Dear Susie:

  In 399 B.C. Socrates was accused of "impiety" and of "neglect of the Gods whom the city worships and the practise of religious novelties" and of the "corruption of the young". He was sentenced to die by poisoning. Thus although Socrates accepted his fate and drank the poison himself without protest, this really cannot be considered suicide. Had he resisted, most likely the poison would have been administered against his will.

Socrates was a honorable man. His friends try to convince him to escape to Thessaly by means they could arrange. Socrates turns down their offer insisting that ne cannot return evil for evil. Socrates believes he has a duty to respect the due process of law of the city that nurtured him. 

Politics was involved in the the reason Socrates was tried and convicted. Socrates did not, however, seek to involve himself in the political life of Athens as he felt that there would inevitably be compromises of principle that he was not prepared to make, and this is exactly what happened. 

In the political climate of the restored democracy that was rather reactionary, Socrates, who was seen as a teacher of novel ideas of morality and justice, was not held in great favor. This and other factors accumulated the disfavor with Socrates. Certainly, Socrates had alienated many powerful men by relentlessly questioning Gadfly causing these men to face their personal ignorance or their own shortfalls in office. As always, truth intimidates.

The very last days of Socrates are recorded in Plato's the Phaedo. Socrates shackles are removed and he is allowed a final visit from his weeping wife Xanthippe who has brought with her their infant son in her arms.

Following Xanthippe's visit Socrates' final hours were spent in discussion with a group of his friends, the subjects of discussion included "the immortality of the soul". This discussion was later written about by Plato who was not actually present on this last day possibly because his own distress might well have disappointed his friend Socrates.

The discussions set out in the Phaedo feature a justification of a life lived with a view to the "cultivation of the Soul". The Orphic and Pythagorean faith background against which Socrates lived accepted the deathlessness of ths Soul, and accepted physical death as also involving the release of the Soul.

It is well worth anyone to read Plato's Dialogues and examine fully the life and philosophy of Socrates. In fact I would suggest that one cannot consider themselves educated without studying the ancient Greek philosophers.

God bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary