Platos Apology

428-348 BC (aged 80 y.o)

428-404 BC formative yrs Peloponnesian War in full throttle
Came from a high-aristocratic fam wealthy fam and upbringing very
distinguished family
Aristocracy would have been drawn to democracy as it provides an arena for
which they could attempt to prove themselves
Plato was highly critical of democracy
Participated briefly in gov (direct democracy)
Went to Siracusa for a short while and acted as a mentor/tutor to Dionysus II
[the Tyrant] and put his ideas of the philosopher kings theory into practice.
Became disillusioned and went back to Athens to estab his school, the
Academy named as a result of being estabd in a grove sacred to the god
Academus.
Had a very jaundiced (sickly/tinted/biased/unfavourable/prejudiced) view of
democracy.
He was an admirer and follower of Socrates, perhaps even had sexual
relations w/ him given that adolescent boys were taken under the wing of an
older man and it was common and accepted for the two to have a
relationship.
A proto-fascist
Plato hates rhetoricians and therefore rhetoric he sees it as s.t which
promotes individual concern/arguments regardless of the truth
Context of the Trial
Process:
A jury of 501 jurors
A judge presides over the court, to ensure that all laws and rules are adhered
to, and finally delivers the sentence
The jury hears both sides of the story and makes an informed decision about
whether the indiv is guilty or not.
Jurors job in Ancient Greece were diff to todays they are also the judge,
whether or not s.o is guilty of a crime, but they also vote and decide on the
punishment as put forward by the prosecution and the defence.
The prosecutors were the ppl/person who brought forth the charges makes
sense in a direct democracy for e.o in that instance is the State, but wouldnt
make sense today given that we are separate to the state today.
The jury are both judge and jury to a degree, s.t which we dont have today.
This was for serious crimes magistrates courts dont hear rape and murder
cases, they hear theft, assault, etc.
The Areopagus (Crag of Ares) is where the court was held
E.t was public, who you were was public
Participation in duties of the state, including court participation, was an
obligation for it not only showed that they were actively participating in state
affairs, but it also showed who they were
We dont partic. In soc like they did
Only males in society for women werent allowed to be involved in state
affairs.
Fit perfectly w/ the way Athenians saw society and the state as a public
space where a.o could partic.

 BOTH SIDES PUT THEIR CASE FORWARD UING ARGUMENTS TO PERSUADE

THE JURY OF THE MERITS OF RIGHT OR WRONG rhetoric (Plato thinks
rhetoric doesnt lead to the absolute truth and therefore is a neutral thing, but
not s.t worthwhile to use) and logic and evidence are methods of making ppl
believe in their arguments.
SHC
Set in 399 BC
Pelops war Athens defeated by Sparta brief tyrannical rule under the Thirty
Tyrants democracy restored
This is the fall/decline of Athens the end of the Golden/Periclean Age
Decline in both Athens milit power (decline of empire), economics, stability,
and politically
Sees his w/ Thucydides says it wouldnt have happened 30-40 yrs ago
democracy cant function properly if there arent any edud ppl who can
control the nation, allowing demagogues and pol tyrants to take control of the
state
An element of truth in nostalgising the past life generally isnt the way ppl
describe it.
Platos experience about Athen and hate of the Athenian sys may very well
have had some justification to it Plague killed thousands, the war was
destroying them, etc

Paragraph one of the introduction: tells us the charges

Plato has this right in the way he presents Socrates to us
The gist is correct, but the actual presentation of Socrates varies.
Text much like Thucydides acknowledges that speeches cant be
remembered and writes his speeches based on what a persons character
might allow them to say.
We dont know if this was written for private or public consumption
For Plato, persuasion was based on truth.
rather he sneers at his opponent treatment of Meletus
Socrates highlights the contradiction of ppls thoughts
Socrates makes no real attempt to defend h.s
The charge against him of corrupting the young is for Charmides, Critias, and
Alcibades
He accused e.o of being ignorant
SOCRATES GIVES US THE PROBLEM OF THIS SYSTEM THE AREOPAGUS
His aim was to belittle the great thinkers and poets of the time
Both sides have right on their side, just like the Eumenides

Charges: impiety
Prosecution: 3 Meletus was the main one