Plato Academy Home Page Plato Academy Home Page image image
image image image
image image
image
image

 

Interview with Plato, Part II:

Socrates' Trial and Execution

Xenocrates: How fascinating that a man who believed he knew nothing could be the wisest of us all! Do you think the charges against him were true?

Plato: I believe the charges were entirely false! It still makes me angry to think about them. The authorities accused him of not believing in the gods, but Socrates believed very strongly in the gods. And to say he corrupted the young is outrageous. He devoted his life to encouraging young - and old - people to live morally.

Xenocrates: Did he defend himself?

Plato: He stated that the charges were probably invented by those who resented his critical questioning. In defense of his inquisitiveness, he used an apt comparison: He described himself as a gadfly, or stinging fly, to the city of Athens, whose purpose was to stimulate and bother the lazy, complacent people. This is why he asked so many questions.

Xenocrates: Why did he stay in prison and accept his death sentence? He had so many friends who would have helped him get away.

Plato: I supported another close friend of his, Crito, to try to persuade him to escape because I was devastated at the thought of losing him. He was such a good teacher! However, he explained to me and the others who followed him that it wouldn't be right for him to flee. He said that he had made a choice to live in Athens and, therefore, he had to accept the judgment of Athens.

Xenocrates: But why wasn't he afraid of death?

Plato: He was convinced death would free his immortal soul from an imperfect human body. He reasoned that one of two things would happen. Either his soul would be annihilated, in which case he would feel no more pain or suffering, nor, indeed, any emotion. Or his soul would go to a better world where he would be able to chat with the great minds who died before him. Though I was not present at his death, my friend Phaedo gave me a detailed account of what happened. Socrates voluntarily and cheerfully drank the poison hemlock as if it were wine, and died surrounded by many friends who loved him. I truly wish I could have been there.

Xenocrates: Thank you for sharing your memories, Plato. I think your reflections have helped us to appreciate the legacy of Socrates.

To return to the Academy's main menu, click here.