Why Did Socrates Drink Poison And Commit Suicide?

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - In 399 B.C., one of the greatest philosophers of all time, Socrates was sentenced to death. Socrates was a courageous man who stood up for what he believed in. He was offered a chance to live, but he chose death instead.

In a previous article published on Ancient Pages, we discussed why Socrates was such a brilliant mind and why his enigmatic personality and thoughts still continue to influence modern philosophers.

Left: Bust of Socrates carved by Victor Wager from a model by Paul Montford, University of Western Australia. Credit: Wikipedia Right: The Death of Socrates (399 BC): He drank the contents as though it was wine. Credit: Wikipedia

As much as the modern world admires Socrates today, he was not popular among many during his lifetime. Athens was a radical democracy that prided itself on freedom of speech. All that Socrates did was talk, and yet he was sentenced to death.

Socrates was accused of "refusing to recognize the gods recognized by the state" and of "corrupting the youth." In his book, Why Socrates Died: Dispelling the Myths, author Robin Waterfield offers a comprehensive study of what led to Socrates’ trial, death sentence, and interesting account of Athenian history.

At the time of the trial, Socrates was 70 years old. The trial took place in the heart of the city. A crowd of spectators watched how three Athenian citizens, who were Socrates' accusers, spent three hours presenting their arguments against the great philosopher. Socrates was then allowed to defend himself for three hours.

At the end of the trial, the jury convicted him by a narrow majority, and he was given the death penalty.

Interestingly, Socrates was given a choice he ignored. The jury gave him the opportunity to suggest his own punishment for his crimes against the city-state of Athens.

If Socrates had suggested exile, he could have lived. However, Socrates was a stubborn, sarcastic, and proud man who was not afraid of death. Socrates joked that he could be punished with free meals at the Prytaneum, the city’s sacred hearth.  Then, he suggested that he could be fined a modest sum of money. The jury discussed the choices proposed by Socrates and decided he was going to receive the death sentence.

Socrates's friends, followers, and students encouraged the great philosopher to flee Athens, but he refused. He felt that he had a legal responsibility to Athens and that escaping was not an option.

So, Socrates was taken to the nearby jail where his sentence would be carried out. Athenian law prescribed death by drinking a cup of poison hemlock. Socrates drank the hemlock, was condemned at trial, and executed his death sentence.

The great philosopher never rejected his beliefs and chose death instead of living a life of shame as an exiled old man.

Updated on February 17, 2024

Written by Ellen Lloyd – AncientPages.com

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