Trial of Socrates

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The Death of Socrates, by Jacques-Louis David (1787)

The trial of Socrates in 399 BC gave rise to a great deal of debate and to a whole genre of literature, known as the Socratic logoi. Socrates's elenctic examination was resented by influential figures of his day, whose reputations for wisdom and virtue were debunked by his questions. The annoying nature of elenchos earned Socrates the epithet "gadfly of Athens." Elenctic method was often imitated by the young men of Athens, which greatly upset the established moral values and order. Indeed, even though Socrates himself fought for Athens and argued for obedience to law, at the same time he criticised democracy, especially, the Athenian practice of election by lot, ridiculing that in no other craft, the craftsman would be elected in such a fashion. Such a criticism gave rise to suspicion by the democrats, especially when his close associates were found to be enemies of democracy. Alcibiades betrayed Athens in favour of Sparta, and Critias, his sometime disciple, was a leader of the Thirty Tyrants (the pro-Spartan oligarchy that ruled Athens for a few years after its defeat during the Peloponnesian War), though there is also a record of their falling out.

In addition, Socrates held unusual views on religion. He made several references to his personal spirit, or daimonion, although he explicitly claimed that it never urged him on, but only warned him against various prospective events. Many of his contemporaries were suspicious of Socrates's daimonion as a rejection of the state religion. It is generally understood that Socrates's daimonion is akin to intuition. Moreover, Socrates claimed that the concept of goodness, instead of being determined by what the gods wanted, actually precedes it.

[edit] Socrates's trial described by his contemporaries

The first Tetralogy of dialogues by Plato has the trial and execution of Socrates as central theme: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito and Phaedo. Also Xenophon wrote an Apology of Socrates. As told in Plato's Apology — one of the best-known works of Greek philosophy and literature — the Trial of Socrates was a dramatic court case that led to the death of Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher. Socrates's reasoning and philosophy, and the questions they raised — not only about ephemeral things but also political, moral, and legal matters — drew the ire of the leaders of the Athenian polis who feared he was leading the young people of Athens astray.

[edit] The process of the trial

At the beginning, Meletus swore about his accusation in front of the ‘archon vasileus’, a religious officeholder. The latter interrogated the accusations and, then, after finding them valid, called Socrates to show himself in the court. A trial before a jury of 501 Athenian citizens, chosen by lot, was held (Athenian trials had juries but no judges) in which Socrates called into question the whole basis for the trial instead of putting on a self-abasing, eloquent defense, which was expected. By a margin of 281 to 220 votes, the Athenians found Socrates guilty.

Next, Socrates and his prosecutor suggested competing sentences. Socrates, after expressing his surprise of the little amount he needed to be found innocent, jokingly suggested free meals at the Prytaneum, a particular honor held for city benefactors and winners at the Olympic Games, but then finally settled on the insultingly small fine of thirty minae (the equivalent of approximately eight years of wages for an Athenian artisan), due to his poverty and lack of possessions. He even proposed that small amount was under his company’s pressure (Plato, Crito, Critovoulos and Apollodorus), who guaranteed the payment behold the juries, as Socrates’ possessions valued no more than 5 minae. His prosecutor urged death. The Athenians then voted on the sentences. The verdict was death, on a larger margin than the previous ruling (360-141): the Athenians believed that guilty men must be punished. According to Plato's Apology, his disrespectful jokes about his punishment were what had resulted in so many more jurors voting for his execution than had voted to convict him.

Socrates's followers encouraged him to flee (see: Crito), and citizens expected this and were probably not averse to it; but he refused on principle and took the poison (hemlock) himself. Apparently in accordance with his philosophy of obedience to law, he carried out his own execution, by drinking the hemlock poison provided to him. He was, thus, one of the first of a limited number of strictly intellectual "martyrs". Socrates died at the age of 70. (See: Phaedo)

Socrates has been revered since his execution as a beacon of free speech.