Editing Trial of Socrates (section)

==Trial==
[[File: He drank the contents as though it were a draught of Wine.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The Death of Socrates (399 BC): He drank the contents as though it were a draught of wine.]]

The formal accusation was the second element of the trial of Socrates, which the accuser, [[Meletus]], swore to be true, before the [[archon]] (a state officer with mostly religious duties) who considered the evidence and determined that there was an actionable case of "moral corruption of Athenian youth" and "[[impiety]]", for which the philosopher must legally answer; the archon summoned Socrates for a trial by jury.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Filonik|first=Jakub|date=2013|title=Athenian Impiety Trials: A Reappraisal|journal=Dike|volume=16 |issue=16|pages=11–96 |doi=10.13130/1128-8221/4290}}</ref>

Athenian juries were drawn by lottery, from a group of hundreds of male-citizen volunteers; such a great jury usually ensured a majority verdict in a trial. Although neither [[Plato]] nor [[Xenophon of Athens]] identifies the number of jurors, a jury of 501 men likely was the legal norm. In the  ''[[Apology (Plato)|Apology of Socrates]]'' (36a–b), about Socrates's defence at trial, Plato said that if just 30 of the votes had been otherwise, then Socrates would have been acquitted (36a), and that (perhaps) less than three-fifths of the jury voted against him (36b).<ref>The second point is tenable if Socrates's claim (36a–b) entails that Meletus, Lycon, and Anytus each was responsible for one-third of the votes against Socrates, which implies that Meletus failed to persuade less than one-fifth of the judges. The jury of 500 or 501 men, based either on [[Diogenes Laërtius]] (2.41) or on the Aristotelian ''[[Constitution of the Athenians (Aristotle)|Athenaion Politeia]]'' (68). See P. Rhodes, 1981, ''Commentary on the Aristotelian "Athenaion Politeia"'', p. 729.</ref> Assuming a jury of 501, this would imply that he was convicted by a majority of 280 against 221. The citizens were in a state of fear because of the past war and plagues they feared to anger their gods again because of Socrates, so this context can help in understanding the state of mind of some jurors when giving their verdict.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hole |first=George |date=October 2011 |title=Oedipus at the Trial of Socrates |url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/phl.2011.0020. |journal=Philosophy and Literature |volume=35 |pages=360-370 |via=Project MUSE}}</ref>

Having been found guilty of corruption and impiety, Socrates and the prosecutor suggested sentences for the punishment of his crimes against the city-state of Athens. Expressing surprise at the few votes required for an acquittal, Socrates joked that he be punished with free meals at the [[Prytaneum]] (the city's sacred hearth), an honour usually held for a [[benefactor (law)|benefactor]] of Athens, and the victorious athletes of an Olympiad. After that failed suggestion, Socrates then offered to pay a fine of 100 drachmae{{snd}}one-fifth of his property{{snd}}which largesse testified to his integrity and poverty as a philosopher. Finally, a fine of 3,000 drachmae was agreed, proposed by Plato, [[Crito of Alopece|Crito]], Critobulus, and Apollodorus, who guaranteed payment{{snd}}nonetheless, the prosecutor of the trial of Socrates proposed the death penalty for the impious philosopher. (Diogenes Laërtius, 2.42). In the end, the sentence of death was passed by a greater majority of the jury than that by which he had been convicted.

In the event, friends, followers, and students encouraged Socrates to flee Athens, an action which the citizens expected; yet, on principle, Socrates refused to flout the law and escape his legal responsibility to Athens (see: ''[[Crito]]''). Therefore, faithful to his teaching of civic obedience to the law, the 70-year-old Socrates executed his death sentence and drank the hemlock, as condemned at trial. (See: ''[[Phaedo]]'')