Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/147

Art and Literature after Pericles 97 only by the improvement of the individual citizen through the edu- cation of his mind to understand and appreciate virtue and justice. Inspired by this belief, Socrates went about in Athens engaging his fellow citizens in discussion, with the hope that he might teach them better to understand themselves and the pur- poses of life. While Socrates made no appeal to religion as an influence to- ward good conduct, he nevertheless showed himself a deeply religious man, believing with devout heart in the gods, although they were not those of Homer, and even feeling, like the He- brew prophets, that there was a divine voice within him calling him to his high mission. Socrates' fame spread far and wide, and when the Delphian oracle ( 87) was asked who was the wisest of liv- ing men it responded with the name of this greatest of Greek teachers. A group of pupils gathered about him, among whom the most famous was Plato. But the aims and noble efforts of Soc- rates were misunderstood. His keen questions seemed to undermine all the old beliefs. 146. The Trial and Death of Soc- rates (399 B. c.). So the Athenians summoned Socrates to trial for corrupting the youth with all sorts of doubts and impious teachings. He might easily have left Athens when the complaint was lodged against him. Nevertheless he appeared for trial, made a powerful and dignified defense, and, when the court voted the death penalty, passed his last days in tranquil conversation with his friends and pupils, in whose PORTRAIT OF SOCRATES This is not the best of the numerous surviving portraits of Socrates, but it is espe- cially interesting because it bears under the philosopher's name nine inscribed lines containing a portion of his public defense as reported by Plato in his Apology