Socrates on Trial: Democracy Condemns Its Critic

In 399 BCE, the Athenian philosopher Socrates was put on trial and condemned to death by a jury of his fellow citizens. This episode unpacks the precise charges—impiety and corrupting the youth—alongside the political and cultural context of post-Peloponnesian War Athens. We explore the key figures involved, including Meletus, Anytus, and Lycon, the accusers; the jury of 501 dikastai; and Socrates' own defense as recorded by Plato in the Apology. The episode also examines the role of the Thirty Tyrants, the restored democracy's anxiety, and the lingering question: was Socrates guilty as charged, or was the trial a political purge dressed as piety? We look at the evidence from Plato, Xenophon, and Aristophanes' Clouds, and discuss the trial's legacy as a cautionary tale about democracy's treatment of dissent. #Socrates #TrialOfSocrates #AthenianDemocracy #Plato #Apology #Xenophon #Meletus #Anytus #ThirtyTyrants #399BCE #Impiety #CorruptingTheYouth #AthenianJury #Dikastai #AncientGreece #Philosophy #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo