What happened at the trial of Socrates?

In 399 BCE, the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates stood trial in Athens on formal charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. After a one-day trial where male-citizen jurors voted to convict him, the court sentenced him to death by drinking poison hemlock. Much of what is known about the legal proceedings comes from accounts written by his students Plato and Xenophon.

What we know

• Socrates was tried in 399 BCE on two specific charges: asebeia or impiety, and corruption of the youth. [1, 2]
• The accusers claimed that Socrates failed to acknowledge the city's gods, introduced new deities, and asked politico-philosophic questions. [2]
• A majority of the male-citizen jurors chosen by lot voted to convict Socrates and subsequently agreed to a death sentence. [2, 3]
• Socrates was executed by drinking a poisonous beverage containing hemlock. [2]

Still open

• There are scholarly debates regarding the historical reliability of Plato's Apology and its account of the trial.

Where to go next

• how it workedWhat were the primary charges of impiety against Socrates?
• how we knowHow did Plato record the defense speech in the Apology?
• what followedWhat events led directly to the execution of Socrates?
• whoWho were the key students and writers that documented Socrates?
• compared withHow is the trial depicted in modern plays and scholarship?
• an unexpected connectionHow did Aristophanes' comedy Clouds influence perceptions of Socrates?Aristophanes' slapstick comedy presented a pompous portrait of Socrates years before his trial, helping shape modern and historical understanding of why he ultimately faced a death sentence.

Sources

• [1]trial of Socrates (Wikidata Q3110066) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Trial of Socrates · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Socrates · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Apology (Plato) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Socrates on Trial · CC BY-SA 4.0