History Literature / ApologyOfSocrates

* CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority: The CoolOldGuy, Socrates. It has to be noted, though, that he's only "rebelling" against the earthly, human authority, in the name of compliance with the higher one - the law, and, above all, god.

* CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority: The CoolOldGuy, Socrates.

* HonorBeforeReason: Socrates defines his life philosophy by this trope. He considers injustice and dishonesty as things to be avoided at all costs, even if it means his own death.

* CourtroomAntic: Some scholars have pointed out that Socrates appears to either ignore or deliberately flout some of the rhetorical tricks and flourishes that his audience would have expected a defendant to provide. It's somewhat debated whether he merely wanted his arguments to stand on their own force, or if this was done in deliberate mockery to demonstrate the contempt he held for his accusers, the accusations, and by extension Athenian society in general.

* AppealToPity: {{Averted}}, with his explicitly declaring that he would not bring his sons to court.. This is what the accusers expected Socrates to do, and if he did, it would most probably save him (even though he would lose his authority over the Athenians), but he [[HonorBeforeReason preferred to risk his life]] than humiliate himself in public.

* TheGadfly: TropeNamer. Socrates compares his relationship to the Athenian democracy to that of a gadfly pestering a horse.

* MoralGuardians: Socrates' accusers.

* UnaccustomedAsIAmToPublicSpeaking: This is how Socrates poses himself in his beginning words, when he says that he is a first-time defendant and does not even know proper terminology used during the trials.

* AppealToPity: Averted, with his explicitly declaring that he would not bring his sons to court.. This is what the accusers expected Socrates to do, and if he did, it would most probably save him (even though he would lose his authority over the Athenians), but he [[HonorBeforeReason preferred to risk his life]] than humiliate himself in public.

* DemocracyIsBad: A possible message of the text.

* HearingVoices: The way Socrates contacts with his mysterious inner spirit.

* PrinciplesZealot: Lampshaded in ''Criton'', which describes Socrates' conversation with a friend after the trial.
* ProphecyTwist: Subverted. Socrates offers a twisted interpretation of the prophecy as a justification of his deeds (the implication being that he is a victim of the prophecy - IF he misunderstood it - in a similar way to Oedipus), but both he and his accusers know perfectly well that the twist (if not the prophecy) is invented by him.

* DeathOfTheAuthor: When Socrates listened to the poets (to see if they were wise), he found they were utterly incapable of interpreting their own works.

* DeathoftheAuthor: When Socrates listened to the poets (to see if they were wise), he found they were utterly incapable of interpreting their own works.

* RealPersonFic: Like every Plato's dialogue.

Apart from being one of the oldest examples of the LawProcedural genre in history, it is an important ethical work, discussing the significance of truth in ethics and the real meaning of death. Although, as with all dialogues written by Plato, it is debatable in what degree it describes the historical Socrates instead of being an AuthorTract, it is usually acknowledged to be one of the earliest Plato's texts, which means there is a good chance that the Socrates from ''Apology'' expresses his own views (in the latter case it may be the case when ShamingTheMob did not work). The fact that other authors wrote accounts of Socrates' trial that largely agree with Plato lend evidence to the theory (although some, like {{Xenophon}}, may have relied in part on Plato, so there's some evidence pulling the other way). Some interpreters say that the dialogue, along with a few other Plato's works, [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory foreshadows Christian ethics and eschatology]]. As Socrates himself says: God only knows.

* AppealToPity: Averted. This is what the accusers expected Socrates to do, and if he did, it would most probably save him (even though he would lose his authority over the Athenians), but he [[HonorBeforeReason preferred to risk his life]] than humiliate himself in public.

* TheGadfly: TropeNamer: Socrates compares his relationship to the Athenian democracy to that of a gadfly pestering a horse.

Apart from being one of the oldest examples of the LawProcedural genre in history, it is an important ethical work, discussing the significance of truth in ethics and the real meaning of death. Although, as with all dialogues written by Plato, it is debatable in what degree it describes the historical Socrates instead of being an AuthorTract, it is usually acknowledged to be one of the earliest Plato's texts, which mean there is a good chance that the Socrates from ''Apology'' expresses his own views (in the latter case it may be the case when ShamingTheMob did not work). The fact that other authors wrote accounts of Socrates' trial that largely agree with Plato lend evidence to the theory (although some, like {{Xenophon}}, may have relied in part on Plato, so there's some evidence pulling the other way). Some interpreters say that the dialogue, along with a few other Plato's works, [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory foreshadows Christian ethics and eschatology]]. As Socrates himself says: God only knows.

Apart from being one of the oldest examples of the LawProcedural genre in history, it is an important ethical work, discussing the significance of truth in ethics and the real meaning of death. Although, as with all dialogues written by Plato, it is debatable in what degree it describes the historical Socrates instead of being an AuthorTract, it is usually acknowledged to be one of the earliest Plato's texts, which mean there is a good chance that the Socrates from ''Apology'' expresses his own views (in the latter case it may be the case when ShamingTheMob did not work). Some interpreters say that the dialogue, along with a few other Plato's works, [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory foreshadows Christian ethics and eschatology]]. As Socrates himself says: God only knows.

--> ''I will begin at the beginning, and ask what the accusation is which has given rise to this slander of me, and which has encouraged Meletus to proceed against me. What do the slanderers say? (...) "Socrates is an evil-doer, and a curious person, who searches into things under the earth and in heaven, and he makes the worse appear the better cause; and he teaches the aforesaid doctrines to others."''

One of Plato's dialogues, the ''Apology'' (like all works by {{Plato}}) takes place in [[AncientGreece Greece in the 5th century BC]], being written a little bit later. It describes the famous trial of Creator/{{Socrates}}, performed in Athens after he was accused of blasphemy and [[ThinkOfTheChildren corruption of youth]]. The degree in which it reflects the real event is debatable, but the trial must have had many witnesses (with Plato most probably being one of them), who could help establish the accurate version of all three speeches. Nonetheless, the dialogue is impressive by itself because of its literary value. Of all Plato's dialogues, this one is used as a translating exercise by the students of classical Greek most often, because it is relatively easy to read and very well-written (with numerous examples of famous [[{{Irony}} Socratic irony]]) at the same time.

One of Plato's dialogues, the ''Apology'' (like all works by {{Plato}}) takes place in [[AncientGreece Greece in the 5th century BC]], being written a little bit later. It describes the famous trial of {{Socrates}}, performed in Athens after he was accused of blasphemy and [[ThinkOfTheChildren corruption of youth]]. The degree in which it reflects the real event is debatable, but the trial must have had many witnesses (with Plato most probably being one of them), who could help establish the accurate version of all three speeches. Nonetheless, the dialogue is impressive by itself because of its literary value. Of all Plato's dialogues, this one is used as a translating exercise by the students of classical Greek most often, because it is relatively easy to read and very well-written (with numerous examples of famous [[{{Irony}} Socratic irony]]) at the same time.

One of Plato's dialogues, the ''Apology'' (like all works by {{Plato}}) takes place in [[AncientGreece Greece in the 5th century BC]], being written a little bit later. It describes the famous trial of Socrates, performed in Athens after he was accused of blasphemy and [[ThinkOfTheChildren corruption of youth]]. The degree in which it reflects the real event is debatable, but the trial must have had many witnesses (with Plato most probably being one of them), who could help establish the accurate version of all three speeches. Nonetheless, the dialogue is impressive by itself because of its literary value. Of all Plato's dialogues, this one is used as a translating exercise by the students of classical Greek most often, because it is relatively easy to read and very well-written (with numerous examples of famous [[{{Irony}} Socratic irony]]) at the same time.

* AppealToPity: averted. This is what the accusers expected Socrates to do, and if he did, it would most probably save him (even though he would lose his authority over the Athenians), but he [[HonorBeforeReason preferred to risk his life]] than humiliate himself in public.

* CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority: the CoolOldGuy, Socrates.
* DemocracyIsBad: a possible message of the text.
* DisproportionateRetribution: scholars still debate over the actual reason of Socrates' trial, though - it might have been more or less connected with politics rather than philosophy, in which case 'corrupting youths' would mean actively encouraging the rule of aristocracy rather than democratic government.

* DownerBeginning: along with...

--> '''Socrates:''' no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death.
* HearingVoices: the way Socrates contacts with his mysterious inner spirit.
* IWontSayImGuilty: even though his friends persuaded him to do so (see ''Criton'').
* {{Irony}}: this text is made of it.

* MiscarriageOfJustice: one of the best known in history.

* NotAfraidToDie: one of Socrates' reasons is that WeAllDieSomeday, and you never know when LifeWillKillYou.
* OlderThanFeudalism: by 800 to 1000 years.
* ThePhilosopher: guess who?
* PrinciplesZealot: lampshaded in ''Criton'', which describes Socrates' conversation with a friend after the trial.
* ProphecyTwist: subverted. Socrates offers a twisted interpretation of the prophecy as a justification of his deeds (the implication being that he is a victim of the prophecy - IF he misunderstood it - in a similar way to Oedipus), but both he and his accusers know perfectly well that the twist (if not the prophecy) is invented by him.
* RealPersonFic: like every Plato's dialogue.

* UnaccustomedAsIAmToPublicSpeaking: this is how Socrates poses himself in his beginning words, when he says that he is a first-time defendant and does not even know proper terminology used during the trials.
* StoicWoobie: Socrates. And how.
* VictoriousLoser: and a DoomedMoralVictor, no less.

One of Plato's dialogues, the ''Apology'' (like all works by {{Plato}}) takes place in [[AncientGreece Greece in the 5th century BC]], being written a little bit later. It describes the famous trial of Socrates, performed in Athens after he was accused of blasphemy and [[ThinkOfTheChildren corruption of youth]]. The degree in which it reflects the real event is debatable, but the trial must have had many witnesses (with Plato most probably being one of them), who could help establish the accurate version of all three speeches. Nonetheless, the dialogue is impressive by itself because of its literary value. Of all Plato's dialogues, this one is used as a translating exercise by the students of classical Greek most often, because it is relatively easy to read and very well-written (with numerous examples of famous [[{{Irony}}Socratic irony]]) at the same time.

One of Plato's dialogues, the ''Apology'' (like all works by {{Plato}}) takes place in [[AncientGreece Greece in the 5th century BC]], being written a little bit later. It describes the famous trial of Socrates, performed in Athens after he was accused of blasphemy and [[ThinkOfTheChildren corruption of youth]]. The degree in which it reflects the real event is debatable, but the trial must have had many witnesses (with Plato most probably being one of them), who could help establish the accurate version of all three speeches. Nonetheless, the dialogue is impressive by itself because of its literary value. Of all Plato's dialogues, this one is used as a translating exercise by the students of classical Greek most often, because it is relatively easy to read and very well-written (with numerous examples of famous Socratic irony) at the same time.

One of Plato's dialogues, the ''Apology'' (like all works by {{Plato}}) takes place in Greece in the 5th century BC, being written a little bit later. It describes the famous trial of Socrates, performed in Athens after he was accused of blasphemy and [[ThinkOfTheChildren corruption of youth]]. The degree in which it reflects the real event is debatable, but the trial must have had many witnesses (with Plato most probably being one of them), who could help establish the accurate version of all three speeches. Nonetheless, the dialogue is impressive by itself because of its literary value. Of all Plato's dialogues, this one is used as a translating exercise by the students of classical Greek most often, because it is relatively easy to read and very well-written (with numerous examples of famous Socratic irony) at the same time.

* AncientGreece: the Golden Age in Athens.

* MentorOccupationalHazard: Socrates]].