Socrates: "Apology" Speech | Speeches of Great Men

Socrates was viewed as a traitor by the Athenians, particularly by the city's authority. In Athens, young men developed a strong admiration for Socrates. He instilled in these impressionable brains the habit of challenging everything, including Greek authority. Socrates was ultimately detained and tried for defiling youth, disbelieving in the gods, and inventing new gods.

In his "Apology," Socrates responds to these accusations. Socrates accepts his accusations and makes an effort to convince the jury with reason rather than sobbing and begging for forgiveness. He said that seeking knowledge was his divine calling and that he discovered the truth through asking questions. It would be blasphemous for him to ignore his calling. Socrates ultimately lost and was given a death sentence. Socrates died as a martyr for free thought after accepting this fate voluntarily and without harboring resentment toward his critics.