THE LAST 3 DAYS OF SOCRATES

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6                  EXT. IN THE AGORA OF ATHENS - DAY               6

SETTING: Socrates and three of his followers enter the peribolos of the altar in the Agora while a small crowd is around the altar.

(The altar is a place of supplication and refuge.) 

Cast of characters

SOCRATES, and four his follower
ERMOGENES, CHAEREPHON, ANTISTHENIS and AESCHINES
The assembled crowd will participate.

(Late participation of ARISTOPHANES)

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Aristophanes participates in the open discussion

CITIZEN

The famed Aristophanes has just arrived.

CITIZEN

Aristophanes, tell us what you believe about Socrates.

ARISTOPHANES

I was told that this promiscuous old teacher who has turned

our city into his school speaks.

CITIZEN

What makes you Aristophanes, and you have such a great enmity?

ARISTOPHANES

Socrates says he teaches virtue, but he misleads the citizens of our city

with immoral and ungodly dogmas.

ERMOGENES

Aristophanes, you should carefully examine the philosophical ideas

of Socrates and not mock relentlessly.

ARISTOPHANES

Our city suffers from the immoral lessons that this unspeakable,

unfortunate, and penniless poor man tells us.

SOCRATES

Wealth does not bring good, but good brings wealth.

ARISTOPHANES

Socrates lives in the clouds, teaching young people corrupt ideas.

AESCHINES

Socrates always had moral thinking and reasoning, just asking thought-provoking questions.

CHAEREPHON

Aristophanes, you are the only one who publicly insults Socrates.

ARISTOPHANES

I am not the only one who mocks Socrates, and Eupolis and Aepsias make fun of him because he is immoral, argues and distorts the words of his opponents, and teaches people that wrong is right.

CITIZEN

You, Aristophanes, made Socrates famous many years ago with your

comedy "Nepheles"; until then, few knew him.

ARISTOPHANES

I had the foresight to understand his morbid thoughts.

ERMOGENES

Your thoughts, Aristophanes, are wrong because Socrates constantly talks about morals and ethics.

ARISTOPHANES

Because he thinks it is a gift of God to the Athenians.

CITIZEN

What is Socrates to you, Aristophanes?

ARISTOPHANES

The chaos of speech.

SOCRATES

Not speaking well of someone is not only an offence but also irrigates your soul with evil.

ARISTOPHANES

You will never make the crab walk straight.

SOCRATES

Pigs delight more in the mire than in clean water.

ARISTOPHANES

Philosophy is the occupation of the lazy who do not want to work 

SOCRATES

If a donkey kicks you, it makes no sense to kick him too.

ARISTOPHANES

Socrates, your house is on fire, and you philosophize. 

SOCRATES

Envy is a wound of truth.

ARISTOPHANES

I tell the truth to the Athenians, something you can't talk about.

SOCRATES

His comedies are far inferior to the acts of valor he does not possess.

CITIZEN

On what grounds do you say this, Socrates?

SOCRATES

I did not see Aristophanes fighting and defending his city. When our city

asked me, I fought on the front line in many battles.

ARISTOPHANES

My word heals the Athenians in the theater.

SOCRATES

He is a doctor for others, but he is full of wounds.

ARISTOPHANES

I am tired of hearing paradoxes and nonsense from you, Socrates.

SOCRATES

Your theatrical words have no moral criteria here, Aristophanes; if you put your word to good use and understood the moral I preach, you would make yourself better. It is time to stop this nonsense conversation.

(END OF THE SCENE)