Patriotism Aided in Socrate's Acceptance of His Death

THESIS STATEMENT

Patriotism aided in Socrates' acceptance of his death, although believing he was unjustly convicted of corrupting the youth of Athens and creating divinities in place of the gods.

PURPOSE STATEMENT

Through books and essays about Socrates, research, and analysis it shows that he was truly guilty of his crimes and accepted them willingly although he believed he was innocent.

INTRODUCTION

A member of the jury watched as the defendant, tense and nervous, looked over at the Kleptsydra, or the water-clock, and realized time is of the essence. When the Kleptsydra is empty, the jury of five hundred, who are expected to make a decision, look puzzled and confused on which side to vote for. After counting the votes, the verdict, guilty. The defendant had only lost by a slight margin of 260 against to 240. Each party, accusers and defendant, proposes a penalty: the accuser proposes death, but astonishingly, the defendant proposes to be treated as an Olympic victor. The year is 399 BCE.

Socrates was a simple man, famous, seventy years old, and had been doing his normal routine when he was confronted with an obstacle, which changed the course of what was left of his life. He had seen something similar in his time which also happened coincide with the obstacle he faced. What he did not know was what was gong to happen next. Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and creating new divinities. The new accusers, as Socrates called them, were Meletus, Lycon, and Anytas. He was found guilty, but many today and then argue for his innocence, including Socrates himself. He thought himself innocent, but still accepted his death with courage out of his patriotism for Athens. Socrates could have avoided his d...

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... accepted his penalty out of patriotism. Socrates is the meaning of Patriot when it comes to Athens. "Nothing means more to Socrates than Athens, and, more importantly, than the Athenians within it" (Hughes xxii). Socrates served in the military and the assembly, having an active role in politics. He did this to fashion Athens to be the best it can be. Even when Athens turned against him, he still had a deep love for it, by carrying out his sentence of death, believing he had done a favor for Athens by removing the sickness.

Socrates was a visionary of a greater Athens, but was quietly targeted and gun down by those who found fault in him. At the end of Socrates' life, he was not honorably discharged, nor did he receive a corona civica for his attempt in changing Athens for the better, but was condemned to death for stepping out of line, marching in plain site.