“I would rather die having spoken after my manner, than speak in your manner and live.”
- Source
- Apology
- Date
- 4th century BCE
- Attribution
- Source identified
- Voice / speaker
- Dialogue speaker · Socrates
- English wording
- Benjamin Jowett — Translator · from Ancient Greek
What does this quote mean?
Preserving truthful speech and character is valued above survival purchased by abandoning one’s principles merely to satisfy an audience.
Where does it come from?
Apology, Jowett translation; Socrates rejects saving himself through a style of pleading he considers unworthy.
Who voices the line?
Dialogue speaker · Socrates. Socrates says this after his conviction in Plato’s Apology while defending the manner of his courtroom speech.
The source author and the local speaker can be different, especially in fiction, drama, dialogue and poetry.
How should this attribution be read?
This wording is connected with the named source shown above. Translations and editions can vary, so consult the source note when exact wording matters.