Latest / Ancient Greece: Philosophy, Democracy, and Endless War — Fexingo History
The Real Socrates on Trial: Philosophy, Politics, and Hemlock
In 399 BCE, Athens put Socrates on trial and executed him for impiety and corrupting the youth. But the real story is far more complicated than a simple conflict between free thought and closed-minded democracy. This episode examines the political and historical context behind the trial: Socrates's association with Critias, a leader of the Thirty Tyrants; his public mockery of democratic leaders; the amnesty of 403 BCE that forbade prosecution for past political acts; and the specific charges filed by Meletus, Anytus, and Lycon. We explore the Apology as a historical document versus…
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