In 399 BCE, Socrates — then aged about 70 — stood trial before an Athenian jury of approximately 501 citizens. The charges: impiety (not recognizing the gods the city recognized) and corrupting the youth. The penalty demanded by his accusers: death.
The trial came at a fraught moment for Athens. The city had just emerged from a devastating defeat in the Peloponnesian War, followed by the brutal oligarchic coup of the Thirty Tyrants. Democracy had been restored, but Athenians were nervous and seeking to reassert civic identity. Socrates, associated with skepticism and with pupils who had supported the tyrants, was a convenient target.
At trial, Socrates made no effort to save himself. His 'Apology' (recorded by Plato) is a defiant philosophical argument, not an apology. He refused to beg for mercy, proposed paying a trivial fine, and essentially dared the jury to convict him. The jury — narrowly voting to condemn him — obliged.
Socrates spent his final weeks in prison, discussing philosophy with friends. When the hemlock was brought, he drank it calmly and described the sensation as his legs grew numb, then cold, moving upward toward his heart. His last words, according to Plato in the 'Phaedo,' were: 'Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius. Pay it and do not neglect it.'
The death of Socrates has haunted Western philosophy ever since. It raises the question of the relationship between philosophy and society, between truth-seeking and political power — and whether a genuine philosopher can ever be safe in a democracy he questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Socrates executed?
Socrates was convicted on charges of impiety and corrupting Athenian youth. The real motivations likely involved his association with anti-democratic figures and his relentless questioning of Athenian civic values during a period of political anxiety.
What were Socrates' last words?
According to Plato's Phaedo, Socrates' last words were: 'Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius. Pay it and do not neglect it.' — a reference to a sacrificial offering traditionally made to the god of medicine, suggesting Socrates saw death as a healing cure for life.
