“Men of Athens, I honor and love you; but I shall obey God rather than you, and while I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy... Understand that I shall never alter my ways, not even if I have to die many times.”

“I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy, exhorting anyone whom I meet after my manner, and convincing him, saying: O my friend, why do you who are a citizen of the great and mighty and wise city of Athens, care so much about laying up the greatest amount of money and honor and reputation, and so little about wisdom and truth and the greatest improvement of the soul, which you never regard or heed at all? Are you not ashamed of this?”

“I shall never forgive you for teaching me how to love life.”

“I shall talk to you through trees, through the arms of dancers, through sweet words uttered by many lovers.The arms of dancers round you shall be my arms.The eyes of men admiring you shall be my eyes.I have many arms, many eyes.It is that, loving you, I have become many lovers.”

“I shall never cease to marvel at the way we beg for love and tyranny.”

“I never have been in love; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall.”