Socrates' Life and Death

Xenophon's Apology For Socrates WHEN DEATH IS BETTER THAN LIFE Xenophon's Apology for Socrates Xenophon explains well the rule or tendency of the jury of his time as regards persons it accuses of vanity or vainglory (Patch, 2006). Socrates was won't to display his wisdom and excellence to the people of his day. He particularly annoyed the jury, which was prone to show compassion and favor to a person who seeks pity and humiliates himself.

But Socrates was the opposite and that was why he incurred the disfavor and envy of the jury (Patch pp 9-10). Nonetheless, Xenophon did not think that Socrates' sentence of death was untimely, even in Socrates' own eye (Patch, 2006 pp 10-11). By his own words and defense, he said that god pre-arranged him to die early and in the easiest way because of his accomplishments, virtue and wisdom. This, he explained, was why the jury, which condemned him to die by poisoning, was allowed to do so.

It was actually more a favor than a disfavor. Already contented with the way he had lived, he felt that he lived better than any man had ever lived. He lived in justice and wisdom in his youth. If he should proceed to old age, he would be plagued with illnesses and disabilities, which would weaken his gifts. He would suffer hearing loss, reduced difficulty to learn and would become forgetful like any mortal who is subject to deterioration and decay.

And he felt that when these happened to him, he would find fault with himself and then his life would be unpleasant. He did not want these to happen to him (Patch pp 10-12). He boasted of his mind and body health and said that a person with such robust health would be missed if he dies young (Patch, 2006 p 12-13). The gods wanted him to be missed by mortals and, thus, did not oppodr his defense speech.

In effect, they allowed him to be condemned and to die before he could get old. He was too noble to lose his self-esteem, which the jurors envied. He blatantly chose to die rather than go on living a life but live by begging just to survive, Death was much more preferable and more dignified than that in his eyes (Patch pp 1314_. He lamented that he was accused of bringing in a demon and for corrupting the youth (Patch, 2006 pp 14-15).

How could he share wisdom and bring in a demon at the same time? His listeners and followers were his witnesses. He did not find any person who enjoyed so much freedom as he did. No one lived in perfect moderation better than he did. He added that Lycurgus even confused him with a god because he and Lycurgus found him to be a human being who surpassed other human beings in the way he lived (Patch).

Socrates was not a slave to his body or senses like other mortals (Patch, 2006 p 13-14). He did not accept gifts or wages for sharing his wisdom. Yet very many wanted to give him so many things. He adapted to what he had so that he did not need to desire what others possessed. His followers and advocates openly expressed indebtedness to him and what they learned from him. While others delighted.