In the Apology, Socrates is able to defend himself against the claim of corrupting the youth mainly by attacking Meletuss basis for even having this trial

        In addition to corrupting the youth, Socrates is charged for not believing in the gods of state and is again able to point out Meletus’s flaws in this claim. Socrates says that if you think I don’t acknowledge gods at all and am atheist than why would I acknowledge daimonic activity. That would be like someone who doesn’t acknowledge that musicians exist but does acknowledge musical activities. Socrates points out that the claim contradicts itself by saying that he doesn’t believe in gods and, on the contrary, that he does believe in gods, since in fact he believes in daimons. And if diamons are children of gods, or some sort of bastard offspring of a nymph, what man could than possibly believe in that children of gods exist, but not gods. Socrates then ties in another metaphor to this point saying, “That would be just as unreasonable as believing in the children of horses and asses- namely, mules- while not believing in the existence of horses and asses.” Socrates points out that if his reasoning is correct than he is not guilty of the charges in Meletus’ indictment and if he is guilty than so are many other good men.