Page:A History of Ancient Greek Literature.djvu/200

176 LITERATURE OF ANCIENT GREECE keenly awake — confusedly occupied with oligarchic plots, religious sins, and divine vengeance. Of his accusers, the poet Meletus was probably a fanatic, who objected to the Divine Sign. He was a weak man ; he had been intimidated by the Thirty into executing an illegal arrest at their orders — the same arrest, according to the legend of the Socratics, which Socrates had refused to perform. Lycon seems to have been an average re- spectable politician ; the Socratics have nothing against him except that he was once the master's professed friend. These men could hardly have got a conviction against Socrates in the ordinary condition of public feeling ; but now they were supported by Anytus. A little later in the same year, when Meletus attempted another pro- secution for impiety against Andokides, in opposition to Anytus, he failed to get a fifth of the votes, Anytus was one of the heroes of the Restored Democracy, one of the best of that generous band. As an outlaw at Phyle he had saved the lives of bitter oligarchs who had fallen into the hands of his men. When victorious he was one of the authors of the amnesty. He left the men who held his confiscated property undisturbed in enjoyment of it. He had had relations with Socrates before. He was a tanner, a plain well-to-do tradesman, himself ; but he had set his heart on the future of his only son, and was prepared to make for that object any sacrifice except that which was asked. The son wished to follow Soc- rates. He herded with young aristocrats of doubtful principles and suspected loyalty ; he refused to go into his father's business. Socrates, not tactfully, had pleaded his cause. Had Socrates had his way, or Anytus his, all might have been well. As it was, the young man