In 399 BC, Xenophon was serving with the Greek mercenary army of the Ten Thousand (cf. "Anabasis"), so he was not actually in Athens for the trial of Socrates. Xenophon’s primary source for the Socratic dialogue was the philosopher Hermogenes, who had attended the trial. This source is a little troublesome because Hermogenes' role is described by Plato in a way that raises some inconsistency. Hermogenes appears in Plato's "Phaedo" as a witness to the death of Socrates but does not make an appearance in the "Apology of Socrates". Consequently, Xenophon’s interpretation of Socrates’s "megalēgoria" (boastful speaking-manner) as a legal defense should always be considered in light of Plato's interpretation of Socrates' legal defense as presented in the "Apology of Socrates".