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In Apology 21a–21b, Socrates reports the Delphic oracle said none was wiser.

The Claim

In Plato's dialogue "Apology", Socrates says that the Delphic Oracle declared that no one was wiser than Socrates.

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The Short Version

The dialogue plainly contains this statement. In Apology 21a–21b, Socrates says Chaerephon consulted the Delphic oracle and received the answer that no one was wiser than Socrates. The main caveat is that this is Socrates’ report within Plato’s dialogue, not independent proof that the event happened historically.

Caveats

  • The passage presents the oracle’s words through Socrates’ account of Chaerephon’s question, not as a direct scene with Socrates at Delphi.
  • The claim is textual, not historical: it shows what Plato’s Socrates says, not that the oracle episode is independently verified.
  • Exact phrasing varies by translation, but the core meaning is consistent across authoritative editions.

The Receipts

  1. The Apology, by Plato

    Project Gutenberg

  2. Plato, Apology 21a

    Perseus Digital Library

  3. Plato, Apology, section 21a–21b (Greek text and English translation)

    Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University)

  4. Plato, Apology (English, Harold North Fowler translation)

    Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University)

  5. ΠΛΑΤΩΝ: Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους (20d‑21a)

    Πύλη για την Ελληνική Γλώσσα

  6. ΠΛΑΤΩΝ: Ἀπολογία Σωκράτους 21a (Greek text)

    Πύλη για την Ελληνική Γλώσσα

  7. Socrates

    Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

  8. Plato's Apology 21 B – 21 E

    Xavier University of Louisiana (cat.xula.edu)

  9. Socrates (469—399 B.C.E.)

    Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

  10. Why Did the Oracle of Delphi Call Socrates the Wisest Man?

    TheCollector

+ 5 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

ApologyDelphic OraclePlatoSocrates