Sokrates

Xenophon notices briefly two other colloquies between Sokrates and Aristippus. The latter asked Sokrates, “Do you know anything good?” in order (says Xenophon) that if Sokrates answered in the affirmative and gave as examples, health, wealth, strength, courage, bread, &c., he (Aristippus) might show circumstances in which this same particular was evil; and might thus catch Sokrates in a contradiction, as Sokrates had caught him before.

Despite what Xenophon says about Sokrates’ popular sympathies, this tendency will not altogether have displeased him, but not because he was a snob. It was a fact of political life that the leaders of the community, and especially the generals, came from the upper classes, and, if Sokrates was to influence the life of Athens otherwise than by addressing the Assembly, his best chance lay in influencing the future leaders of the community while they were still malleable. In Kharmides we find Sokrates, just back from Poteidaia, making for the palaistra of Taureas.

Second, there is no reason to disbelieve the statement at Xen. Apol. 22 that Sokrates had synegoroi who addressed the jurors after he had made his own speech and may have answered the charges made especially by Anytos.