SOCRATE

Thème.

Socrates was the greatest philosopher of antiquity. In his youth he served his terni as a solclier. and when he returned to Athens he began teaehing philosophy. He had no school building, but he used to go through the streets of the eity asking questions of his feilow-eitizens. and thus getting a chance to talk to them about poetry. éloquence, and. above ail, the inimortality of the soûl. In order to be able to bear the eold of wintei and the heat of sunimer. Socrates went barefooted. and always wore the same clothing.

His conversations were written down by two of his disciples, Xenophon and Plato. They certainly are the highest expression of hunian wisdom. Socrates did net prétend to know the causes of everything. but lie wished that every man should study his own soûl, his good qualities. and faults : •■ Know yourself." vas his motto. There was in Athens a class of orators called sophists. vrho pretended to prove that nothing was true nor was anything false ; they soon became the bitterest enemies of Socrates. and publicly accused him of teaehing the young impiety. He wished. they said. to introduce aniong the people a new religion.

The great philosopher was tried and eonyicted ; ont of 559 judges 2S1 declared him to be guilty. He was condenmed to drink a poisoned beverage. He submitted to his sentence without protesting. for. he said to his friends, " One must respect the laws of one's country. even if they are 11^^^" He spent the last hours of his life in conversing with his disciples about the future life. and died without losing for a single moment his self-control.

202 Lectures Gourantes.