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Socrates not a Condemner of the Gods of his Country, Nor an Introducer of New Ones
The first book of Xenophon's work is concerned with the first charge that was brought against Socrates and for which he was sentenced to death: That he was a denier of the Athenian gods. Xenophon argue first that Socrates was not a denier of the gods, because he took part in making sacrifices to them.
Socrates was not a denier of the Greek gods, he was merely calling upon his "demon" for divination, as many other Greek mystics did, using birds, or animal entrails, or other methods.
Moreover, Xenophon argues, Socrates must have believed in the Greek gods to be sure that the predictions he made based on his "demon" were from a true source. This may not be the most sound argument, but anyway, it is what Xenophon argues here.
Socrates predictions and musings were concerned with matters important to the real lives of men, and they were therefore, something of which no men should be ignorant. In other words, his concerns were worldly, not divine.
Xenophon seems astonished that Socrates could have been so accused. His accusers mistook the absence of his words about the Gods, for creating new ones, when really, the accusers should have looked at what Socrates did say about the world of men, and seen from that a pious man.
Once again, these arguments are not very strong, which wouldn't necessarily mean that Xenophon is wrong, but he could have argued better here.
Best,
Trev
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