Socrates

As a young man, Socrates was a working class stonemason and veteran of the Peloponnesian War. These experiences most likely influenced his philosophies and the way he viewed the world. As a teacher, he taught young students outside the agora, questioning their beliefs to get them thinking more.
Athens was a city-state full of brilliance. Many different people from different people shared their knowledge of astronomy, sciences, literature, and much more. Many of these ideas went against traditional Greek teachings and mythology. Socrates taught his students to think for themselves rather than believe everything they were told.
This lead to Socrates' execution. He was found guilty of corrupting Athens' youth through his teachings, as well as impiety for questioning theories other than the Greek Gods, and therefore disrespecting them. Socrates' defense was that his teachings, as controversial as they were, had brought Athens to life with discussion and knowledge. He thought that he should be rewarded for his actions.
He was found guilty by a jury and was sentenced to drink hemlock. Supporters and guards offered to help him escape, but Socrates agreed to his death sentence, as it was a democratic vote. Socrates was loyal to Athenian democracy and the idea of this kind of jury, even though it was voting to kill him.

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