Born near Athens, B.C. 468. Died at Athens, B.C. 399. Aged 69.]
One of the greatest names in ethics, philosophy, and religion before the
Christian era. It was the belief of Socrates that he was specially
charged by the Deity to awaken moral consciousness in men. He had no
school, neither did he, like the sophists of his time, deliver public
lectures. But he stood in the market-places, or entered the work-shops,
or visited the schools, in order to teach the people his ideas
respecting the scope and value of human speculation and action.
Aristophanes, the comic poet, ridiculed and misrepresented the
philosopher, who proceeded, nevertheless, with undaunted perseverance.
After the banishment from Athens of the “Thirty Tyrants,” Socrates was
impeached for corrupting the youth, and despising the tutelary deities
of the state. He was condemned, and, preferring death to acknowledging,
by a supplication for pardon, that he deserved punishment, he swallowed
poison. Whilst the cruel draught was performing its work, he developed
the grounds of his immovable conviction of the immortality of the soul,
and with his very last breath pointed to a future state, as the true
recovery from impurity and disease. He left no writings behind him. We
derive our knowledge of his doctrines and character, mainly from his
illustrious disciples, Xenophon and Plato. He effected a grand
revolution in philosophy, for he first connected with Supreme
intelligence, the attributes of goodness, justice and wisdom, and the
idea of direct interposition in human affairs, and recalled Reason from
vain disquisitions, to the questions which come home to the business and
bosoms of men. In person, Socrates was said to resemble the god Silenus.
His looks were as repulsive as his life was irreproachable and perfect.
His peculiar method of teaching, since called the Socratic, was, by a
series of artfully contrived questions, to draw out from the mind of his
colloquist the truths which lay unconsciously embosomed there, or to
entangle proud and false reasoning in self-confutation.
[A countenance so little expressive of wisdom and goodness, that it
might be mistaken for that of a Silenus, whom he also equalled in the
almost deformed rotundity of his figure. But this bust, which is from
that in the Louvre, and an exceedingly fine work, has been proved to
be a portrait of him by its close resemblance to the other busts of
the same subject, and to that in particular in the Farnese Collection
which bears his name, and the motto which Plato gives him (_Criton_).
Busts and cameos of Socrates are numerous. No. 13A is from the Stanza
dei Filosofi of the Capitoline Museum; it is inferior to the first
described.]
13A. SOCRATES. _Philosopher._