Socrates Flashcards
When was Socrates born?
469BC
Where did Socrates spend his life?
Athens
What did Socrates’s parents do?
Father was stonemason, mother midwife
Who was a controversial character and friend of Socrates?
Alcibiades
Who was Socrates married to when he died?
Xanthippe- they had 3 sons
Who likens Socrates to the sophists?
Aristophanes in Clouds
Who thought Socrates was different to the sophists?
Plato and Xenophon
Why was Socrates different to Sophists?
Didn’t accept money for his teachings, didn’t see himself as a teacher
What method did Socrates use?
The Socratic method- a method of cross-examination
What was the background in Athens when Socrates was active?
Athens lost the Pelopennesian war by 400BC, had lost their empire
What law was introduced in 432BC?
Law against those who didn’t acknowledge the state gods or taught astronomy
What was Socrates tried for by the Athenian state?
Impiety
What were the charges against Socrates?
He didn’t believe in the right deities, he introduced new deities, he corrupted the young with his views
What happened at Socrates’ trial?
He was found guilty and chose execution over exile from Athens
How many jurors were at Socrates’ trial, how many found him guilty?
501 jurors, 280 found him guilty
How did Socrates die?
He drank hemlock
When did Socrates die?
399 BC
What ideas did Socrates have on the divine?
May have believed in a single divine power (unsure), didn’t believe in conventional view of Hades, attributed advice about his choices to his daimonion, speaks respectfully of Delphic oracle
What were the possible political motivations for the trial of Socrates?
Associated with Alcibiades, associated with Critias one of 30 tyrants who uprose against the state, criticised democracy, criticised the Assembly, criticised the law courts