Socrates

Socrates was born in 469 B.C. in Athens. He was the son of a sculpture named Sophroniskus. Like any other Athenian child, Socrates was taught to speak Greek; he also learned geometry, astronomy and arithmetic. Socrates also served in the army, but there is very little known about that except for the fact that he served as a hoplite for the battle of Delium. Socrates lived from 469 to 399B.C.
(source I, source II)

As he grew older, he became more and more of a philosopher. He did not become great by going to school, but by going to markets, or any where else, and asking questions and discussing them with anyone who would listen, it didn’t matter who it was as long as they listened.(source)


The reason for Socrates’ brilliance is because he knew that he knew nothing. He was aware that he still had much more to learn. One time Socrates’ lover went to the oracle at Delphi and asked it if there was anyone smarter than Socrates. The oracle told him no. Though it was flattering, it troubled Socrates because he knew that he wasn’t wise. So in order to find out if this was true, he put his wisdom to the test. He chose politicians whom he thought were wise and discovered that his so called wisdom was not even really wisdom at all.(source)


Though Socrates was an extremely brilliant man he didn’t find it necessary to write it down. He thought that knowledge was living. It is said that our accounts were written down by Plato. The thing we are not sure if they are Socrates words or if Plato added some stuff in himself. But, we do know that Socrates was a brilliant man and because of that he was persecuted.(source)


Socrates was persecuted for supposedly not believing in the gods and for corrupting the youth. Around town people did not respect Socrates and they made him known as the stinky and smelly man; and when the Athenians lost the war against Sparta, they all blamed him because there was no one else to blame. When he went to court he did not apologize to all of the people and instead said that he deserved free food for the rest of his life. This angered the court and so they decided that he would be persecuted. And they did it by making him drink poison. According to Plato, Socrates trial was called the Apology. The time that Socrates was in prison waiting to be executed was called the Crito, and the death of Socrates is called the Phaedo. (source I, source II)


Book 1
Book 2