Birth
Place: Athens
Time: 6th day of the month Thargelion (the day of Artemis' birth), during the Eponymous Archonship of Aphepsion, that is, the 4th year of the 77th Olympiad (April 29, 469 BC)

Municipality
Alopeces. This municipality belonged to the tribe of Antiochis, in the third district of the city. For its location, we have information from Aeschines in the "Against Timarchus" [99], where he mentions that the village of Alopeces was eleven or twelve stades outside the walls (“…the village of Alopeces, which was far from the walls, eleven or twelve stades”). Researchers have placed it between the Municipalities of Cynosarges and Phalerum, meaning the area that today includes Dafni, Nea Smyrni, and possibly Agios Dimitrios (or parts of them).

Parents
Father: Sophroniscus
Mother: Phaenarete

Parents’ Occupation
Sophroniscus was a stonecutter (someone who shapes marble before the sculptor works on it), and Phaenarete was a midwife, as Socrates himself mentions in the Theaetetus [“…I am the son of a very noble and grim midwife, Phaenarete” - Plato's Theaetetus 149a].

Adolescence - Occupation
As was customary, he followed his father's trade. He began as his assistant but eventually became a sculptor.

Works of Sculpture
The traveler Pausanias informs us that he crafted the three Graces at the Propylaea of the Acropolis. The same is stated by Diogenes Laertius in Lives of the Philosophers.

Socrates' Teachers
He studied Anaxagoras, although the views of Anaxagoras did not fully satisfy him, as he states in the work Phaidon or "On the Soul."

Rhetorical Art
Phavorinus and Idomeneus wrote that Socrates, along with his student Aeschines, was the first to teach the art of rhetoric.

Theatre
Meneximus, Callias, and Aristophanes mention that he collaborated with Euripides on his theatrical works.

Travels
Socrates did not travel, unlike most philosophers. In fact, in his Apology, he informs us that he traveled outside Athens less than blind and lame people. As a young man, he traveled to Samos, later went to the Isthmus and Delphi. He loved Athens excessively. Besides these three occasions, he left Athens during the battles he participated in (the campaign of Amphipolis, Potidaea, and the battle of Delium - Dale).

Training and Military Achievements
In Plato’s Symposium, Alcibiades describes Socrates' rugged nature, which surpassed the imagination of his fellow soldiers. At Potidaea, when he was supposed to receive a prize for bravery, he gave it to Alcibiades. It was then that some thought troubled him, and in order to find the solution, he stood still like a pillar until sunrise. In the battle of Delium, he carried Xenophon on his back and saved him after he had fallen off his horse.

Family Status
Some report that Socrates married two women. First, Xanthippe, by whom he had Lamprocles, and later Myrto, the daughter of the righteous Aristides, by whom he had Menexenus and Sophroniscus. Others argue that due to a lack of men, Athens had enacted a law urging citizens to take a second wife to increase births. Some do not mention Myrto at all. In any case, Socrates married and had children at an advanced age, as evidenced in his Apology, where he mentions that Lamprocles was a young man (14-21 years old), while Menexenus and Sophroniscus were children (1-7 years old). If we subtract the age of Lamprocles from Socrates' age at the time of the apology, it follows that he fathered children between the ages of 49 and 56. None of his three children distinguished themselves in any way. Aristotle even accuses them of mental sluggishness and laziness.

Xanthippe
Both Xenophon and Alcibiades refer to Xanthippe's extremely difficult character. In a dialogue between Socrates and Alcibiades, when asked how he endures her, Socrates replies: “…just as you endure the clamor of the geese, but they give you eggs and goslings, so too Xanthippe gives me children."

In Xenophon's Symposium, Socrates' other student, Antisthenes, describes her as the most difficult woman of all women who ever were, are, or will be. Socrates' answer to how he endures her was: “…just as those who wish to become the best horsemen choose the most unruly and wild horses, because if they manage to tame these, they will be able to manage the others more easily, so I, if I endure Xanthippe, I will easily be able to face all people.”

Plato mentions Xanthippe in the Phaedo weeping and lamenting the coming hemlock. This reference suggests that either the law of lopsided marriages applied, and Myrto was Socrates' secondary wife, or Myrto never existed.

Economic Situation
Socrates’ economic situation was not prosperous (from our perspective). This was because he did not practice the trade of stonecutter or sculptor, nor did he get paid for his teaching, as he mentioned in his Apology — he was not a teacher, but had interlocutors. In the Apology, he also mentions to the judges that due to his divine mission, to examine the people (the Athenians in this case), he had no time to attend to either his trade, his politics, or his family matters.

He despised those who mocked him and was convinced that wealth was not found in the accumulation of material goods, but in simple living. He supported the idea: “…the less we are tied (to material goods), the closer we are to the divine.” He explained this idea in all his dialogues and elaborated on it in the Phaedo, giving the definition of prudence.

Socrates had a strict order between words and deeds. He consciously did not want wealth, which is proven by the fact that Charmides (Plato’s uncle) offered him slaves to increase his income, but Socrates did not accept them. Alcibiades offered him a large plot of land to build a house, and Socrates replied: “…if I needed shoes and you gave me the entire hide, would I not be ridiculous to accept it?” He did not accept donations from wealthy friends and acquaintances who respected him, such as Archelaus of Macedon, Scopas of Cranon, and Eurylocus of Larisa. In the Platonic dialogue Eryxias, he argues fully on this topic. Material wealth, according to Socrates, is the balance between basic needs and income, not the quantity of money. Socrates had few needs, which he satisfied with his income, so he was richer than someone who might have had many times more money but many more needs.

From Demetrius of Phalerum, we have the information that Socrates owned a house and 70 minae, which were managed by Criton. From there, he secured his essentials. His ability to participate in campaigns as a hoplite — meaning to buy weapons — confirms the existence of property. (indicates that he had some financial means.)

Physical Appearance
He had an eccentric gait, walked with his head held high, cast sideways, penetrating glances like those of a bull, as Alcibiades informs us in the Symposium. Aristophanes in The Clouds says that Socrates walked with a swagger (Vrenthyē) and “cast sideways glances.” He wore a rough Laconian cloak (tribon) winter and summer. He exercised regularly because the soul is like a vessel connected to the body, a point he elaborates on in Plato’s Republic.

Agora
It is located to the northwest of the Acropolis. The discussions of the Athenians took place in the Agora (from the verb ageirō, meaning "to gather" or "assemble," hence the term "agora," gathering place, and the verb "to speak").

In the Agora, there were grand buildings, statues, altars to gods, and busts, etc. The space was sacred, which is why it was purified by the priests, meaning that entrance was prohibited to non-Athenians, Athenians condemned for dishonorable crimes (dishonored), metics, slaves, effeminate men, etc.

Many times, when his friends learned that a wise or sophist teacher was giving a lecture, they would bring Socrates there to engage in dialectical combat and watch the discussion. Since Socrates did not have the money to pay for such a conversation, they would pay instead. It was common for a wealthy Athenian to host a foreigner (that is, a Greek from another city), a distinguished philosopher. At such times, meetings and interesting discussions were held, which contributed significantly to the development of philosophy and the overall intellectual progress. One such discussion took place in the house of Pythodorus in the Kerameikos, when Socrates conversed with Zeno and Parmenides about the complex issue of the existence of ideas and their relationship to sensible things

Gymnasiums
When he was not engaging in dialogue, he exercised in one of the three public gymnasiums: the Lyceum, the Academy, and Cynosarges. These were impressive buildings with porticoes, hot and cold baths, gymnasiums, changing rooms, leisure rooms, weights, statues of champions, and statues of gods, particularly Hermes, who was the protector. The Lyceum was the oldest gymnasium in Athens, located to the east near the Ilissus River (close to the Rizarios School) with a large area, as this is where the cavalry practiced and performed displays.

The Lyceum was founded by Pisistratus in honor of Apollo Lyceius, surrounded by splendid vegetation and tall plane trees. It was in this area that Aristotle established his school.

The other gymnasium Socrates frequented was Cynosarges (still officially named Cynosarges today, known as Neos Kosmos). The place got its name from a random event that took place. Once, while the Athenians were making a sacrifice to Heracles, a dog with white shiny fur (argos) snatched a piece of the sacrificial animal, which, while being chased, abandoned it somewhere. To appease the gods, the Athenians built a sanctuary to Heracles and a gymnasium at the spot where the dog had left its prey, as the oracle had instructed

Finally, Socrates also visited the gymnasium of the Academy (a suburb named after the mythical hero Academus). This area was sacred to Athena and filled with her sacred tree, the olive. Cimon took special care of this place and transformed it into a dense, shady grove, with altars and statues. It was here, in the olive grove, that Plato was later buried.

Socrates’ Positions
[Greek] “…ἐλαχίστων δεόμενος ἔγγιστα εἶναι θεῶν.”
[English] "...asking for the least, to be nearest to the gods."

The Soul is immaterial; therefore, it is drawn toward the sky (the Good). The Body is material; therefore, it is drawn toward the earth (matter). The more someone is attached to matter, the more they commit injustice and thus move away from the Good. Socrates’ goal was to set matter aside as much as possible so that he could be as Free as possible to attune himself to the Good. For Socrates, school (leisure, free time—hence an opportunity for learning) was the best of possessions because it provided the time for seeking.

His Teaching
Since the creation of the universe is mathematically perfect, it is Wise. By discerning the way the universe was created, we perceive the logic by which it was made and, consequently, Wisdom. However, nothing comes into being by itself; therefore, through Wisdom, we discern the Creator, who is Wise.

Up until Pythagoras, sharp-minded individuals were called Wise. Pythagoras put things in order by stating that only the All-Begetting Mind is Wise; therefore, those who love Wisdom cannot be Wise but only Philosophers. Socrates said the same in Plato’s work Symposium. Until Socrates, Philosophy was something between philosophy and astronomy. Essentially, it was a philosophical approach to becoming.

Socrates changed everything! He crystallized the Structure of Logic by which the All-Begetting Mind created everything (Wisdom), thus providing the true definition of philosophy. In this way, philosophy became a (human) Measure of comparison in relation to everything, not just to astronomy.

[Greek] “…ἐπὶ Σωκράτους δὲ […], τὸ ζητεῖν τὰ περὶ φύσεως ἔληξε, περὶ δὲ τὴν χρήσιμον ἀρετὴν καἰ πολιτικὴν ἀπόκλιναν οἱ φιλοσοφοῦντες.”

[English] "...but in the time of Socrates [...], the inquiry into the nature of things came to an end, and the philosophers turned instead towards practical virtue and political matters."

— Aristotle [On the Parts of Animals, 642a]

Reality is one and specific—hence a constant (const). What we perceive, that is, the perspective, how close or far we are from the axis called Reality, is up to us—hence a variable (var). Since “we” are also a variable (var), given that no one is identical to anyone else, Socrates, in the dialogue Republic (specifically in 509 and following), spoke of the four levels of Thought (regarding Quality). His dialogues—and thus his teachings—are written in such a way that they simultaneously address all four levels of Thought. Accordingly, depending on which level we are at—both Qualitatively and Quantitatively—we perceive things accordingly, with clear educational elevation upwards. The structure of the texts is similar to that of the Structure of Esoteric Discourses (Mysteries), whether it is Theater at the level of the uninitiated or Theater at the level of the initiated.

In short, through his teaching, Socrates changed Philosophy forever. He established Philosophy as the axis of decoding everything.

Technique
The Technique Socrates used in teaching was entirely different from that of other Philosophers. He used to say that he did the same work as his mother, of course with an allegorical meaning. He did not deliver babies, but ideas. The pains of childbirth are paralleled with the pains of the student in bringing forth, that is, recognizing and then drawing from the depths, ideas. Birth is paralleled with the discovery of truth.

Socrates maintained—and proved—that knowledge preexists within the soul of humans (Meno and Phaedo, Platonic works). Through questioning, Socrates brought to consciousness the ideas that the soul already held. Socrates maintained—and proved—that knowledge preexists within the soul of humans (Platonic works Meno and Phaedo). Through questioning, Socrates brought to consciousness the ideas that the soul already held within itself. This method was called the maieutic method.

The first thing Socrates sought to achieve with his interlocutor(s) was for them to experience the meaning of gnōthi seauton (“know thyself”). In every dialogue, Socrates pretended to be ignorant of the subject and asked to learn what it was about. The interlocutor—confident in himself (arrogance)—would give a definition. Socrates, through questions based on the given definition, would lead him into successive logical dead ends. He would prove to him that he did not actually know but merely believed that he knew.

For example, in the dialogue Meno, Meno was forced, through Socrates’ questions, to repeatedly contradict and disprove himself. In this way, Socrates activated the interlocutor’s self-awareness of their ignorance—a fundamental step in the ascent toward knowledge. Once self-awareness of ignorance was confirmed, the questions shifted from a critical nature to an elevating one.

The Socratic technique is clearly similar to that of the Esoteric Discourses (Eleusinian Mysteries). He did not teach students to parrot information but, through his lessons, to enter into the logic of Logic itself, so that they could act independently.

The Accusers
Anytus: He was the son of the wealthy Anthemion. He inherited a large fortune and a tannery from his father. Anthemion was, according to Socrates, a self-made, dignified man who, despite his great wealth, was humble. Anytus engaged in politics (he belonged to the Democrats). In 409 BC, he was chosen by lot as a General and went with 30 ships to assist Pylos, which was besieged by the Spartans. The mission failed, and the Athenian Democracy accused him of treason. He was acquitted because he bribed the judges—since he himself was a Democrat, as Aristotle, Diogenes Laertius, and Diodorus Siculus inform us.

When the Thirty Tyrants took power, he fled from Athens with other Democrats and returned when Democracy was restored in 403 BC.

In the dialogue Meno, Socrates converses with the Thessalian Meno about virtue. Among the dialogue’s participants was Anytus. This conversation contributed decisively to Anytus’ hatred on two levels—first political and then personal (as these are interconnected), since Socrates was scathing [Meno, 95a]. Socrates praised Anytus’ father, Anthemion, but criticized Anytus himself because, though he had inherited wealth (i.e., he had everything handed to him), he was arrogant. Socrates demonstrated that Anytus used his education to deceive the masses and gain political influence.

Anytus could not contain himself and burst out, warning Socrates to be careful, as in Democratic Athens, it was easier for someone to do harm than good. Socrates, well aware of the nature of Democracy (analyzed in Republic, 555b), recognized the threat, which was soon realized.

Nevertheless, Socrates sarcastically remarked to Meno:

“…ὦ Μένων, Ἄνυτος μέν μοι δοκεῖ χαλεπαίνειν, καὶ οὐδὲν θαυμάζω…νῦν δὲ ἀγνοεῖ.”

(“…O Meno, I think Anytus is angry, but this does not surprise me… If he ever realizes what true slander is, he will stop being angry. Until then, he remains in ignorance.”)

Socrates ridiculed him, proving that, despite his high opinion of himself, he was small and foolish—precisely because he had such a high opinion of himself.

Meletus: He was an obscure young poet from the municipality of Pitthos, who was completely unknown to Socrates. In Socrates' conversation with Euthyphro, Socrates mentions that he had the impression he was someone with straight long hair, sparse beard, and a curved nose. ("...I do not really know the man myself, Euthyphro; I think he is young and unknown to me. But they call him, as I believe, Meletus. He is from the municipality of Pitthos, if you have any notion of such a person, a certain Meletus with lank hair, not much of a beard, but a rather hooked nose.” | Plato’s Euthyphro 2b). This Meletus had no relation to the tragic poet Meletus. Because Meletus was the one who filed the indictment (lawsuit), he spoke first in court. He received Socrates' overwhelming arguments to such an extent that he remained silent.

Lycon: He was a demagogue from the municipality of Thoricus. He prepared the evidence for the trial. The information we have about him is the least among the three accusers.

Anytus, in essence, represented the prominent politicians who had been offended by Socrates' caustic nature, Meletus similarly represented the poets, and Lycon represented the demagogues.

The Accusation
During the Dionysia in 423 BC, Aristophanes presented the comedy "Clouds". The first version underwent major modifications before being presented to the public. Today, the second version survives. The central figure of the play was Socrates, about whom many falsehoods were said. Aristophanes, in his role as a comic playwright, depicted things in a way that ridiculed Socrates and his philosophy. He called him a sophist and claimed that he corrupted the youth because he encouraged them not to focus on increasing their wealth and that he introduced new deities that appeared dim like the clouds. Twenty-three years later, Socrates would be sentenced to death based on this accusation.

Meletus submitted to the court the indictment (lawsuit), which stated the following:

"...Meletus, son of Meletus of Pitthos, has brought and sworn this charge against Socrates, son of Sophroniscus of Alopeke: Socrates is guilty of not believing in the gods recognized by the city, but introducing new and different divine entities. He is also guilty of corrupting the youth. The penalty is death." (Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book II, Chapter 5, §40).

That is, Socrates did not follow the city's religious laws, introduced a different perspective on the gods, and corrupted the youth—both regarding their approach to the gods and by encouraging them to philosophize instead of seeking wealth.

The Trial
The Heliaia was the supreme court of Athens (Heliaia or Haliaia, from halia, meaning an outdoor assembly under the sun), and its judges were called Heliasts. It consisted of 6,000 members elected by lot each year. A prerequisite—besides being an Athenian citizen—was to have completed their 30th year of age. The Heliaia judged cases in sections composed of 501 judges. In courts called timētai (such as Socrates’ trial), the accuser proposed the penalty, while in courts called atimētoi, the law prescribed the penalty.

The vote was binary: either diatretos (guilty) or atreptos (not guilty). If the result was guilty, a second vote followed to determine the punishment, in which the defendant had the right to propose his penalty. If in the first vote the court ruled atreptos (not guilty), the accuser was fined 1,000 drachmas and stripped of some rights.

At around seventy years old, Socrates was called for the first time to speak before judges and such a large audience. His Apology is estimated to have lasted about six hours, and along with the rest of the procedures, the trial lasted all day. Xenophon informs us that there was commotion among the judges, which developed into envy towards Socrates because he said things they did not like. This means that Socrates, with his caustic and critical manner, challenged their egos.

With his well-known logic, Socrates refuted all the flimsy arguments used by his enemies to support the charges. One of the accusations was that he took money to teach, but Socrates stated that the greatest proof against this falsehood was his poverty—besides, no one came forward as a witness to claim they had paid him tuition fees.

Socrates told the court that Chaerephon had gone to Delphi and asked the Pythia who was the wisest of all men, and the Pythia replied: "Of all men, Socrates is the wisest" (note the detail—she did not call him wise, but wisest among all men, as only the All-Creating Nous is truly wise). To confirm this, he brought as a witness Chaerephon’s brother, Chaerecrates, since Chaerephon had died.

This Delphic oracle took Socrates by surprise, and he sought to understand why he was given this honorary distinction, as he was aware of the unanswered questions he held within himself (thus, his lack of knowledge). However, through discussions with many who claimed to be wise, he demonstrated with his well-known method that they were anything but wise. Then he understood why the Pythia had called him the wisest of all. She called him that because he was aware of his own ignorance (gnothi seauton), hence the famous "I know one thing: that I know nothing," giving him the proper foundation for the pursuit of knowledge.

A defamation against Socrates had persisted for years, which was difficult to change in just six hours. The judges did not have the opportunity to see whether his actions aligned with his words. Various comic poets had contributed to this defamation, including Aristophanes with Clouds.

Socrates provoked an uproar among the judges by telling them that he would never change his way of life, even if he had to die many times. He then told them not to make noise and to listen carefully, as they would benefit. At that point, he compared himself to a gadfly trying to wake up the strong but sluggish horse that was Athens and that they would not find another like him. He also said that for their sake, he had neglected his own family and, like a father or elder brother, had tried to persuade the Athenians to care for virtue. He stated that he had not engaged in politics because his inner daimonion (a guiding divine presence) had not allowed him to, and rightly so—otherwise, he would have been morally ruined long ago and unable to help himself or others. The judges once again became enraged. Socrates was found guilty with 281 votes against and 220 in favor, leading to the second part of the proceedings.

Meletus was called to propose the punishment. Without any moral integrity, instead of proposing a lighter punishment, he again proposed death. The judges then asked Socrates to propose what he thought he deserved.

Socrates told them that someone who had spent his life making Athenians more virtuous deserved free meals at the Prytaneion (like the great benefactors, the Olympic champions, etc.. ) The judges were enraged again. His students and friends Plato, Crito, Critobulus, and Apollodorus, pleaded with him to name any sum and they would pay for him. Socrates suggested 100 drachmas. The court, with a difference of 80 votes, sentenced him to death.

The End
Socrates remained in prison for about 30 days. The delay in the execution occurred because the Theoria could not return from Delos due to bad weather (The 'Theoria' in this context refers to a religious practice in ancient Greece, where a group of sacred representatives would travel to Delos to perform rituals). While the Theoria was absent in Delos, executions were not allowed. This gave the opportunity for two more dialogues to be written: the dialogue 'Crito,' in which he argues why he does not wish to escape, and the dialogue 'Phaedo,' in which he argues about the existence of the Soul and its journey in the Dionysian 'revival' of the Secret Teachings (Mysteries). The Theoria returned, and Socrates drank the hemlock calmly, for the time had come to leave the body behind and rush toward eternal knowledge. It was the first year of the 95th Olympiad (400 BC).