Trial of Socrates
399 BC · Classical Antiquity
In 399 BCE, the Athenian philosopher Socrates was put on trial on charges of impiety (asebeia) against the pantheon of Athens and corrupting the youth of the city. Following a trial before 500 jurors, he was found guilty and sentenced to death by drinking a hemlock-based poison. This event, chronicled by his student Plato in works such as "Apology" and "Phaedo," has become one of the most famous trials in ancient history and marked a significant moment in Western philosophical tradition.
Key Figures
PlatoSocratesMeletusAnytus
Locations
AthensAncient Agora of AthensRoyal StoaState Prison of Athens
Topics
greeceancientphilosophycivilization
Connected Events — 3 Connections
Socrates' trial and execution directly inspired Plato to develop systematic philosophy in his teacher's memory Death of Plato
Plato wrote the Republic as a philosophical response to the injustice of Socrates trial and execution Plato's Republic Completed
Socrates' practice of the Socratic method in Athens directly led to the charges that resulted in his trial Socrates Develops Socratic Method
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