The Death of Socrates

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Socrates died 2,412 years ago after drinking hemlock. He was a hero to Marc, who paid tribute to his death through a poignant representation. The account of Socrates' trial and subsequent death sentence is meticulously documented by Plato in the Apology and Xenophon in his own Apology. In an introduction to Xenophon's works, Raymond Larson explains that Plato's account of the trial was likely firsthand, while Xenophon's account came from a secondary source - a mutual friend of Socrates', Plato, and Xenophon, named Hermogenes. Although the two accounts differ in some respects, when combined, they provide the only historical records of the trial. For this discussion, we'll focus on the relevance of death and how mortality relates to Socrates' philosophy. We understand Socrates by recognizing that he died while doing what he loved - philosophy. He was officially charged with impiety and corrupting Athens' youth, but it's also clear that his willingness to question widely held beliefs made him a threat to those in power. Rather than focusing on the charges or trial itself, we'll examine Socrates' attitude towards death in the two Apologies and how his unique approach expands our understanding of end-of-life matters. His extraordinary eloquence when speaking about death inspires readers with courage, fortitude, and wisdom. Plato's Apology is filled with references to death, likely because Socrates knew he would be sentenced to death. He not only accepted this fate but also extended its meaning to demonstrate that the fear of death is equivalent to ignorance. The fear of death, men, is nothing more than seeming wise without actually being so. It's to appear to know what one doesn't know - no one knows whether death might be the greatest good for humanity; people fear it as if they knew it was the greatest evil.