This was especially pertinent in the wake of the disaster experienced by Athens over the several years leading up to the trial. Impiety was a very serious charge in Athens because Athenians thought that one person offending the gods could incur the gods’ wrath on the whole city. Socrates was charged with impiety, a very broad religious accusation that essentially alleged that Socrates had rejected traditional Athenian religious customs. He was convicted by a jury of Athenian citizens and was subsequently sentenced to death.

In 399 B.C., Socrates was put on trial for impiety. Socrates was a prominent, yet controversial, Athenian philosopher who profoundly influenced the history of Western philosophical thought through his life, methods, beliefs, and legacy that was carried on by his students, most notably Plato. This led many Athenians to suspect religious disturbances as the cause of their great misfortune. Athenians believe that failure to appease the gods through customary procedures would bring calamity. The most important function of religion was to ensure that the gods’ favored the city. ExplanationĪthenian religion was highly ritualistic and consisted of a multitude of public festivals, ceremonies, and sacrifices.

As a result of all this turmoil, a significant proportion of the Athenian population died, and there was tremendous religious upheaval. Around the same time, Athens also experienced a devastating plague. The Athenian democracy was replaced with a pro-Spartan oligarchy that terrorized and executed hundreds of Athenian citizens before it was overthrown, and the democracy was restored. In 404 B.C., Athens was defeated by its rival Greek city-state, Sparta, in the Peloponnesian War. The trial of Socrates occurred in the wake of arguably the most disastrous and tumultuous period in the history of the Greek city-state of Athens.

Trial of socrates plato