THE FIRST TRIAL
K.HASSAN

I looked around, breathing restlessly the fresh air of the morning, missing at that time the odor of jasmine and Narcissus. I knew it was not a season for such beloved species, while withered flowers, midst yellow grass and by the parlor, were still struggling to stay alive. I was trying to hide my real face, watching secretly the great men of Athens.

Anytus and Mellitus were sitting next to each other. They drank and set the glasses on the marble. The guards, further down, were playing with swords and shields, while some children were sitting on the fence’s stones, and gazing stunningly at the crowd.

I was a brilliant general, attending a unique occasion at Athens’ court with all magistrates, juries, local citizens and almost all elite men of the city. I was looking forward to set my aims midst the lords of Athens, waiting for glory and love. I was proud and arrogant, stirring the mode in the occasion, while suddenly I heard a nice whisper, breathing in my ear, trying to set me on my feet ‘Rumors and gossips might bring you down, son.’ Aspasia, whispered in my ear. She was stricken by Xantippe’s view but I knew she hated Xantippe.

I saw Xantippe, the woman of thunder and rain. She was weeping in her faded skin, far away from my seat. I could not read on her face any thing. There was a narrow alley between us, where through now her husband was walking slowly toward us, midst the crowd’s growls.I set off running under the cold sun rays to watch the man more closely.
He halted, looking up for awhile midst the crowd. He smiled. ‘Hector, look at the high soul on the earth,’ Aspasia screamed. ‘I see divine eyes of the man filled with ode to Zeus, Hector.’ She said. I was arrogant, kept denying, and trying to find devil’s eye of the man, screamed. ‘Zeus!…Strike him down.’
***
Magistrates were happy with my services. I was wholesome, smart and ambitious, having inherited from my fathers and Aspasia rhetoric, wisdom and courage. I looked, hesitantly murmuring to myself. ‘Come on, Hector, come on general, it is your turn.’
I felt, right there around my flesh, the stinking breathe of the same gangs who defamed my father, Prickles, and my mother, Aspasia, the brilliant Milesian hetaera* in Athens.

’Get out of my sight, Aspasia, you are dead.’ I screamed.
‘Socrates…wow…for the love of god, son .’She said. ‘Zeus, cast a glance at the light stricken, resting at Elysion Field.’ She rhymed.
‘Oh, father.’ I said.

‘I kept telling him stay away from my son.’ Said Anytus, interrupting me.
I knew Mellitus had accused Socrates first, and I had to read the accusation in my own words. Apparently I disappointed Prickles’ friends.

I had written to my friend. “When I loved poems, Aristophanes and others defamed my father, Prickles. When I loved philosophy, Socrates and others defamed my father, Zeus.”

Everyone was waiting for my speech. I was gazing at the old frame of the man down there. I knew he was extremely weak and fragile, but when he moved, I saw an emerald like shadow, behind his head, murmuring Ode to Triumph, glowing, and launching Zeus’ lights, and peaces upon his weak frame on the cold space of the dull stone court.

I looked farther more, shivering and murmuring. ‘Come on, Hector.’ He was standing by himself further down our seats, and whispering his rage mildly, midst hypocrites of all times.

‘We have to wait until everyone attends the trial.’ I said. He intended to talk.
‘Hold on, sir.’ I said. We waited, but I heard Aspasia whispering again in my ear. ‘Honor him, Hector, he is a real man of Zeus.’ She said.’ They accused me of corrupting Athenian women, and having caused the Peloponnesian War too.’ Said Aspasia, weeping.

‘I was standing here exactly for the same sin?” She said.
‘ Out of my sight, you are dead.’ I screamed.
‘I am with Zeus and Prickles, son.’ She replied.
‘ He denies Zeus, Aspasia.’ I screamed.
‘You know nothing, Hector, look further more for Zeus‘ love.’
‘Mother…..’I screamed.

The light was flickering down there under his feet. ‘Keep far from the juries.’ The chief magistrates told Socrates. He looked up through both his divine eyes, disclosing for a moment all lowbrows’ desires there. Everyone, trembled. I trembled too, falling down and sinking more in my guilt. The ground was shaking under my feet, and we were shivering to death.
‘Talk, Hector, talk, son of bitch, you are half holy.’ Every one screamed.
‘Would you lords of Athens, let me defend the truth.’ Socrates said.
’Hold on, sophist.’ I said.
‘Shall we start, Sir?’ I asked the chief magistrate
‘You should have. Little Prickles, who distracted you, for Zeus; sake?’ The Chief Magistrate screamed.

I was scared, looked devastated. Everyone was watching me, I was alone, had not real friends in the city. ‘Aspasia distracts me, sir.’ I said. He breathed and looked at me sternly, trying to find more words to humiliate me. ‘She destroyed Prickles, and now it is your turn, Hector.’ The Chief Magistrate said.
‘I appreciate your advice, Lord, but she is my holy mother.’ I said.
‘I quite understand the nature of my task, but I have to pass Zeus’s word first.’ The divine one whispered, and quite clearly everyone heard his words. ‘One of you willingly, should guard Zeus’ word.’ he said and breathed jubilantly. We trembled, and looked weak. ‘ Zeus has heard him, we are late, talk, Hector, talk.’ Everyone screamed.

It was a real disaster. I lost my mind. They saw my frozen face, and I felt the chaos around my body choking me. His accusers rushed, pushing me aside, taking over my place.
‘Athenians,’ Socrates said..
‘Hush, now I am telling you the truth.’ They silenced him.
’I do not want you to get started, again, Hector.’ The Chief Magistrate said.
We were awkward. I knew that, we were awkward.
‘Get out of here, he is talking.’ They screamed at me.

Witnesses and accusers talked for a long time. The debate lasted, and I was entirely silenced, but I thought Aspasia had put a curse on me. Socrates stopped, we were waiting and murmuring commoners‘ swearing words, he looked at me and smiled obviously for something was glittering in my eyes.

We listened to crickets, frogs, birds and goats on the rocks around the court building. Then, he went on and walked in his threadbare clothes, midst a nasty outburst of jeering laughter. He was looking forward and around while a yellow snake was crawling midst the juries.

‘Earthquakes struck three islands.’ An awkward peasant screamed.
I was collapsed. My guards tried to stand me, while hypocrites were surrounding me. His divine eyes made me swing, but I felt his peaceful face attracted me more. I was passionate to kneel.
***
’We are all grown up men and he is alone.’ The chief magistrate said. ‘ He is not alone, sir, he has the truth with him.’ I said opposing him .
‘The truth? Oh, yes, the sages’ dodgy weapon.’ He mocked, grinning, and looking at me. ‘Are you with him?’ Everyone screamed, and the Chief Magistrate exclaimed. ’Find your place, son of Aspasia.’
‘I will have my place soon, sir.’ I said, he looked disappointed.
‘You are Aspasia’s son, indeed !’ He said.
‘You aware of the weight of accusations this court puts upon Socrates.’ The Chief Magistrate screamed.

We had set upon him all our junks. Socrates laughed, and waited, hen he started again. ‘Will you, by the end of this time, have made your judgment on Socratic Irony.’ He said.

Sumptuously pompous orators lined up upon the waiting for the universal verdict. They screamed skeptically, looking for a concrete spot to set feet on, but the master Sun- God prayed silently instead.
Everyone wrote his own apology and Plato wrote ‘None of you, poets of Athens enters the Good City of philosophy. ’Mellitus was shocked, he was striving, and reading more poems, in his revenge.

I was eager to ask Plato. ‘who knows, lord, the leaders not going to be fake philosophers, in your city, and likewise poets who never had rhymed the true music out of words.’

‘I pray you to respect the old man’s desire.’ Socrates said. We felt he
had designed his death jubilantly.
‘ Have you ever distinguished between Socrates and charlatans.?’The chief magistrate asked.’ That is the everlasting delimma, sir.’ Plato said.

‘Who is Anytus’s son, what is democracy, Tyrannies, gods, corruption, that You accused me of, why you stayed silent all those years, lords.”
‘Could men of Athens forgive Critias ? It would be the highest possible virtue for man, Phaedo, tell everyone, Socrates, a servant of philosophy had forgiven them.’
‘Who ever bestowed upon me the pleasure of philosophy, I presented it as a gift to you, children of Greece.’

My mind was clear now, Socrates swore to Zeus. I was sure he entirely meant what he said.
‘I knew everything, Aspasia.’ I murmured.
‘ It would be hard to face them here, son.’ Aspasia whispered.
But, I was ready.
‘Let the mere prophet be on top of very, very many.’ I screamed, shrinking in my skin.
‘It is the end for Socrates, but not philosophy’s, son.’ He said.
The guards surrounded his apostles, driving them away.
The juries had discussed, if Socrates failed to defend himself, the crime would be greater.
‘We do not listen to his reasons, we ignore his logic, we never let him disclose the words he claims he has got’.
The trial came to the end. The court’s clerk had ascended the forum and started reading a parchment content, struggling with the ethical meaning of the trial.

I prayed to Zeus, weeping in my heart, and someone had seen my tears.
‘God, father, I am the alive son of Aspasia, my brother was killed at Arginus Battle. I feel now Socrates is the purest man who has ever walked on earth, and you defend him not. ’

Non of Athens’s gods adopted Socrates. They were jealous and have watched him joyously, murmuring this joke.
’Have you fetched a throne for the little god.’

They disclosed their sins at the first drinking night on the top of Mt. Olympus. They sealed the verdicts in gods’ archive .
“If we gave Socrates more time, he would prove his innocence, then, the law would be useless .”
“ Lords of Athens, design a verdict becoming a man like Socrates.” They wrote a message downward to earth..
****
‘We have the verdict ready, lords.’ The juries’ representative said.
‘Strange, indeed, would be my conduct, after all, you will have executed me, but have adapted my way in your court.’
‘Did you not put Socrates to death the sophist, fellow citizen.’ Aeschines screamed.
‘Are you seeking for death or truth, sir? I asked him.
‘I can not distinguish between them, sir.’ He said.

The verdict came upon me like a thunder. I fell down under the Socrates’ feet, weeping.
‘ Aspasia’s son?’ Socrates said, looking in my eyes.
‘Rise up, sir, you are a noble man.’ He said.
I would never forget those moments.
They took him to the jail, we had followed him.
He was walking midst his guards, and his apostles were marching behind ,side by side with Xantippe .
I tried to be one of them but kids of Athens rushed stoning me.

I was still struggling to stick to them.
My guards furiously were swearing and threatening them.
He was walking and talking, and I was waiting for one word, he knew. He looked at me for the last time gesturing .
‘I forgave you, son.’ He said.
‘ Have you ever insulted Zeus our father.’ I begged him to answer me.
‘I am still living under gods. I am extensively in need to gods but we have to refuse their arrogance.’ He said.
‘ I am telling you now, weigh your Magistrates’ Law System, that I myself still adore. ’He said.
‘If gods mocked at me, apparently they did, they would loose their honor, and I would reveal what they have done throughout all times.’ He said.

The man was walking in his funeral, his face was still glittering. He was talking and people were escaping his words on the way. The guards were scared, begging him to stop talking.
‘ Everyone is scared of the truth.’ He screamed.
‘I am afraid the deity has already jeopardized the truth, they are jealous of this triumph. They are eager to have victims under their hands, sir.’ He said.

I lingered and waited beneath the horizon’s rays of Athens’ sunset,. Felt I was a clumsy soldier, un able to follow them, but, suddenly, rushed stirring my blank mind violently, looking for more sophisticated words.
‘ Have you beaten them, sir’ I said.
He laughed, arranging not to surprising me.
‘We stole the Prime Logos, sir.’ He said.

I have never understood what he meant, but he felt the words would be safe with me, and I would be able to protect the word.
‘Keep the secrecy of the logos sealed in your heart, wherever you go, whatever you do, until the time comes.’ He said.
‘I do, sir, I do, sir ? I promised him, unaware of the consequence of the promise.

‘Thus, I lost my position, fortune, name, and books. However, I passed the sacred words to my offspring, generation after generation.’

Hector son Zeus, Prickles and Aspasia.
                                                  The End

* Whore.