Socrates

A detailed Summary of Socrates

Philosophy was both serious and dangerous, Socrates chose to ignore both. Ignoring the first made him one of the most engaging of all philosophers, ignoring the second was to cost him his life. He was born in a middle class home in Athens, in 470 BCE. His parents were Phaenarete and Sophroniscus. His mother had a reputation for her patient and intuitive skill in delivering babies in and around the neighborhood. The latter, his father was a craftsman, stonecutter by trade.

As a young boy, Socrates was teased in school about his appearance, and often would prey to the Gods to make him beautiful both inside as well as outside. He was known for asking many questions as a child, because he was very curious about things, what they were, what importance they had? Crito noticed that Socrates in a way was beginning to think as a philosopher, always looking for the meaning of things.

As Socrates gradually began to mature and grow older, he did not see much of his friends. They would always be down at the gymnasium working seriously at the outdoor exercises. He did not like to work out like his friends or be a stonecutter like his father because he knew that sort of thing was not for him. He thought about

Socrates was offered escape a very well planned escape from his friends (they even had the warden bribed), but he refused it. On his last day his friends were let in early to talk to him. They talk about the deportation of the soul from the body and immortality until sunset. When Socrates asked for his poison, they gave it to him hesitantly. When he started drinking it all his friends were weeping, but Apollodovus yelled out uncontrollably by accident. To this Socrates said, " What is this strange outcry? I sent away the women mainly in order that they might not offend in this way, for I have heard a man should die in peace." The poison took a few minutes to circulate through his body, when he did not feel his legs any more he said his last words, to his best friend, "Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius; will you remember to pay the dept?" Crito nodded and two minutes later his heart stopped. "He was the wisest, fairest, and best of all men ever known."(4)

ought to have been ashamed of saying this, because they were

8C.D.C. Reeve, Socrates in the Apology: An Essay on Plato's Apology of Socrates (Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, 1989) 184.

Socrates, as mentioned many times, walked the streets of Athens daily. On one occasion, he met Alcibiades, a higher-class boy somewhat arrogant and spoiled. Consequently, they met regularly at the Acropolis and spent many hours together meditating on ideas. When they went to war together they fought and rested together. Alcibiades saw beauty inside Socrates he had never seen anywhere else before. He did not choose to go to Socrates' "city", a place were the wise, the good, and the philosophical people ruled, for he would be a mere slave by his way of life in Athens. Because he chose to be the center of attention by deciding to go into politics, which to Socrates was the worst lifetime career a person might take on, due to the fact that in politics one must lie and be self-governing. Socrates was blamed when Alcibiades mimicked sacred rituals of Athens and was put on trial. He fled from Athens to Sparta, helping them win a war against Athens, but afterwards came back to Athens pardoned, but committing another crime against the state fled to Persia, where he was killed.

After he was condemned, he had to wait for about a month, because a ship was sent to Delos, the island where Apollo was born. This was a yearly ritual and anyone on death row would have to wait until it came back. However, the ship encountered some difficulties on the way back, taking it a whole month to reach Athens. Socrates had a dream two days before his death. In the dream, he was told by a woman in white the same that Achilles said when he was thinking of escaping Troy, he would arrive home on the third day. Socrates took this to mean as to three days after the ship's arrival he would die.

About four years after the wars Socrates was called to trial. His chances of winning were minimized by the presence of Anytus on the prosecution. By Socrates' words it was "principle and intelligent faith, against ignorant conservatism and fear", the latter representing majority of Athens. Socrates was charged with impiety, the corruption of the youth, and the undermining of religious beliefs. Meletus was the one who brought the idea of a trial of Socrates forth. He spoke on the behalf of the poets, Anytus on the behalf of the craftsmen, and Lycon on behalf of the rhetoricians. Meletus starts off by saying that Socrates corrupts the minds of his fellow friends and is "the poet or maker of gods, and that he makes new gods and denies the existence of old ones." Socrates had a habit of pouring himself out to everybody and would even pay for a listener; this is why everyone knew of him and became tired of him. After the prosecution told more lies and false charges, he was called to the stand for his own defense or Apology.

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Approximate Word count = 3017
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: People