Socrates finally put to death![]() Socrates was put to death yesterday after his trial. The people who believed in the Olympian gods considered him an evil person because he believed in nature gods as well as honor was far more important than superficial things like fame and beauty, which are the most important things in our society. Plato wrote that Socrates was an evildoer in his “Apology” letter and he tried to make things worse than they actually were. With all of the accusations against Socrates, there must have been something actually wrong with Socrates. He married a young woman named Xanthippe, which he criticized her on multiple accounts. Socrates did not have a job; all he did was corrupt our people. He tried to convince you, the people of Athens, to assimilate into his beliefs and leave the Olympian gods behind. He even took our youth into the marketplaces and made them protest against politics and religion. What has come to light is that Socrates was an anarchist who deserved to be put to death.
Socrates was opposed to the democracy, which was how the Athenian government is run. It was the most effective way to run the government and Socrates was trying to make everyone rebel with him. He was very confused with his political beliefs because he did not believe in democracy, did not think that people should be self-governed, but also did not want to be a part of politics in general. Socrates refused politics, because he believed he could not tell other people how to live their lives when he barely knew how to live his own. They had twelve Olympian gods, Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Hestia/ Dionysus. “The Big three” Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades are the brothers and the most important. Zeus, the god of the sky, Poseidon, the god of the sea, and Hades, the god of the underworld. The Athenians believed the gods demanded democracy and overthrew the Thirty Tyrants, who were pro- Spartans after the defeat in the Peloponnesian War. But during the Thirty Tyrants rule when Socrates was 66 he would refuse to listen to them and he wouldn’t kill Leon of Salamis. This is another example of how he went against the government. Alcibiades studied philosophy under Socrates, and he led the Athenians into turmoil in the Peloponnesian War. Socrates even tried to argue the origin of our religion, which is another reason why he should have automatically been put to death. Socrates’ trial ended in his life of philosophy and free living, by drinking hemlock poison, which is one the least painful way to die. The court gave him a merciful way to die instead of public humiliation and disgrace considering the faults he committed. Even his own student was against him saying "Why is this, Socrates, and what is the origin of these accusations of you: for there must have been something strange which you have been doing? All this great fame and talk about you would never have arisen if you had been like other men: tell us, then, why this is, as we should be sorry to judge hastily of you." |
socrates tragic death!![]() Socrates died yesterday at the age of 71 when he was executed because of his religious beliefs. He was known by many people in Greece and was well liked by some as well as hated amongst crowds of people. His views on politics turned many people against him, including the Athenian government. Socrates was sentenced to death because he refused to recognize the gods and the government thought he sought to corrupt the youth by teaching them to ask questions to find the answers. The Socratic method is a form of discussion when people ask questions to stimulate thinking and discovering people’s ideas, and his thoughts got him in a lot of trouble. The Athenian government was intimidated and frightened by the thought that Socrates could overthrow their way of religion and governing style that has been practiced for years. After Athens was conquered by Sparta, only sixteen years ago, and the government became democratic. Socrates was against this form of government, along with the other Athenians who questioned the government also.
In many peoples opinions Socrates was a wise man and they should have the right to practice his own religion. He also had a wife and three young boys who now no longer have a father. He believed the gods to be omnipotent. The city council members charged him of being a theist because he believed in gods, just not the Olympian gods. He was monotheistic, he believed in his personal spirit guided him to follow and believe in nature spirits, also known as the Daimon. His religion influenced other people, mostly children, to think about their religion and why they believed in their twelve gods. As all Greek people know we believe in the Olympian gods which were “The Big Three”, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Socrates did not make his beliefs silent and personal as he spoke freely about them in public. Socrates was asking why the people of Athens followed the gods, which aggravated the people because they were not used to thinking this way. At the trial of Socrates he chose to represent himself, rather than have someone else represent him. During this time, Athens enjoyed the freedoms of life, but while Athens was supposed to be free, the government killed someone for exercising their rights and freedom. Their social facade made the Athenians believe they had freedom in the Greek society, so they would not rebel against them and ruin their government style. With the death of Socrates, their facade was uncovered to the public. When he was sentenced to death, Socrates left the courtroom with the quote of “I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.” The authoritarian style of government forced Socrates to kill himself by making him drink poison. He was a person that thought everyone deserved equal treatment. This was shown in his last words."Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius. Please, don't forget to pay the debt." Editorial Article By: Claire Anderon, Caroline Temples, and Aisling Fields
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