Druga część fantastycznego tekstu Pawła Paroboczego (klasa 3a) o Sokratesie właśnie ląduje w naszym wirtualnym kiosku. Tekst został napisany w języku angielskim w AimHigh Magazine, a pierwsza jego część została opublikowana na naszych łamach jesienią. Zapraszamy do lektury!
========================
The dreadful verdict of the majority
The trial was held in the year 399 B.C. The legal process was supposed to proceed according to a number of strictly set regulations that honoured the glorious Athenian democracy. 500 men picked out randomly from the cities’ people were to observe the course of the trial and vote accordingly to their judgment to either let go of or sentence the accused. If at least half of them considered him not guilty, the man would be freed. Moreover, the prosecution would also be obliged to pay the defendant a compensation for insulting his dignity in the shadow of allegations. Nonetheless, if he were to be found guilty, the call of the accusers would be fulfilled, and so, the accused would receive the highest form of possible punishment – death. Ready to accept whatever possible outcome may occur, and certain of his innocence, the philosopher decided not to hire a defence attorney that would represent him in court and try to convince the jury of the falsehood of the accusations. In lieu, he decided to undertake the role himself. The old man spoke to the gathered public once again, this time gathered not in the streets, but the very courtroom, ready to fight back against the grave pleas. Socrates used the same, simple yet vibrant words that he always did during the local disputes. Contrary to the masses, he chose not to indulge himself in the lowly tricks such as the emotional manipulation in order to gain the sympathy of the judges. He did not yell, weep nor beg for mercy of the arbiters, but carefully pointed out the flaws of the evidence brought by the prosecution with his usual characteristic charm. The trial proceeded smoothly without any interruptions. It lasted for only one day, and the so-called justice delivered its sentence. Socrates almost evaded death were 30 people more voted for his innocence, he would be spared, Unfortunately, 280 wanted him dead while the remaining 220, to save his life. To the student’s despair, their teacher’s demise was near. After the verdict was given, the deep thinker was transported to prison, where he spend about 30 days waiting for the looming fate, since there was a custom that forbid carrying out death sentences during the celebration of the ceremonial procession of Apollo’s ship to the island of Delos, which was currently taking place. His followers and friends visited him often for the whole period of anticipation, desperate to save the masters life at any cost. They even managed to bribe the guards to let them break him out of prison. However, their struggle was futile, because the victim himself refused to leave its imprisonment. He even listed out a long list of convincing arguments as to why it’s the most rational solution. Every foreseeable future he could imagine led to continuous despair. At the end of the disquisition, even the students themselves were almost persuaded. Nonetheless, when the day finally came, he decided to die on his own terms before the official judgment could be carried out. In the company of the people closest to him, he drank a chalice filled with poison, and so, the journey of this extraordinary man came to an end…
The legacy of the inquirer
Despite the tragic end of the man’s life, his time spent on the earthly realm wasn’t in vain. Socrates’s wisdom and legacy continued to live on thanks to the pupil’s work. The most famous one among them, Plato, established the first-ever philosophy school in the history of West. After Plato’s passing, there was yet another brave soul that followed in the footsteps of his ancestors – Aristoteles. Educated in the newly founded academia, he made a major contribution to the philosophy’s development. Regardless of Socaret’s bad reputation, his unique way of thinking and living beared fruits in the form of his wondeful students that continued to spread the knowledge they gained from him, and the one they aquired later-on, for their lifetimes. (Paweł Paroboczy)
