"Would you have been better pleased, my dear one, to see me put to
death for some just reason rather than unjustly?" and as he spoke he
smiled tenderly.[54]

[54] See Plat. "Phaed." 89 B, where a similar action is attributed to
Socrates in the case of Phaedo (his beloved disciple). "He stroked
my head and pressed the hair upon my neck--he had a way of playing
with my air; and then he said: 'To-morrow, Phaedo, I suppose that
these fair locks of yours will be severed.'"

It is also said that, seeing Anytus[55] pass by, Socrates remarked:
"How proudly the great man steps; he thinks, no doubt, he has
performed some great and noble deed in putting me to death, and all
because, seeing him deemed worthy of the highest honours of the state,
I told him it ill became him to bring up his so in a tan-yard.[56]
What a scamp the fellow is! he appears not to know that of us two
whichever has achieved what is best and noblest for all future time is
the real victor in this suit. Well! well!" he added, "Homer[57] has
ascribed to some at the point of death a power of forecasting things
to be, and I too am minded to utter a prophecy. Once, for a brief
space, I associated with the son of Anytus, and he seemed to me not
lacking in strength of soul; and what I say is, he will not adhere
long to the slavish employment which his father has prepared for him,
but, in the absence of any earnest friend and guardian, he is like to
be led into some base passion and go to great lengths in depravity."

[55] Son of Anthemion. See Plat. "Men." 90 B, {airountai goun auton
epi tas megistas arkhas}, Plut. "Alc." 4; id. "Coriol." 14;
Aristot. "Ath. Pol." 27, 25, re {to dekazein}; 34, 23. A moderate
oligarch; cf. Xen. "Hell." II. iii. 42, 44; Schol. Cod. Clarkiani