Neither Xenophon's nor Plato's version of Socrates' "Apology" mentions anything to do with homosexuality, although Plato's "Symposium" was my first intimation that homosexuality was normal in Ancient Greece. This was before the Gay Rights movement and I still remember how shocked I was.
When I taught World History I used to introduce Plato's "Apology" by reading the textbook's description of ancient Greek homosexual pedophilia and saying:
"Next week we have a city full of these homosexual child molesters who have a man on trial for his life on a charge of 'corrupting the youth'.
"GOOD GOD! What on earth has this man been doing to these poor children that even the homosexual child molesters are so upset about it they want to kill him?
"Here's his defense, which did not save him from conviction and the maximum penalty possible for corrupting the youth. We will discuss this next week."
On May 6, 2013, at 11:47 PM, Anunoby, Ogugua wrote:
> Interesting perspective. Socrates is believed to have been accused of impiety, worshipping new gods, corrupting the young, among others, tried; found guilty, and killed. Might it have been that the charge of "corrupting the young" was not unconnected with his homosexuality?
>
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