Podcasts · Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle: The Thinkers Who Changed History — Fexingo History
The Death of Socrates: Poison, Politics, and Last Words
· 11 min · S4 E189
Episode The Death of Socrates: Poison, Politics, and Last Words
In 399 BC, Socrates drank hemlock in an Athenian prison. But what really happened in his final hours? This episode unpacks the death of Socrates, separating the historical record from the legend Plato handed down. We look at the mechanics of hemlock poisoning, the political maneuvering behind the trial, the often-overlooked role of Socrates's wife Xanthippe, and the infamous last words — 'Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius.' Was Socrates a martyr for truth, or a casualty of Athenian politics? And why did Plato so carefully craft this scene? Lucas and Luna explore the evidence from the Phaedo, the conflicting accounts of the death, and what it means for how we remember Socrates.
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Transcript
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