Week #4 Daily #1

Question: Do you think Socrates got what he deserved? Why didn't he accept exile?


Answer: I don't think Socrates got what he deserved because even though he was a critic, the people of Athens were not open to his ideas. Socrates was a man to had questioned the judgement and thinking of the Athenian people.  He would talk to people on the streets and ask them questions or start a debate with someone about Athenian life.  He wanted to study people and the right and wrong practices of the society he lived in.  Socrates loved the city he lived in so that is why he sat in the streets everyday talking to Athenian citizens.  He used reason and logic to examine the ways of the world.  After the Spartans invaded and destroyed all the farmland and the plague struck, he was really starting to question the leaders of the city's judgement.  After the death of Pericles, the city never had a ruler as good as him.  When a small Greek colony allied with Athens and attacked Sicily, it started the downfall of Athens.  The men were all dead or prisoners, but after that, the Persians wanted their revenge on Athens.  They allied with Sparta and finally in 404 BC, Athens surrendered.  There was a conspiracy of a traitor within the city walls and Socrates was a main suspect.  He was found and was charged with corrupting government and social status of Athenian society.  His trial was held in the marketplace and was found guilty.  Socrates was calm with his verdict but didn't want to be exiled from the city because he thought he would be better off dead.  Socrates was put in jail and put to death the proper Athenian way.  He was given Hemlock to drink and was soon dead.  Socrates was a brilliant man who thought about things an average Athenian probably never thought about.  He even confessed that he loved the city but after the defeats of Athens enemies, they wanted to believe anything to have an excuse for the defeat.