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- L.D. Alford
- Author of The Second Mission
- www.lionelalford.com
- www.ldalford.com
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- 18 written, 6 published, 2 on contract
- The Second Mission – historical fiction
- Centurion – historical fiction
- Aegypt – historical fiction/suspense
- The End of Honor - SiFi
- The Fox’s Honor - SiFi
- A Season of Honor - SiFi
- The Sister of Light/Darkness – 2 on contract
- The Shadow/Warrior of Light/Darkness – 4 in consideration
- The Ghost Ship Chronicles – 5 in consideration
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- Historical fiction novel with a SiFi driver
- Idea 1994, start 1996, finished 2000
- Published by Xulon in Aug 2003
- Follows Alan Fisher and Sophia
- Time: October 400 BC to October 399
BC
- Location: Athens Greece
- Available here from me and
Watermark Books
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- 1. Novel, characters, history, politics
- 2. Ancient Greece in time and place – 400 BC
- 3. Paganism and the musterium – 400 BC
- 4. Greek life – 400 BC
- 5. Socrates
- 6. The Socratic Dialogs
- 7. The Death of Socrates
- 8. Conclusion
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- Novel is historical—2+ years of research
- Mainly primary sources in history
- Language, religion, and cultural details
- Suspense driven by historical data
- My question: What would happen if
a modern person was accidentally pulled back into a time mission? Cascading questions:
- What is the most important event in history that future societies would
want to confirm or observe?
- How would they go about it?
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- When Socrates and Caliban arrived, the law court was already crowded
with the members of the dikasterion, those 500 citizens who, by lot,
served as legislators and jurists for the year. The heat of the day
already reflected from the bright white stones. Many stood at the
entrance, trying to catch the slight breeze that blew there, but most
sat in the heat on the stone seats around the inside of the Hellaia.
Soldiers and leaders of the city mingled with the common citizens. They
all quieted as Socrates and Caliban entered, but returned as quickly to
their conversations.
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- After a time, the soldiers rapped their spears against their shields and
the crowd immediately quieted. King Archon stepped into open court of
the Hellaia and walked to the marble podium near the center. A small
train of clerks and guards followed him. He mounted the podium and
raised his hands unnecessarily for attention, “Are all the citizens of
the dikasterion present?”
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- Last remnant of monarchy
- Powers moved to other institutions
- Areopagus
- Boule (dikasterion) and Ecclesia
- High position in Athenian society comparable to
- Eponymous Archon
- Polemarch
- Charged with oversight of religious rites.
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- Originally elected from the Athenian aristocracy every 10 years
- After 683 BC, the office was only held for a year
- After Solon's reforms (621 BC), he was elected from the wealthiest
Athenians (the Pentakosiomedimnoi
(Πεντακοσιομέδιμνοι),
"500-bushel men", rather than the Eupatridae, the
aristocractic families)
- After 487 BC, the Archonships were assigned by lot.
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- Wife, the Basilinna, had to marry to and have sex with the god Dionysos
during a festival at the Boukoleion in Athens, to ensure the city's
safety
- Uncertain how this was enacted
- This was an important role for a woman who, according to Plutarch and
Solon, were otherwise confined to the house and of little importance
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- King Archon called, “Clerk, read the charge against Socrates.”
- The chief clerk stepped to the center of the raised area. He opened a
scroll and read, “‘It is so sworn on this day, in the name of the great
god of Athinai: Socrates is a public offender in that he does not
recognize the gods recognized by the state of Athinai, but introduces
new demoniacal beings. He has also offended by corrupting the youth of
Athinai.’ The charge is brought by Anytus, Meletus, Lycon, and Phormio.”
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- Son of a prominent Athenian, Anthemion
- Socrates says Anytus joined the prosecution because he was "vexed
on behalf of the craftsmen and politicians" (23e-24a).
- Makes an important cameo appearance in Meno
- Appears unexpectedly while Socrates and Meno (a visitor to Athens) are
discussing the acquisition of virtue
- Socrates takes the position that virtue cannot be taught and adduces as
evidence for this that many prominent Athenians have produced sons
inferior to themselves
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- Socrates proceeds to name names, including Pericles and Thucydides
- Anytus becomes very offended, and warns Socrates that running people
down ("kakos legein") could get him into trouble someday
(Meno 94e-95a).
- Blamed Socrates for the failure of his own son—among other accusations
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- Anytus stepped up on the podium, “Fellow citizens, great men, wise men
of the city of Athinai. You are surely the wisest and most discerning
men in the world. I am humbled to be given the opportunity to speak to
you. I only ask your pardon that my charges are so late, but I
recognized late what most of you already know. I myself listened to the
so-called ‘wise words’ of the accused. I listened and was deceived. Many
of you saw through Socrates’ words. I was taken in by them and, as a
result, lost my own son.
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- You knew my son Anylystis. He was my chief joy. I expected he would take
over my business and responsibilities. Instead, he listened to Socrates,
and Athinai lost him forever. I am ashamed to say, my son is a
drunkard—a deluded believer in the vain philosophies of this man
Socrates.
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- Only accuser to speak during Socrates' defense
- Socrates says Meletus joined the prosecution because he was "vexed
on behalf of the poets" (23e).
- Mentioned in another dialog, the Euthyphro, but does not appear in
person
- Socrates says there that Meletus is a young unknown with hook-nose.
- In the Apology, Meletus allows himself to be cross-examined by Socrates
and stumbles into a trap.
- Apparently not paying attention to the very charges he is bringing, he
accuses Socrates both of atheism and of believing in demi-gods.
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- Meletus took a solid step forward. He was an ill-formed young man with a
long straight nose, long straight hair, and a thin ugly beard. His eyes
burned below his brow, like coals ready to ignite into flames. He raised
his hands, “I also wish to bring my suit. You know me, men of Athinai,
as a patriot, and as a patriot I bring my suit. I am young and not
blessed with the wisdom of Anytus or the loquacity of Lycon, but my
accusations, like theirs, are driven by justice. They speak for the wise
and adept. I attempt to speak, and speak but rudely for all the youth of
Athinai. I wish all young men like me to escape the fate of Anytus’ son,
Anylystis. Men are like clay.
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- They are formed by their teachers to be citizens or slaves. If citizens,
then men respectful of the gods of Athinai, respectful of their leaders,
and respectful of our democracy. If slaves, then men without gods,
disrespectful of their leaders, and without freedom. Socrates promotes
men to be slaves. His vain philosophy calls men to question if the gods
exist, and if they are to be worshiped by men. He makes a mockery of the
priests, legislators, and citizens. He says he has never found a wise
man. Who are you, King Archon, or you, the members of the dikasterion,
but wise men? You are wise enough not to be slaves and wise enough not
to bring up your sons as slaves.
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20
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- According to one scholar, "we know nothing except that he was the
mouthpiece of the professional rhetoricians.“
- Socrates says Lycon joined the prosecution because he was "vexed on
behalf of the rhetoricians" (24a).
- Some scholars, such as Debra Nails, identify Lycon as the father of
Autolycus, who appears in Xenophon's Symposium 2.4ff.
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- Nails also identifies Socrates' prosecutor with the Lycon who is the
butt of jokes in Aristophanes and became a successful democratic
politician after the fall of the Four Hundred; she suggests that he may
have joined in the prosecution because he associated Socrates with the
Thirty Tyrants, who had executed his son, Autolycus.
- Others, however, question the identification of Socrates' prosecutor
with the father of Autolycus; John Burnet, for instance, claims it
"is most improbable".
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- Lycon took a step forward, “I cannot do much more than second the expert
words of Anytus. He has so graciously spoken for us all. He has put
forth the shoot and let grow the olive tree of truth. And, in truth,
Socrates is guilty of these crimes against the fair city of Athinai, her
gods, and her people. I can do no more than water the olive tree Anytus
has grown.”
- Socrates called out, “Will you fertilize it as well?”
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23
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- The whole court erupted in laughter. Archon shushed Socrates, but Lycon
ignored the outburst, “Socrates is further guilty of squandering the
wisdom of this city on those to whom a little knowledge is a danger.
This is the sin of Socrates: he himself has incomplete knowledge and
thisleads his believers astray. Not a month ago, you saw for yourself
the play, Clouds, written by our great citizen Aristophanes. If this
presentation did not bear out the foolish philosophies of this man and
explain how he misleads others, then I can say nothing else to convince
you.
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- “Socrates is a man who uses words like an unscrupulous farmer uses
rotten olive oil. He mixes it with the eloquence of fresh oil and verbal
herbs to hide the fact it is rotten and sells it in the market as the
first squeezings of the crop. Beware of his eloquence, it has led many
men astray. Like Anytus, I also ask you to find Socrates guilty; this
would be the fruit worthy for all those true men of Athinai to eat.”
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25
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- Socrates bowed his head as though in thought, then he raised his eyes
and said, “How you felt, O men of Athinai, at hearing the speeches of my
accusers, I cannot tell. I know their persuasive words almost made me
forget who I was—yet they hardly spoke a word of truth. Many as their
falsehoods were, one of them quite amazed me: I mean, when they told you
to be upon your guard, and not to be deceived by the force of my
eloquence. They ought to be ashamed, because their lie was sure to be
detected as soon as I opened my lips and displayed my deficiency.
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- That is unless by ‘force of eloquence’ they mean the force of truth. If
this is what they mean, then I do admit I am eloquent. But how different
than their eloquence!
- So begins Socrates’ defense—his apology
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- If, O men of Athinai, by force of persuasion and entreaty, I could
overpower your oaths, then I would be teaching you to believe there are
no gods, and convict myself, with my own defense of not believing in
them. But that is not the case, for I do believe there are gods, and in
a far higher sense than any of my accusers believe in them.” Socrates
appraised all the men in the dikasterion turning his body with his gaze.
He finished his examination at the throne of King Archon, “Therefore, to
you and to god I commit my cause, to be determined by you as is best for
you and me.”
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- Men of the dikasterion, make your judgment.”
- The men started to move toward twin boxes behind a low wall. One at a
time, they stepped behind the wall and placed a stone in either the
white box for acquittal or the black box for guilty. This took a long
time—many of the members of the dikasterion took a while to make their
decision.
- After all 500 men of the dikasterion voted, the clerks took the boxes
away—the white box to one side and the black box to the other side of
the Hellaia. They placed the boxes on low stone tables and opened them.
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- Each of the clerks counted the stones twice and one of their number
stepped in unison from each side and walked toward the chief clerk who
still stood at the center of the chamber. The clerk from the white box
whispered in the left ear of the chief clerk, then the clerk from the
black box whispered in the right ear of the chief clerk. The head clerk
turned toward King Archon, “The god has spoken through the dikasterion:
265 votes for guilty and 235 votes to acquit.”
- Guilty
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30
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- King Archon called out again, “Men of Athinai, selected as judges of the
dikasterion, you heard the proposed punishment from both Socrates and
his accusers. You must now sentence the guilty....” his voice choked
off, and he nodded toward the chief clerk.
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- The clerk stepped forward, “Anytus, Meletus, Lycon, and Phormio demand a
sentence of death against the citizen Socrates. Socrates was found
guilty as a public offender who does not recognize the gods recognized
by the state of Athinai, and introduces new demoniacal beings. He has
also offended by corrupting the youth of Athinai. Socrates has proposed
a fine of thirty minae. Men of the dikasterion, announce your sentence.”
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- Again, the men moved toward the twin boxes behind the low wall of the
Hellaia. One at a time, they stepped behind the wall and placed a stone
in either the white box for a fine or the black box for death. This took
less time than the finding of guilty. When the chief clerk received the
sentence, he turned toward King Archon, “The god has spoken through the dikasterion:
290 votes for death and 210 votes for a fine.”
- King Archon spoke slowly, “Socrates, by the pronouncement of the gods, I
must place the sentence of death upon you. You may speak if you wish.”
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- As they entered the Agora, Socrates noticed the men who accompanied him
were all in tears, “What is this? Why are you weeping? Didn’t you know
all along that from the moment of my birth, nature condemned me to
death? If I am being destroyed before my time while blessings still pour
in on me, clearly that should bring grief to me and to my wellwishers;
but if my life ends when only troubles are in view, I believe you should
all feel cheered, because my state is happy.”
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- Apollodorus exclaimed, “But, Socrates, what I find it hardest to bear is
that I see you will be put to death unjustly!”
- Socrates stroked Apollodorus’ head and smiled, “My beloved Apollodorus,
would you rather they put me to death justly?”
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- Attempt by Crito to have Socrates (in prison) escape Athens and
therefore save his life
- Conversation regarding justice (dikē), injustice (adikia), and the
appropriate response to injustice
- Socrates states that injustice may not be answered with injustice, and
refuses Crito's offer to finance his escape from prison
- This dialogue contains an ancient statement of the social contract
theory of government
- Socrates takes the opportunity to deliver the message that the state
and the justice of the state is more important than his life
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- The morning dawned bright and clear. The sky was a shining field of blue
sprinkled with sailing pure white clouds. They pursued the Delos
offering ship, though that ship lay in the harbor, its duty complete.
Now, it foretold the death of Socrates.
- Socrates’ voice roused Caliban where he slept in the adjoining chamber.
“Up friend Caliban,” he called with exaggerated loudness, “Up, we need
our breakfast. You for the strength to live, and I for the strength to
die.”
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- The death of Socrates
- Socrates discusses the nature of the afterlife on his last day before
being executed by drinking Hemlock poison. This dialogue is narrated by
Phaedo to Echecrates
- Dialectic with a group of Socrates' friends, including the Thebans Cebes
and Simmias, Socrates explores various arguments for the soul's
immortality in order to show that there is an afterlife in which the
soul will dwell following death
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- Socrates’ 4 arguments for immortality of the soul
- The Opposites Argument or "Cyclical argument" explains that
as the Forms are eternal and unchanging, and as the soul always brings
life, then it must not die, and is necessarily
"imperishable". As the body is mortal and is subject to
physical death, the soul must be its indestructible opposite. Plato
then suggests the analogy of fire and cold. If the form of cold is
imperishable, and fire, its opposite, was within close proximity, it
would have to withdraw intact as does the soul during death. This could
be likened to the idea of the opposite charges of magnets.
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- Socrates’ 4 arguments for immortality of the soul
- The Theory of Recollection explains that we possess some non-empirical
knowledge (e.g. The Form of Equality) at birth, implying the soul
existed before birth to carry that knowledge. Another account of the
theory is found in Plato's Meno, although in that case Socrates implies
anamnesis (previous knowledge of everything) whereas he is not so bold
in Phaedo.
- The Affinity Argument explains that invisible, immortal, and
incorporeal things are different from visible, mortal, and corporeal
things. Our soul is of the former, while our body is of the latter, so
when our bodies die and decay, our soul will continue to live.
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- Socrates’ 4 arguments for immortality of the soul
- The Argument from Form of Life explains that the Forms, incorporeal and
static entities, are the cause of all things in the world, and all
things participate in Forms. For example, beautiful things participate
in the Form of Beauty; the number four participates in the Form of the
Even, etc. The soul, by its very nature, participates in the Form of
Life, which would mean the soul could never die.
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- Echecrates choked back his tears, “After you take the draught, you
should walk about until your legs feel heavy, then lie down, and the
poison will act.” He took the cup from Caliban and handed it to
Socrates.
- Socrates accepted the cup like he clasped any cup of wine. No expression
of fear or change of complexion traced his features. He looked
Echecrates in the eyes, raised the cup and said, “What do you say about
making a libation out of this cup to any god? May I, or not?”
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- Echecrates answered, “I only prepare, Socrates, just so much as I deem
enough.”
- “I understand,” he said, “Yet I may and must pray to the gods to prosper
my journey from this to that other world. May this, my prayer, be
granted me.” Socrates held the cup to his lips and cheerfully drank off
the poison.
- Many of the men, when they saw him drink let their tears flow, and tears
blinded Caliban. When Socrates finished the draught the men covered
their faces in sorrow. Crito, was unable to restrain his tears. He
turned away and Phaedo moved to console him.
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43
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- Apollodorus, who had been weeping since the cup was first brought, made
a loud cry that many echoed in the room. The word was carried outside
and a loud lamentation came from the street.
- Socrates alone remained calm, “What is this outcry? I sent the women
away so they would not offend me in this way. I have asserted a man
should die in peace. Be quiet and have courage.”
- The men stifled their tears, but wailing still came to them from the
street. Socrates walked about until his legs began to fail. He lay down
on the couch and covered his face with his tunic.
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- Echecrates now and then examined Socrates’ feet and legs. After a while,
he pinched Socrates’ foot and asked if he could feel. Under his tunic,
Socrates said, “No.”
- Then Echecrates pinched Socrates’ leg, then moved upwards toward his
thighs. His legs were cold and stiff. Socrates felt them himself and
Echecrates said, “When the poison reaches your heart that will be the
end.”
- Socrates uncovered his face, “My lower body is cold. Crito, I owe a cock
to Asclepius. Will you remember to pay my debt?”
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- “The debt shall be paid,” said Crito and Socrates covered his face
again. Crito asked, “Is there anything else?”
- Socrates said nothing but after a couple of minutes, they heard a quick
draw of breath and a heavy exhalation. Crito nodded to Caliban, and
Caliban drew the tunic from Socrates’ face. Socrates eyes stared in
death, and Crito reverently closed his eyes and mouth.
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- Death of Socrates seminal point in Western Civ
- Beginning of the end of Athenian Democracy
- Marked beginning of Greek rationalism
- Scientific method
- Legal-Historical method
- Logic
- Not actual beginning, but intellectual point
- First person we know who died for what they believed
- Socrates died for philosophy and good of state
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- One reason US founding fathers rejected a democracy
- US Republic
- Immutable Constitution
- Founded on rights conferred by God
- Reason Romans rejected a democracy
- Roman Republic
- Easily changeable Constitution
- Based on rights conferred by men
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- Caliban helped carry the body of Socrates out of the prison. The cries
of mourning women that had started outside the building, now filled the
Agora. Men added their voices to the women’s. Socrates’ deme had no need
to hire professional mourners—the city cried aloud its anguish. Crito’s
slaves, in anticipation of Socrates’ death, already brought a wooden
coffin. Crito had it made during the intervening month—the finest coffin
Athinai had ever seen. Socrates’ body was ready to be placed in the
coffin. It was already bathed, and he was dressed in his finest tunic.
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49
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- The men and women anointed him with perfume and covered him with
flowers. People came from all over the city—mourning was evident in
every face. People began to appear wearing black tunics or with black
cloaks and sashes. Phaedo handed Caliban a black sash, and he slung it
over his slave’s tunic. Later, Caliban noticed Sophia also clothed in
black. Even those who would not normally mourn Socrates became caught up
in the frenzy of sorrow.
- Crito himself placed an obol between Socrates’ teeth. He bade those
around to lift the coffin and follow him.
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- In the morning, no one served any food—all of Socrates’ friends fasted
in honor of him. No one drank. Caliban kept his place—watching over the
coffin. The sun set again, and still dark-clad mourners filled the
streets. Xanthippe, Sophia, and all their friends kept up their siren’s
chorus. They beat themselves and poured ashes over their heads. As soon
as the night was full dark, they passed around a flint knife and each
hacked off a large tuft of hair. Soon under the flickering torchlight,
the coffinbecame a mound of glistening locks.
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51
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- When they reached the demosion sema, at the base of a plain obelisk, a
freshly dug grave already marred the crusty soil. Caliban and three
other men jumped into the grave and were handed the coffin. They gently
lowered the carved wooden coffin into the hole and set it on the sandy
soil at the bottom. The men hiked themselves out of the grave and,
immediately, the mourners began to throw in handfuls of dirt.
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- Crito made a sign and a slave came forward with a wineskin and a cup.
Crito held the cup, while the slave filled it to the brim. Then, Crito
stepped to the loose soil on the grave and poured the contents over it.
- He made another sign and the slave brought a goat. The man held the goat
by its horns and forelegs. Crito took his dagger and plunged it into the
animal’s neck. The blood followed the wine into the soft soil and Crito
lay the dead goat on the grave. Then he smiled, “More wine. Certainly,
our friend Socrates would have called for more wine.”
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53
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- He threw the wineskin and cup to Caliban. Caliban filled the cup and
handed it back to Crito. The whole of it and another went the same way
as the first, then Crito upended the wineskin over the grave, “That may
not match the quality or the quantity of the wine of the pure Earth, but
it may hold you for the journey old friend.” Crito made another sign and
the slave brought a bunch of flowers and cypress branches to him. He
placed the bouquet before the obelisk and raised his hands. Without
another word, he turned and walked back toward the city.
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54
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- In the city, the black clothing and cloaks disappeared. The people went
to bathe. Sophia came back from the baths with Xanthippe, fresh, but
with a look of weariness Caliban also felt. There in Socrates’ house, he
wanted nothing more than to sleep by the hearth. Ohmia kicked him, “Come
on, Caliban. Up, we haven’t finished honoring our master Socrates, and
there will be plenty of good food, even for slaves.”
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55
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- Caliban struggled up and at Ohmia’s prompting they caught up with
Xanthippe and Sophia. Together, they walked to Crito’s house, where a
great feast was already under way. The whole city appeared to be
feasting—the burial feast for its first citizen, Socrates. Throughout
the event, Caliban wanted to ask Sophia why the people of Athinai
mourned Socrates so universally when only a month ago they sentenced him
to death.
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- The Trial of Socrates
- The Death of Socrates
- The Burial of Socrates
- We viewed three great historical events and the Greek culture that
surrounded them
- The world changed because of Socrates and his death
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Notes