Tom Paine
20. November 2007 19:49
Ed Sanders
Everyone, even a saviour or a hero,
is a criminal to someone
Socrates was brought to trial in Athens
in 399 BC
and a jury of 501 narrowly voted
to sentence him to die
They didn't like what Socrates was teaching the Greeks
He was "questioning tradition"
in the cultural crisis from the
the war with Sparta
You can read about his end in Plato's Phaedo:
"You have only to drink this," the servant said, "and to walk about
until your legs feel heavy, and then lie down, Socrates, Socrates lie down
and it will act by itself"
Socrates drank down the cup of hemlock
drank it down cheerfully
The tears of his friends flowed down their faces
Stay calm," said Socrates, "and please hold up
for I have heard that a man should die peacefully"
and then he took his final walk
slower slower slower
and then he took his final walk
slower slower slower
as the feeling went out of his limbs
then Socrates lay down on the ground
and the soul of Socrates left his body like a shooting star
after his perp-walk perp-walk perp-walk