far and wide for someone else to break the fortune that the oracle at Delphi told him. After defending his teachings, showing his uncertainties of whether being sentenced to death is good or evil, and letting the judges' consciousness pull the guilty heart-strings at sentencing such a gift to the community (Socrates himself), he gives a final statement that says if they rule in favor of his death, may they also teach his sons this corrupt way of ruling, because he has taught them to live with more value given to "virtue", rather than "riches" and yet, he is still seen as doing something wrong, then his children will "receive justice in your hands", hands if he is convicted, deemed filthy with corruption.

For the most part, I liked this section of the book. At first, Socrates seemed really pompous and arrogant. Then, as I read further, the realization set in that this man was on his deathbed not because of his age (which was "up there" too) but the accusation of being "impious" and corrupting the youth from what he was teaching. He had to speak this way to get his point across that he was qualified to be teaching what he was and that his beliefs weren't all that different from the community's. However, I wonder if some of his conclusions regarding his intelligence and virtue really helped his case or made them worse. He kept talking about going to other people throughout the communities (artisans, poets, etc.) of the surrounding area and conversing with them to measure their intelligence. Even those men who were highly "ranked" in their community were deemed unworthy of the title given to Socrates (the wisest). When talking with someone with this attitude, I don't feel compelled to forgive them for what they have done, because their attitude gives me no feeling of remorse for the charge they have been charged of. Since he tells the judges he is no great orator this flaw is smoothed over, but still, as someone that is basically begging for their life, he could've been a little more humble to his fellow community members.