prompter: Who was Socrates and when did he die?

assistant: Socrates was a Greek philosopher who lived in Athens from around 470/469 BC to 399 BC. He is considered one of the most important figures in Western philosophy and is credited as being one of the founders of Western philosophy, along with his student, Plato. Socrates was known for his method of questioning and examining the beliefs and values of his fellow Athenians, and his contributions to the development of critical thinking and ethical reasoning. He died in 399 BC, sentenced to death by drinking hemlock for the charges of corrupting the youth and impiety.

assistant: A great question! It's always nice to see people curious about ancient writers. 

Socrates (c. 470-399 BCE) was a classical Greek philosopher who is widely credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. He is best known for his Socratic method of questioning, which sought to get to the deeper truth and meaning behind a person's words and beliefs. Socrates famously refused to accept the death penalty after being charged with corrupting the youth of Athens and was instead sentenced to death by drinking hemlock. He died at the age of 70 in 399 BCE.

Being charged with corrupting the youth meant that Socrates was accused of teaching ideas that went against the traditional beliefs of the Athenian government. He was also accused of not believing in the gods of the city and therefore of being a bad influence on young people. The charges against him were seen as a threat to the stability of the state, and so he was brought to trial and ultimately sentenced to death.

The gods he didn't believe in were Zeus, Apollo, Athena, and other traditional Greek gods, which were a part of the Athenian state religion. He instead believed in an abstract concept of truth and justice, which he thought should be pursued and upheld by individuals.

assistant: Socrates was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, Socrates authored no texts and is known mainly through the posthumous accounts of classical writers, particularly his students Plato and Xenophon. These accounts are written as dialogues, in which Socrates and his interlocutors examine a subject in the style of question and answer; they gave rise to the Socratic dialogue literary genre. Contradictory accounts of Socrates make a reconstruction of his philosophy nearly impossible, a situation known as the Socratic problem. Socrates was a polarizing figure in Athenian society. 

In 399 BC, Socrates went on trial for corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens, and for impiety. Socrates was given the chance to offer alternative punishments for himself after being found guilty. He could have requested permission to flee Athens and live in exile, but he did not do so. Instead, according to Plato, he requested that a fine should be imposed on him and also suggested that free meals should be provided for him daily in recognition of his worth to Athens. According to Xenophon, however, Socrates made no proposals.The jurors favoured the death penalty by making him drink a cup of hemlock (a poisonous liquid).