Existential comics: 'The Apology'

There have been many comics about Socrates' trial through the years. Many stories, videos, articles, essays, and books, too. Many of them have been satirical in nature, as it is very easy to make fun of someone who pretty much signed his own death warrant. As long as it's 2000+ years ago, of course.

2414 years ago, one of Hellas' greatest thinkers stood trial before a jury of 500 men, chosen by lot. Socrates (Σωκράτης), a philosopher who was of the opinion that people should not be self-governing; they needed to be led, like a shepherd led a flock of sheep. He was of the opinion that the average Athenian neither had the basic virtue necessary to nurture a good society, nor the intelligence to foster such virtue within themselves. As such, he was against the democratic system that came to fruition in the city of Athens at the same time he did.

Socrates was vocal about his ideas. He took to the streets and proclaimed them loudly, often while looking down upon those who passed him. Socrates' anti-governmental and reformatory speeches spoke to the Athenian youth. In a trying time after the loss of a major offensive against Sparta, old and young Athenian men--and their ideals--collided, and Socrates put fuel on the fire. Socrates' actions seem to go from being laughable to being subversive around 417 BC.

After a brief stint of tiranic rule over Athens, flueled by Socrates' ideas, Socrates managed to make himself even more unpopular by continuing the teachings and speeches that had caused the death or exile of hundreds of Atenians during the rule of the tirans. Another uprising in 401 against the democracy--although unsuccessful--might have been the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back; Socrates was sued by Melitus, a poet. Laertios, who appears to have seen the original trial minutes describes the vote that concludes one of the most famous trials in history:

"So when he had been condemned by two hundred and eighty-one votes, being six more than were given in his favour, and when the judges were making an estimate of what punishment or fine should be inflicted on him, he said that he ought to be fined five and twenty drachmas; but Eubulides says that he admitted that he deserved a fine of one hundred. And when the judges raised an outcry at this proposition, he said, "My real opinion is, that as a return for what has been done by me, I deserve a maintenance in the Prytaneum for the rest of my life." So they condemned him to death, by eighty votes more than they had originally found him guilty. And he was put into prison, and a few days afterwards he drank the hemlock, having held many admirable conversations in the meantime, which Plato has recorded in the Phaedo."

In short: Socrates would have lived if he had kept his mouth shut--and the comic I'd like to share today pretty much nails Socrates'attitude! I loved reading it, and I hope you do, too!

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