In 399 B.C.E., Socrates was executed by the Athenian court on
charges of impiety and corrupting the youth. The controversial decision
lingers atop the great legacy of Athens, a city praised for its intellectual and
political liberty. However, the reasons behind Socrates’ execution are themselves questionable. Firstly, the charge of impiety is a vague accusation
which would have been unlikely to produce a conviction on its own. Similarly, the second charge of corrupting the youth is ambiguous and lacks any
substantial evidence in support of it. Instead, a primary cause of the execution is Socrates’ relationship with two violent oligarchic tyrants. Moreover,
Socrates’ constant criticism of Athens’ civic structure and the city’s prominent citizens leads to growing animosity towards his public presence. Finally, the instability of Athens in the wake of the oligarchic coup of 404
B.C.E. amplifies the desire to eliminate sources of dissent, such as Socrates.
Thus, Socrates’ execution by the Athenians is not caused by the explicit
charges of impiety and corrupting the youth, but rather by implicit political
motivations which come to a head in 399 B.C.E.
Plato’s Apology is a major source for the trial of Socrates although it
