'I'll stop doing it as soon as I understand what I'm doing.' Somewhere between a historical account and work of philosophy; Socrates' Defence details the final plea of Plato's beloved mentor. Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics; with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan; from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions. Plato (474 BC-347 BC). Plato's works available in Penguin Classics are Republic; The Last Days of Socrates; The Laws; Phaedrus; Protagoras and Meno; Timaeus and Critias; Theaetetus; Early Socratic Dialogues; The Symposium and Gorgias.