Socrates
Essay
Before this trial of
Socrates started the Persian wars had ended because all of the Greek city states
joined together to fight a common enemy. They Athenians won the last battle
against the Persians because they tricked the Persians into the Salamis bay and
destroyed their whole army.
After the Persian wars the Athenians went
through a Golden Age and Athens had made great art,
discovered new
math, and had an explosion in culture. The Athenians created Delian league to
be ready for the
next Persian attack, but after a while the Delian league was taken over by
Athens
and turned into
Athenian Empire which started the Peloponnesian War. The Peloponnesian
came
after the Persian wars had ended and during
Athens golden age. The Athenians were getting beat
on land because the Spartans had a great
army, so the Athenians decided to move all the people
of Athens inside the city walls. The only
bad thing about that was the Athenians lost 1/3 of their
people due to the plague including their
great leader Pericles. After that Athens was forced to
surrender and the terms of surrender
included what Athens was the best at doing. The terms of
surrender were to lose democracy, their
Navy, tear down wall to get food from Piraeus, and
Athens lost their empire. After the war
Sparta installed the council of 30 which led Athens, but
the council of thirty was lead by people
from Sparta and they killed innocent people for no
reason. The Athenians had to negotiate with
Sparta to get their democracy back, when they got it
back it was weak and vulnerable, and the
Athenians could not accuse any of the helpers for
Sparta in the war.
Although
Socrates was blamed for some things that were true he didn’t deserve
the death penalty.
I believe that because there are some hidden reasons for the trial that I will
go over. The first hidden reason was the Peloponnesian war when Athens got
everything taken away from the Spartans including Alcibiades who was a student
of Socrates. Another reason was when they lost their golden age because of the
same reason they lost everything. Lastly the Spartans put in the council of
thirty to rule Athens and they were ruthless. They blamed Socrates for this
because 2 of the 30 rulers were students of Socrates. Socrates was a scape goat
for Athens, but after he died the Athenians felt bad and they felt as if the
death penalty was wrong.
Next I want to talk about the Actual
trial and the specifics about it. The people that were there were Meletus,
Anytus, Lycon, Plato, 501 Jurors, Xanthippe, an Archon, and a guard. The People
who spoke were Meletus, Anytus, Lycon (the three accusers), Socrates, and the
Archon. The Actual trial was different than our mock trial because neither
Plato or Charaephon spoke in the real trial, Socrates was guilty, there were
more Jurors in the real trial, and the Archon didn’t fall of his chair. After
the trial was over Socrates was given the death penalty and drank hemlock for
his death.
After the Trial ended there was a
religious festival on Delos so no body could die during that time. Socrates had
to wait for the ship to get back so he could drink his poison. After Socrates
died the Athenians regretted their decision and killed the three accusers.
(Meletus, Lycon, and Anytus) It is thought that Meletus was either killed by
public stoning or he was hanged along with the other two accusers. The accusers
became so unpopular that no one would light their fires, answer their
questions, or bathe in the same water with them. The best account of Socrates’
trial was from the writings of Plato.
 |
| Archon, Heritage History, https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=read&author=macgregor&book=greece&story=solon, 11 May 2018 |
Even though I didn’t vote I was on
the side of Socrates because I was persuaded by Socrates and Plato. In Plato’s
speech he talked about how it was not Socrates who influenced his students to
do bad things, but it was the students choice. That influenced my decision
because Socrates does not make his students become drunkards, terrible rulers,
or traitors it is the decision of the student. Next was Socrates and he talked
about how atheism is not against the law and how he attended all the religious
ceremonies. Also he talked about what Plato said concerning the students
choices. In the end Socrates influenced my decision because everything he said
was true and that it was not his fault or against the law.
 |
| Socrates, Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Socrates, 11 May 2018 |
