Living the Greek Life by Sabrina

Living the Greek Life by Sabrina - August 2018 Scholarship Essay

“Hello, everyone! Welcome back to Living the Greek life, a podcast on the ins and outs of ancient society. Today’s episode is “Be Wary of the Berry” and it revolves around a famous cautionary tale of how not to apologize. For those of you who have not guessed it, this tale’s protagonist is none other than seventy-year old Socrates. Socrates was a famous Greek philosopher and best known for his founding of western philosophy. However, during his time his new way of thinking was not in favor with the authorities. Now, let’s find out why.
“When Socrates was brought into trial before the jury his prosecutor held three main claims against him. He said that Socrates was corrupting the youth, making the weaker argument the stronger, and worshipping daemons. Now, let us get some insight into these claims by bringing in our guest speakers. First, let us here from Socrates’ famous student, Plato. Plato, you knew Socrates very well. In fact, you found him so inspirational that you wrote the book “The Apology” as an account of Socrates’ trial. So, tell us, do you believe in these claims against him?”
“What a question! Socrates was enlightened, but change is difficult for those who are stuck in the old ways. He was killed because the politicians were scared of his influence and of his new philosophy. As for the charges of corrupting the youth, ridiculous. Socrates was our honored teacher, and we were his pupils because we saw him as being wise beyond his time.
“Making the weaker argument the stronger is also not a valid charge. Nothing about Socrates’ arguments was ever weak. This is simply a refute given by those who are simply not intelligent enough to follow Socrates’ reasoning.
“As for worshipping daemons, I never witnessed such a thing. He did bring them up from time to time, but never in a holy manner. I believe that the real reason for this claim laid down by his accusers is that Socrates was not pious when it came to the accepted Greek gods. This created fear in those who run the government, fear in change and fear in taking away power from those who lead the rituals in honor of the gods.”
“Thank you for your candor Plato. Next, let us talk to his wife Xanthippe. Xanthippe, what is your opinion of the accusations held against your husband, Socrates?”
“Why thank you for asking. Greek women are secluded from politics, and a great deal of other social interactions. It is such a nice change to be spoken to. Now, I cannot answer the validity of these claims, but I can give you some insight into his character. Socrates was in love with philosophy, not with his family. He did not take money from his students as if he was some sophist, instead he chose to live in poverty and to focus all his energy on leading profound discussions. Which is great, but enlightenment alone cannot feed a family. Refusing to take money is noble but being noble does not put bread on the table. Wise he may have been, but a good father and husband he was not.”
“Thank you, Xanthippe, for your candid recantation of Socrates’ character. Now, let us discuss the verdict of Socrates trial. Socrates “Apology” or defense speech was not in defense of his innocence against the charges laid against him. Instead, he defended his philosophy and teachings. When it was time for the jurors to vote, they voted that he be sentenced to death. Although the margins were close, Socrates did not argue. He accepted his sentence and drank hemlock poison. This was even after his students offered to help him escape.
“Socrates was born in a time where a new philosophy was a danger to promote. Yet, despite this Socrates did not abandon what he believed in, even in the face of death. In the ancient times, willingness to die for one’s beliefs was the only way to be truly free to teach them.
“That is it for today folks! I hope you enjoyed this short rendition of Socrates’ trial on today’s episode “Be Wary of the Berry” on Living the Greek Life. A special thank you to our guest stars Plato and Xanthippe. Don’t forget to stay tuned for next week’s episode “A Short Course on Winning a War with a Wooden Horse”.