THE TRIAL OF SOCRATES

Socrates was unfaithful to our gods and he corrupted the youth. Your crime is serious yet you are remorseless. If I am the corrupter of the youth, I believe my accusers are corrupters of the truth. The 30 tyrants, Socrates's star pupils. You did nothing to question the actions of the 30 tyrants as they tore this city to shreds. You're known as the godfather of philosophy. Socrates has spent his entire life teaching people to use your own thoughts. Learn to ask questions. Socrates was unpious. I am a philosopher. To allow Socrates to continue would be jeopardy to our democracy. Unapologetic, defiant, insincere. For that he's to be put to the death. The Trial of Socrates is made possible by the Jaharis Family Foundation, Kalimos Investments, Clifford Law Offices, and these generous supporters. My name is Andrea Darlus and I will be your emcee this evening and I am so thrilled to welcome you tonight to the 8th Annual Mock Trial Series put together by the National Hellenic Museum here in Chicago. If it pleases the court. Socrates's trial took place in 399 BC during the tumultuous period following the defeat of Athens by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. Following the surrender of Athens, a pro-Spartan oligarchy known as the Thirty Tyrants was established as a puppet government. While they only held power for 8 months, during that brief period, this dictatorship oversaw a reign of terror. They confiscated significant amounts of property, exiled supporters of democracy, and executed 5% of the population of Athens. The leaders of the Thirty were Critias and Thereminas. They were both students and friends of Socrates. While Plato assures us that Socrates opposed the regime, this is unclear. After the fall of the Thirty Tyrants, it was decided there would be a general amnesty for all but the Thirty and their closest collaborators. Ironically, Socrates had been teaching and philosophizing for decades. Yet it was only after the terror and oppression from the reign of the Thirty Tyrants that he was arrested. Some say he merely encouraged his students to question Athens' most fundamental values. In fact, freedom of speech as we understand it today, largely began to take shape in classical Athens. Thus, the trial of Socrates is much more than the single trial of an annoying gadfly or the persecution of a man who merely wanted to encourage others to think freely. This is a moment in history that calls us to question the fragility of democracy, the limits of freedom, and the imperfection of human justice. We present to you the trial of Socrates. At this time, if all of the jurors, both in the audience and our paneled jurors, please rise to take the oath. I will cast my vote in accordance with the laws and decrees passed by the Athenian Assembly and Council. On any point where the law is silent, I will give judgment in accordance with my sense of what is most just, without favor or enmity. I will vote only on the matters raised in the charge, and I will listen impartially to accusers and defenders alike. So help me the gods. You may be seated. At this time, I call upon Justice Joy Cunningham to please read us the indictment. Socrates, the defendant, please rise. The people of Athens versus Socrates. Count one, impiety. Defendant Socrates undertook a course of conduct that exhibited impiety by refusing to acknowledge the gods recognized by the state and introducing new and different gods. Count two, corrupting the youth. Defendant Socrates corrupted the youth of Athens by teaching them to despise democracy and to remain idle, philosophizing rather than becoming productive members of society, all in violation of Athenian law. Dated this 31st day of January, 399 BC. Signed, Meletus, Aenitus, and Lycan. The defendant may be seated. City of Athens, you may proceed with opening statements. Your honors, may it please the court, members of the jury, great citizens of Athens. It's 399 BC. Our democracy hangs by a thread, and the eyes of the world are upon us. Five years ago, we suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Sparta. And what ensued was a murderous regime called the 30 tyrants that took our property, pillaged our homes, murdered our citizens, and left our government the shell of its former self. But ladies and gentlemen, the threat to democracy tonight is not from Sparta. It's not even from the 30 tyrants who have been dispelled. No, it's from within. And regrettably, ladies and gentlemen, one of the threats is this man right here, Socrates. The Achilles heel of democracy are threats from within. They are from inside the walls, not outside the walls. We know democracies are fragile. That 2,500 year arc of democracies, we know that. And ladies and gentlemen, it is your duty tonight to weigh all the evidence. Yes, to hear Mr. Socrates testify. We want that to happen. We want you to hear. But ladies and gentlemen, he is here tonight because he violated two cardinal rules of our 400 BC fledgling, hanging by a thread democracy. He was unfaithful to our gods. That's the charge of impiety. And he corrupted the youth. And ladies and gentlemen, we Athenians, again, this is a fourth century concept, and you have to stay with me on this. Fervently believed that the gods intervened in daily living. That the gods had tempers. That when the gods got angry, bad things happened. Not just to the person who showed the disbelief, but potentially to the entire society. And for those of you who want to think ahead 2,500 years, right here in Chicago, the same thing happened. A man brought his goat to Wrigley Field and was kicked out of Wrigley Field. He put a curse on our cubs. 70 years it took for that curse to be relieved. And a very rich owner. And only then was that curse lifted. Ladies and gentlemen, you cannot diss the gods. You cannot inject new gods into the process. This is not freedom of religion. This is life and death for Athens. The second offense is corrupting the youth. Ladies and gentlemen, Socrates was the intellectual firepower for the anti-democratic movement. That's why we are here tonight. Teaching his students to question the very underpinnings of our democracy. Not in a reforming way, but questioning the very underpinnings of our democracy. And he had a very, very loyal following, ladies and gentlemen. Think of Socrates as an ancient day TikTok application. Leading our youth astray. Mesmerizing them. He actually told his students they should follow him and not listen to their parents. The other important issue goes to this insurrection that occurred in our great state of Athens. The leaders of the 30 tyrants that you heard about in the opening, that murderous regime that killed 5% of our population, they were students and friends of Socrates. What they learned, their hatred for our democracy, was learned under the tree at the footstool of this man. Words matter, ladies and gentlemen. Exhortations in a democracy matter. When you have a loyal following of people and you tell them to go do something, that undermines our democracy. That's not voting. That's corrupting the youth. And that's what this man did. We take no pride in bringing this case against this man. And he will testify and you will hear from him. And I expect you're going to hear a charming, wily, smart, engaging man. But what should be on your minds, ladies and gentlemen, is not whether he entertains, but whether he did what he is charged with, in piety and corrupting the youth. And ladies and gentlemen, do what Yahya would do and convict this man. Thank you. On behalf of Mr. Socrates, opening statement. My fellow citizens of Athens and jurors, as you serve in this case, my name is Dan Webb. I'm one of the lawyers that will be representing Socrates tonight. My client is on trial for two very serious felony charges. He's alleged to have corrupted the youth of Athens. He's alleged to have disrespected the gods. Those are the two charges. And as I talk to you tonight, I'm going to start with four thoughts immediately about those charges that I want you to think about. Number one, my client, Socrates, as you see him here at the table as a defendant, he is the first person ever in the history of Athens to be charged with a crime, simply because of speech, simply because he spoke and interacted with people and shared his thoughts. And for that, he has been indicted, the first person. Now, you may say, why is it the first person? It's because when you look at this indictment, you don't know right now as jurors what the actual laws are that he broke, because they're not set forth in that indictment. The third thing you should remember is called amnesty. Amnesty was given to all citizens of Athens after the reign of terror by the 30 tyrants, and everyone got amnesty for everything they had done in their life in Athens to start afresh. A lot of these discussions about students that he taught years and years ago, that clearly has been released by the city of Athens because of amnesty. And the fourth thing you should think about, they are going to ask for the death penalty. So you better be certain as jurors that there's a big pile of evidence that you're going to charge us against him, because I respectfully suggest that that evidence does not exist. So let me talk about the man that they want to kill, Socrates. Socrates has spent his entire life teaching people to use your own thoughts, expand your mind, learn to ask questions, learn to try to understand the truth. That's what he's done for the last 50 years in interacting with young people. But on other occasions, he's been a military hero. On three different occasions, he fought in wars. He rose to the rank of general and is a military hero. Number three, he has done everything he can do here in this city to be a good citizen, but to have people think and open their mind. Now, let's talk about both charges. First, he's alleged to have corrupted the youth of Athens. Here's what he did. These are the acts that he engaged in. He would interact with young people, and he would tell them that the democracy in Athens is a great democracy, but it's not perfect. There are imperfections in that system, and he would work with young people and tell them it's okay if you want to try to improve our system of democracy. And by the way, he did this for 50 years, and no one said a word. Not once was a single word said. They didn't bring any charges against him for 50 years. Why is that the case? It's because one of the accusers is Annotus, who is a bitter enemy of Socrates. Socrates taught his son, and his son admired Socrates so much. And Annotus was bitter, developed a hatred for Socrates, and he is the primary accuser here tonight. You should at least consider that when you decide whether or not he's been indicted without actual evidence and without even specifying the laws that he actually violated. It's been mentioned that two of Socrates's students, 20-some years ago, they later became part of the reign of terror. Think about it for a moment. Does that mean that everyone who taught someone in school in Athens, and later some of those students did bad acts? That the teachers are responsible, personally responsible for those bad acts? Because that's what they're contending about Socrates. And by the way, that theory is clearly barred by amnesty, because Socrates taught them years ago. The second charge is disrespecting the gods. Basically, the theory of the prosecution is the following. There's a religious belief among some folks in Athens that the gods are vindictive, out for retribution, and will punish anybody who doesn't honor the gods. Socrates taught, is it possible that the gods will be benevolent? That they're not truly just vindictive, and that if you don't go to church one day, they're going to punish you for the rest of your life. Or whether the true nature of gods may be different than that, and it may be a more benevolent god who, in fact, looks at your good deeds and your acts. That's not trying to invent another god. Socrates will tell you he didn't invent another god. He talked about the true nature of what God was. That's all that Socrates did. That's the second crime that he's charged with. And so he's on trial tonight. But as you vote tonight for guilt or innocence, just think for a minute tonight. It's my client, Socrates, whose freedom of speech is going to be taken away from him. Completely, by Aeneas and the three accusers tonight, if you find him guilty. And yet then, next year, could that person be your next door neighbor? Could it be your son? You, as jurors in this case, get to make the final decision on guilt or innocence. And all I respectfully ask you to do is carefully listen to, do you really know what laws he violated? Do you really know what the evidence is other than free speech? And do you really understand what amnesty covers? And therefore, I respectfully ask that you find my client not guilty. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you, Mr. Webb. Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, we will hear from Mr. Socrates. Please approach your witness chair. Mr. Socrates, please raise your right hand. Do you swear that the evidence you shall give to this court in this matter shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? So help the gods? I do, so help me God. You may have a seat, sir. Good evening, sir. Can you please introduce yourself to the ladies and gentlemen of the jury? Certainly, counselor. My full name is Socrates Sophroniscus Atheneus, although I prefer to be called simply as Socrates, and I would ask you that you address me as so. Socrates, where do you currently reside? I dwell in the ancient capital of Attica, a flowering city of philosophers and free thinkers, many of whom I seem this evening. Antiphon Nicostratos down front. And I know that one of my more talented pupils, although I don't like to pick favorites, is out here. Plato, where are you? Back right. Plato, could you say hello? Well, I know he's here, although I... Signore me, signore me. Before we address some of the allegations that have been levied against you by these conspirators, I'd like to talk a little bit about what you did before you were a great philosopher. Before I was a philosopher, I was a sculptor and a stonecutter, much I might say to my great dismay. When you say to your dismay, why is it that you stopped sculpting? Well, it drove me to distraction that the men that I worked with were able to carve the wise and the good, but they had no actual instincts how to be wise and good themselves. So one day I just put down my tools and I walked away and I decided instead of sculpting stone, I would sculpt myself. When you weren't sculpting and you weren't examining life and asking the big questions, did you ever have an occasion to serve in our great military? Yes, I have faced the gates of Hades three times to fulfill my civic duty as an Athenian citizen. Did you receive any type of promotions or awards when you were defending our city? I was promoted to general. I was awarded for distinguished courage and fortitude by Pericles himself, although Pericles was not actually too fond of me. Nonetheless, did you serve in the Peloponnesian War and risk your life on three separate occasions to protect the jewel of Athens? Yes, I did under Pericles again, who I must say I admired greatly Well, I would have laid my life down for Athens continually and with great honor because I do not fear death, counselor. The fear of death is what I would call fake wisdom and not true wisdom. And if one subscribes to the notion that death is the ultimate cruelty, then in my humble opinion, that is misinformation. You're known in history as the godfather of philosophy. So for those of us who haven't had the privilege of being one of your students, can you help us with the basics? What is philosophy? Philosophy is the relentless quest to question and examine fundamental beliefs, to values and assumptions that we all have. And it is a beacon of wisdom calling into question the unquestioned and to challenge the unchallenged, to liberate our minds from the claims of ignorance and superstition and, of course, conspiracy. Did you charge your students for making them think so deeply? Never. I'm not an attorney. Thank you for that. Unlike the sophists who admit only wealthy students into their ranks, I believe that free thought and the benefit of critical thinking are for anyone who wished to better themselves. Full stop. Can you explain to us what is the Socratic method? Well, now you tease my ego. The Socratic method is not merely a method of questioning, for that has been rather debased as such, but it's a profound approach to dialogue and the pursuit of truth. Through the Socratic method, I challenge individuals to examine the foundations of their lives, to confront their own ignorance without humiliation or condescension. One of the charges against you is impiety. And your accusers claim that you refuse to acknowledge the gods, that you disrespect the gods. So first, I must ask you, Socrates, do you believe in and respect the gods of Athens? I do believe that there are gods, and frankly, in a way, far higher than many of my accusers believe in them. I have no intention whatsoever of dishonoring the gods, nor do I wish to introduce new divinities. Not at all. I am a philosopher. And my only aim is to seek the truth and understanding of the world around me. And I believe that this is what the gods want from us to question and to think and to be critical and seek the truth. The truth. Let's talk a little about the second charge against you, corrupting the youth. Tell me what you think about this charge of corrupting the youth, and who has brought this charge against you. I don't recognize the men that brought the charge against me. Again, I believe them to be a lower order. But I find this whole charge amusing. I mean, where are these alleged corrupted youths who have testified against me? Puine, where are they? Not a single one is here to testify against me. If I am the corruptor of the youth, I believe my accusers are corruptors of the truth. And I ask you, which is the greatest evil? Well, I want to give you this opportunity right now to speak the truth. Can you tell the ladies and gentlemen of the jury what you did teach the youth of Athens about democracy? In my teachings, so-called teachings, I have striven to impact the young minds with an importance of civic duty and the power of collective decision-making. Democracy thrives when its young citizens are informed and critical thinkers. I would conclude, ladies and gentlemen, by saying that strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and weak minds discuss people. And the people that have leveled this against me obviously are showing the weakness of their argument because they have nothing to show. They have nothing on me. I'm going to ask one final question. Our last question, Socrates. If these great citizens tonight sign a verdict to let you go free, will you ever stop questioning and teaching? No. If the only way to escape these accusations is to stop teaching, then I would rather die than live in ignorance. If my accusers wish to silence me, they will have to punish me by death. But I ask you, who is next? Who next will be punished for being different? Who next will be punished for teaching others to think for themselves? I have no further questions. Thank you, Ms. King. Ms. Porter, cross-examination. You say, sir, that you are a proud Athenian. Yes, I am. You testified with pride that you served during the Peloponnesian War. Yes? Yes, three times, proudly. And indeed, Socrates, that dreadful war ended only five years before we sit here today, correct? Yes, correct. And you know, Socrates, that our citizens still suffer here today in 390 B.C., in the aftermath of this war. Some are suffering, yes. You yourself saw in your lifetime the plague that befell Athens. True. And that plague didn't just affect one person. It affected all of Athens. Yes. And that plague befell us because of Apollo's anger. Isn't that true? I disagree with the notion. I don't believe that Apollo is an angry god. I believe he's benevolent. Sir, didn't you tell us just moments ago in your testimony that you do not know the will of the gods? It is my belief that the will of the gods is benevolent. I do not believe that they are angry. Let's talk about philosophy, sir. You are urging the young men of Athens to pursue truth. Yes? And one would hope they would pursue their truth. Yes. You are familiar, sir, with Sias, the Greek god of questioning and intelligence. Yes. And you are familiar certainly with Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Yes. When you press the youth to look away from Sias and look away from Athena and look to you, sir, do you not realize that you risk us all? I do not purport to be a divinity, nor do I ask them to look to me. I merely provoke them to think. Those are your words, not mine. Athena has never told us as the citizens of this city that we may question her existence. Isn't that true? Athena has never spoken to me personally, no. And there has been no tablet sent from Zeus saying, hey, that's fine, question my existence, I don't care. The gods do not speak to me, counselor, no. Indeed, the gods do not speak to you. And isn't it true, sir, that you really don't know anything about what you have been sharing with the youth of Athens? I am the first to admit that the one thing I do know is I know nothing. So I am in agreement with that statement. You are ignorant, sir. Of course, we're all ignorant. You do not know the will of Athena. You don't know the will of any of the gods, true? No, but I provoke people to think and to assume and to make judgments as to their own ideas and passions. And all of us, including these ladies and gentlemen of the jury, at a time when we are still fighting for Athens's very existence, when our democracy is hanging by a thread, we're just supposed to hope that you're right, that all of this endless poking and prodding of the gods is just going to turn out OK? That's an excellent question, one I would like to posit to many people. It's one I would love to explore, but it's one I do not have an answer for. You're willing to risk it, is that what you're saying? I'm willing to speak freely and to discuss and open the parameters of discussion. That's what I'm willing to do. And you don't fear death, right? No, I do not. So the risk doesn't matter to you. Those are your words, not mine. In your testimony, you acknowledged that some of those known as the 30 tyrants were at one time your students. Sadly, yes. These are men who terrorized Athens, isn't that true? Very true. They confiscated our citizens' property to enrich themselves, yes? Yes. Horrible. They sent some into exile, forcing them to leave Athens. Yes, they did. And many they murdered. What's the question? I am asking the questions now. It's my Socratic method this time, Socrates. I understand, but I didn't hear a question in that. Now, the harms that we discussed, none of those harms befell you during the reign of the 30 tyrants, true? No, but I was greatly affected by what was going on in Athens at the time, certainly. It hurt you to see, is that what you're saying, sir? I'm not a political person, counselor. I did not get involved with what was going on, and I kept myself apart from the situation. I see no account in history, Socrates, of your actions to question or challenge the rule of the 30 tyrants. Isn't that right? There may be nothing written down, but certainly there were activities that went on. But no, I did not question the role of the 30 tyrants directly, no. So, even though here today you had stole to this jury the virtues of relentlessly questioning, you did nothing to question relentlessly, or even a little bit, the actions of the 30 tyrants as they tore this city to shreds. Isn't that true, Socrates? I would not question the 30 tyrants, given the environment in Athens at that time was very dangerous, counselor. So, if you were living during that time, you would have kept your head down. So, it was through self-survival. So, you got to pick a time when survival was important for you, where you actually did fear going to Hades. Many Athenians felt the same. Even though your Socratic method produced the brutal critias of the 30 tyrants, who inflicted so much harm, you now ask this jury to allow you to continue doing what you have been doing. Is that right? Yes. And you say that you would rather die than stop teaching and questioning. Yes? Yes. You say you're not afraid to die. No, I'm not. Do you understand, sir, that many of the rest of us wish to live? As do I. There's no contradiction in that. No further questions, your honor. Does the prosecution wish to make a closing argument? Yes, we do, your honor. May I proceed? You may. May it please the court, counsel, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, citizens of Athens. Stand at the foot of the Acropolis. Look up into the skies above and take in the Parthenon. It's a symbol of the things that we can accomplish when we put our minds to it. When we follow reason. When we obey the laws. My fellow Athenians, it doesn't end there. The Pan-Athenian Games and the Olympic Games. The birthplace of democracy. Medicine. Art. Theater. A system of laws. Philosophy and responsible philosophy. Something we'll touch on in a moment. And yes, trial by jury. That was the golden age of Greece. We start with the golden age of Greece and our success because people follow the laws. And when they broke them, they were tried by fair juries and punished. And in this instance, Socrates' trial takes place after the fall of Athens, the fall of democracy, our loss in the Peloponnesian War, us enduring years of plague and death, and very importantly, the reign of the 30 tyrants. Socrates' star pupils. They murdered Athenians by the thousands. Five percent of our population. Taken out by his students. So yes, it's important. Yes, he's a charismatic figure. Yes, he's a smart person. Yes, he had a following. And if he broke our two most serious laws and we now have the evidence to support it, you bet we're going to prosecute him. Mr. Webb asked, what did he actually do? And I also want you to think about what did he not do? Even from the witness stand is my colleague, Ms. Porter, cross-examined Socrates. Did you hear him affirmatively condemn the acts of the 30 tyrants? Sure, he nodded his head and appeared disappointed with a hum or two. But how about before this trial? Think about that. We heard in the opening statement that he taught for 50 years. Well, let's take a step back and put ourselves in Mr. Socrates' shoes. If you're just innocent, questioning things as he tells you that's all he was doing. Other people that committed these acts. And he taught and he taught and he taught. And then he learns that his best and brightest students were at the helm of the 30 tyrants. What would we expect a good citizen of Athens who, yes, fought in our wars? He knew better. He would come out publicly and condemn their acts. He's guilty because he never publicly said these men were wrong. What they did was wrong. Sure, I told them to question democracy. Sure, I told them to question the makeup of the gods. But questioning is one thing. Taking murderous and tyrannical action is another. He never did that. Now, we've traveled to modern day times. Out of my left pocket, I pulled out an iPhone. Why are these powerful tools? Not so much for the microchips that they have embedded inside of them. But because of the information, the applications, the TikToks my colleague talked about. How many parents in this room or guardians either have children or raise children? And since 2007 or so in our time machine, worried about the content on the phone responsibly. Sure, we love freedom of expression, freedom of speech. And yes, the Bill of Rights doesn't exist. And as a matter of law, you cannot rely on those principles tonight. But parents should care what's being fed to their kids. And it's okay to monitor that. It's okay to throttle it. It's okay to make sure that we know what's being said to our youth. How many parents went to school board meetings to say, don't teach my kids that or please teach my kids that? That's what a lawful society, a responsible society does. Ladies and gentlemen, Socrates is the worst kind of app. He put the information out there. He told the citizens of Athens, there's other gods. If he wanted to believe that back in his home in the Horyo, go ahead, have at it. If he didn't like that law, use your charisma to lobby the legislature to change it. But the simple fact is the law exists. It's simple. It's clear. For good reason. He knew it. He broke it. Corrupting the youth. You can't light a fuse, supply information, question democracy, belittle democracy. And then when your star students go out and destroy it, just sit back and say, well, yeah, that's a shame. Maybe in front of you tonight. Socrates was guilty in ancient times because he injected new gods and he corrupted the youth. Much like the dangerous misinformation that our youth today receives. Ladies and gentlemen, we respectfully request that you enter a verdict of guilty on count one or count two, because with that verdict, you send a message that Athens and Greece can be great again when you follow the rule of law and you abide by our democratic norms and lawfulness in our society. I want to thank you for your time and your attention. Mr. Clifford. Thank you, Your Honor. If it may please the court, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, counsel, jurors true. If I didn't know better, I would say censorship is a very good thing. Because that's what they would have you do for anyone like Socrates who promotes free will, thought, and discourse. Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. I refer to you as jurors true because we, on behalf of Socrates and on the rule of law, look to you to be true to your oaths. You serve in judgment on an indictment. An indictment and that tonight you have heard a remarkable breach of that in the four corners of that indictment by these prosecutors. But there's a rank hypocrisy in what these people have told you tonight. And the hypocrisy is that on one hand, they recognize Socrates for his valor. And yet, on the other hand, they criticize him for not stepping up as and they almost accuse him of being one of the 30 tyrants. And they say, well, those were his students. Well, wait a minute. You can't have it both ways. Here in Athens, we have a very well-known legal principle called the goose gander rule. If you're going to accuse this man of guilt by association with the 30 tyrants, then how about freedom by association with his work on our behalf with General Pericles, who rewarded him for his valor on the battlefield, and who acknowledged that he was there protecting our freedoms. You met Socrates tonight. You heard him on the witness stand and make no doubt about it. We readily admit that he's an odd fellow. He is an intellectual. And like many intellectuals, he's a complicated man. And yet this man, we do not deny that through his thought-provoking discussions, he inspires other people to engage in a scholarly discourse. His testimony is uncontradicted. He told you that he respected the gods. He told you that he was not one to promote false gods. There is not a single shred of evidence supporting the claim of impiety or that he attempted to introduce different gods at all. And further, there isn't a single shred of evidence that he corrupted the youth by telling them in some way, shape, or form to despise democracy. As a matter of fact, when Pericles spoke to his troops in 433 after the first Peloponnesian war, when there were so many families who suffered losses, and he told them that we all grow as a society by engaging in discourse with our friends and with one another. Isn't that what Socrates has been doing for the last 50 years? I say to you that it is. And now that's supposed to be a crime? Socrates got on that witness stand. He took an oath to God and our flag. And he told you, and he looked you in the eye, that we should all strive to be good. And he told you that he does not pretend to know the will of the gods. But it was his duty as a philosopher to seek truth and to question everything. For that, he's to be put to the death. And even if they claim that somehow that those views were wrong, where have they been all of this time? There's nothing new. They talk about the amnesty. The amnesty was for all crimes purportedly committed before 403 BC. And Socrates has not changed one bit. He was saying the things that he did right now. He was saying them 30 years ago. Where have they been? Why are these charges here now? They want to claim that Meletus and Annetus and Lycan are good guys. Well, it's about power. These accusers fear that by inspiring the youth, by encouraging young men to be thinkers, that it will undermine their ability to remain in power. Let's not forget that the 30 tyrants were only in power less than one year. Annetus and his group, they became the new despots. And what did they fear? They feared Socrates educating the youth to be in favor of democracy and not replace the 30 tyrants with three despots. That is exactly what this is all about. So and to keep their power, they have to falsely accuse Socrates of corrupting the youth, including through anti-democratic teachings, and which he specifically, ladies and gentlemen, has denied. You know, growing up on the south side of Athens as I did, you all remember there's a rope factory. And that rope factory is where we made the ropes for the ports of Athens and all the great ships that are there. And there's a sign above the door that goes into the jury room. And that sign says, he who weaves these ropes, weaves his conscience into every rope twine. Well, your consciences are going to be woven into your verdict tonight. You get to go through a door. You are all here through the euphemistic door. So when you come through this door, please take your conscience and say, what if this was your next door neighbor? People can endure unending amounts of pain, suffering, sorrow, bad laws, provided one thing prevails, and that is it's happening to someone else. Please don't let it happen to Socrates. Please set him free. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Collins, I am going to hold you to one minute. Ladies and gentlemen, some of you may not like the laws of fourth century BC, but the law of impiety is there for a reason that we've explained to you tonight. And what do we hear from the witness stand? And again, I think hearing five minutes of Socrates, whether it's direct or I think better on cross-examination, he has a very different view of the gods. He thinks they're benevolent. He thinks you can question their existence. And ladies and gentlemen, when three of your prize students become murderous tyrants, it is time to change your syllabus. It is time to change the way you teach. We don't have the authority to charge him with perjury after this trial, but he said he wasn't a teacher, ladies and gentlemen. He looked at you and said he wasn't a teacher. And why? Because he just asked questions. You heard him. He's unrepentant. He will forever speak the way he speaks, questioning, questioning, questioning. And when the undergirding of our society, our fragile democracy, is that you can't disrespect the gods, there has to be a sanction. If you don't want the sanction to be death, ladies and gentlemen, save that for the penalty phase. The question you have right now is, did he do it? Was he disrespectful to gods? And did he corrupt the youth? Thank you. At this time, we are ready to poll the jurors. Mr. Sotos. Not guilty. Georgia Tasiopoulou. Not guilty. Young Richard Kim. Not guilty. Ms. Katsoulis. Not guilty. John Howell. Words matter. Guilty. Andrea Hannes. Not guilty. Tony Carman. With heavy heart. Not guilty. Johnny Mars. Not guilty. Toby Eveland. Guilty. Monica Eng. Not guilty. Mr. Dan Mihalopoulos. I'm going to urge these wonderful prosecutors here to find a governor who sold his office, or maybe a— What's your verdict, Mr. Mihalopoulos? Electric utility. Not guilty. Mr. Lou Apostol. I have to vote not guilty. And Mr. Bellis. Not guilty. At this time, we will ask the judges to also render their verdicts. I'll go first. I found it helpful to look back at the oath as to the first count in piety. I see two theories, refusing to acknowledge and introducing new or different gods. Under either theory, I find that Socrates was unpious, excellent lawyers, and Socrates was wise to not go pro se this time. However, I think his attorneys were a few centuries early with some of their arguments. At some point, I thought Mr. Webb was going to be dragged out of here and indicted himself. So, I find him guilty on the charge of impiety. As to count number two, corrupting, Socrates couldn't bring himself to say it, but I'll say it for him. Not guilty. Simply too vague, even for 25 centuries ago. So, a split verdict from me. Guilty on impiety. Not guilty on corrupting. Justice or Judge Kiriakopoulos. We heard Socrates' testimony today. And in this court's opinion, I believe he was unapologetic. Some would even say defiant. And unbelievable, and possibly insincere. And why do I say insincere? He kind of slipped in, and I don't know if everybody heard this, but he called the jurors fools if, in fact, they convicted him. That's what he thinks of the jurors. As a young judge, I heard a senior judge explain to a courtroom full of people prior to appearing before him that they should consider these words of wisdom. That no fish ever got caught without opening its mouth. Or, as my yaya used to say when I was growing up, Adani, your teeth are good for two things. Chewing your food and keeping your tongue in your mouth. Two pieces of advice that would have bode well for the defendant today on certain things that he testified to. I've heard nothing from the defendant or the defense that would exonerate him from either of the offenses as charged. Therefore, applying the laws that I'm charged to apply, which is the Athenian laws of 399. And to the facts that were presented, which is not only the testimony, but the facts that were elicited and argued by counsels. And putting my personal preferences aside, I find Socrates guilty. Justice Cunningham. Socrates, you have disgraced yourself and corrupted the youth of Athens with your wild and unconventional speeches, which you knew would be attractive to impressionable, restless youth. Those actions undermined our democracy and put our society at risk. You did these things intentionally and without remorse, knowing the havoc that you were heaping on our beloved city of Athens. Your crime is serious, yet you are remorseless. It is fitting that your punishment be a deterrent to others who may seek to corrupt the youth of Athens by leading them down the toxic path of impiety. You deserve to be punished, and I will leave that to the court. I find you guilty. Thank you, Justice. Mr. Socrates was with great satisfaction when he sat in the agora and engaged in conversation with our youth. It was an exhilarating feeling as he looked them in the eye, mostly as commoners, as aristocrats, and as students. It was the fearless expression of passion that he expressed in the agora. And he practiced and he taught the true art of cross-examination, a way of questioning in order to develop moral education, actual truth, and reform. And he taught our youth an invaluable lesson, that if there's one thing that you should know is that you know nothing. In my opinion, this form of questioning is a truth-seeking mission and encourages free thought, self-reflection, inquiry, intelligence, and wisdom in our youth. But we are not here today to discuss whether or not Mr. Socrates' teaching methods were appropriate. We are here to determine whether or not he went beyond enriching our youth's minds and he is accused of corrupting them. Under Athenian law, there is no definition of corruption and piety. Mr. Socrates entered these proceedings with the intent of proving that he is, in fact, the wisest man in Athens. He has feigned humility, yet has demonstrated arrogance before us. He left his philotimo in the agora. He wouldn't even admit that there are laws in Athens that he has violated. I have put great thought into this decision and make it without fear of reprisal from my fellow Athenians. Socrates has repeatedly and notoriously attacked the cornerstone of our democracy. The true theory of the rule by the people and by lottery, the purest form of democracy that has never existed again. It is no coincidence that it was his students, his most loyal admirers, that were part of the invasion while he stood by idly and watched his disciples attempt to invoke an inferior form of government, an olarchy. We all know that that leads to corruption. He himself asks students to question everything. And yet, when he is asked the question by Ms. Porter, his response is, well, that's your opinion. That's your thought. Refusing to answer the questions. I believe that Mr. Socrates demonstrated motive, and that is in order to divide and conquer is the way to take down the democracy. Athens cannot take the risk. Not at this time. Not at any time. And to allow Socrates to continue would only be more jeopardy to our democracy. So for all of those reasons, based on his conduct, his motive, and his words, I find him guilty of both impiety and corrupting the youth. At this time, we would call to see the vote of the jurors. It is only the jurors' vote that counts for this trial today. Mr. Socrates, you are now free to roam the streets of Athens one more time. On behalf of the National Hellenic Museum, we would like to thank you, our audience, our esteemed celebrity jurors, and all of our great legal minds assembled here tonight for participating in the National Hellenic Museum trial of Socrates. And like Socrates, you are free to go. Court is adjourned. In the many quests by the brilliant philosophers of ancient Greece, as well as the philosophers of all religions and belief systems since then, the search for a satisfactory articulation of the components of a good life is never-ending. In my view, its utility satisfies both a system of justice and social mores. The conduct of human affairs must be based on the primacy of reason, and this principle is an inviolate law of nature. To accept this definition as the philosophy of truth is to have achieved understanding. To employ it with others is to become triumphant in your relations. And finally, to have accepted it as a creed to live by, you will have vindicated the gift of precious life you have been given. May we all be so blessed. The trial of Socrates is made possible by the Jaeharis Family Foundation, Kalamos Investments, Clifford Law Offices, and these generous supporters. The National Hellenic Museum is proud to present lifelong learning through events like the NHM Trial Series. To learn more about the museum's programming, exhibits, tours, and classes, please visit nationalhellenicmuseum.org.