Western civilization as we know it today has been greatly influenced by the teachings of Socrates. Socrates was born in Athens and lived from circa 469 to 399 BC. He was the son of a sculptor, named Sophroniscus, who received no formal education. Socrates made a name for himself in the

Peloponnesian War where he was a successful hoplite, an armored infantryman. Socrates’ prominence in society was increased with his appearance in the plays Connus and Clouds around 423 BC (Plato xxiv). Socrates was a very wise man who by inspiration from the Oracle at Delphi seeked out men thought to be wise, only to conclude that they were not and he was. Many upper class men were intimidated by Socrates and accused him of unlawful things. In The Last Days Of Socrates, Plato describes two accounts known as The Apology and Justice and Duty (also known as The Crito). These two works describe the trial and tribulations of Socrates. Ultimately, the Athenian government wrongfully decides to condemn Socrates to death.

Socrates was an intellectual with various opinions about the Athenian government. Likewise, his views on the ways of life gained him many enemies. Socrates was a supporter of oligarchy and the pro-democratic Athenians did not respond well to this. Socrates was a close friend with three tyrants named Critias, Charmides, and Alcibiades. After the downfall of their tyranny, people feared that Socrates could gain influence over his followers and re-establish a tyranny. Like always, people react to fear by doing or saying things that are not valid. As a result to his unpopularity, Meletus along with others initiated a series of accusations against Socrates. He was accused of “failing to acknowledge the city’s gods, introducing new divinities, and corrupting the youth” (Plato 31). Socrates’ was a man who liked to question matters. He would often engage in discussion with people about their Gods, and ask them to argue the validity of their existence. This was taken by many to mean that Socrates did not believe in the Athenian Gods. At his trial, Socrates raises relevant points in his defense yet they were not convincing enough to get him acquitted. Socrates practices elenchus or cross-examination on Meletus when he takes the stand. Socrates’ attempt to clarify himself of the charges through interrogating Meletus did not benefit his case. Instead, Socrates brought up past incidences and accusations that he had encountered in the past, and the Athenians did not look well upon this. He is also not looked well upon when he undermines the authority of the Athenian court system. He admits that if the jury was to let him go on the condition that he stops philosophizing, he would not obey the court and continue with his ways (Plato 53). The jury voted over two-thirds against Socrates and he was given the death penalty.

The wisdom and insight that Socrates had was seen as a threat by the Athenian government. The major threat that he posed to Athens was that he was anti-democracy. In a polis that had such a high regard for democracy, Socrates was an outsider. The Athenians feared an uprising against democracy that would be lead by Socrates. Also, in his quest to seek out wise men, as the Delphic Oracle inspired, he discovered that many of the elite who thought themselves to be wise, indeed were not. He uncovered the ignorance that Athenians possessed and this concerned the elite. Usually, upper class men prefer for their subjects to be ignorant so they can continue to dominate and oppress them. If Socrates would have continued on his quest, people would of started noticing a trend that the rulers of Athens were not who they made themselves out to be. An additional threat to the Athenians was the large following that Socrates had. His followers were intelligent and loyal. Athenians knew that Socrates’ followers would do whatever Socrates asked of them. This could be especially dangerous since it was concerning a person that did not share the same views as other citizens.

Unfortunately, the jury condemned an “innocent man on false charges” (Plato 35). The charges that were brought against Socrates were out of spite and not on any valid ground. The Athenians instead of fearing intellectual curiosity should have embraced Socrates’ method of thought and analysis. Socrates tried to make people’s lives better through examination. He had a very high regard for The Laws and refused to escape from prison. At the time of his death, Socrates would have been around seventy years old. Athens should have let him live as Socrates pointed out at his trial that he was dying of old age anyways. Athenian society would of had many more advances in teaching and philosophy if Socrates would not of been condemned. Through his death, Socrates became more renowned and well known; extending his school of thought until present day western universities.

To conclude, Socrates led a great life; not one of wealth because he was a simple man. In fact Socrates states “[his] service to God had reduced [him] to extreme poverty” (Plato 44). He was a people person and always engaged in conversations concerning controversial topics with anyone. Socrates was not afraid of a challenge. For this reason he decided to challenge the court and to not accept charges that were false. Socrates died practicing what he preached. This was a good example for future generations to not be intimidated to stand up for what they believe in. The Athenian government made a mistake in killing Socrates. Although Socrates never wrote down any of his works or philosophies, we are fortunate enough to have learned of him through his followers such as Plato. Socrates is also depicted in many plays that were produced in his time. Socrates lived over 2000 years ago but today we still learn about him. Athens made him even more popular in death, although it was not deserved.