Xenophon was a historian, philosopher, and disciple of Socrates who lived approximately from 430 B.C. to 355 B.C. and composed this Apology shortly after Socrates’ trial.
It is a brief text in which he presents the defense of his master against the charges brought against him in Athens.
The charges were mainly corrupting the youth—meaning, negatively influencing Athenian young men—and not believing in the city’s gods or introducing new divinities, which made him suspect of impiety.
Xenophon was not present in Athens at the trial; his version is based on the accounts of Hermogenes, who indeed accompanied Socrates closely at that time, along with other disciples.
The text presents Socrates’ way of arguing before his accusers, his ethical stance toward death, and his conviction that acting with honesty and in accordance with principles is more important than preserving life or avoiding an unjust sentence.
Xenophon’s approach tends to be more practical, more anecdotal, and less speculative than Plato’s. In the Apology, Xenophon gathers testimonies and traditions to offer a favorable vision of Socrates, defending his moral integrity and his coherence as a citizen and philosopher.
He conveys the values lived by Socrates: integrity, moral courage, intellectual honesty, the defense of truth and justice beyond personal risks, and, lastly, the importance of virtue in the face of the fear of death or oppression.