by Louis Dyer
First published 1976
This collection presents the final chapter of Socrates' life through primary sources. Louis Dyer compiles the philosopher's defense speech before his Athenian accusers, who charged him with corrupting young minds. The volume includes Socrates' courtroom arguments defending his methods of questioning and teaching. Crito appears as the loyal companion urging escape from prison, while Socrates debates whether fleeing would violate his principles about justice. Extracts from the Phaedo capture his final conversations about the soul's nature before drinking hemlock. Additional selections from the Symposium show Socrates discussing love and wisdom, while passages from Xenophon's Memorabilia provide alternative testimony about his character and teachings. Dyer's compilation reveals how Socrates' commitment to examining life through rigorous questioning made him threatening to Athens' established order, ultimately leading to his execution for ideas that would shape Western philosophy.
Genres: biography, classics, philosophy, ancient, ancient-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-figures
Setting: Athens
Period: Ancient Greece
246 pages · Hardcover · Aristide d Caratzas Pub