Socrates and the Corruption of Athenian Youth

Ancient Greece: Philosophy, Democracy, and Endless War — Fexingo History · Jun 8, 2026 · 5m · transcript

In 399 BCE, the Athenian philosopher Socrates was put on trial and executed for impiety and corrupting the youth. This episode explores the political and personal context behind his conviction. We look at his accusers—Meletus, Anytus, and Lycon—and their motivations, from resentment over Socrates's association with the Thirty Tyrants to his relentless questioning of democratic leaders. We discuss the amnesty of 403 BCE after the fall of the Thirty, which protected former oligarchs, and how Socrates's indictments may have been a way to attack him indirectly. The trial itself…