What Happened
Xenophon, a former student and mercenary commander, writes to settle the score with the Athenian public that executed his mentor. Instead of the abstract metaphysics found in other accounts, this record focuses on Socrates as a practical consultant for daily life. He advises aspiring generals on strategy, warns his son against domestic ingratitude, and debates the nature of law with Pericles. Xenophon argues that a man who sacrificed at state altars and encouraged his friends toward self-control could not possibly be a criminal. The text serves as a character witness statement, documenting the specific conversations intended to prove Socrates was the most useful man in Athens.
Key figures
- Socrates
The central philosopher executed for alleged impiety and corruption of youth.
- Xenophon
The Athenian soldier and author defending his former teacher's reputation.
- Critias
A former pupil whose later political crimes were blamed on Socrates.
- Lamprocles
The son of Socrates who is lectured on his duties to his mother.
What it's really about
- Civic Piety
- Defense of traditional religious practice and state loyalty.
- Self-Mastery
- The necessity of controlling physical appetites to achieve virtue.
Why it's memorable
- Socrates lecturing a young man that failing to honor a mother's grave invites state punishment.
- The image of Socrates reading entrails and watching bird cries to prove his religious orthodoxy.
Where it lands
Xenophon concludes by challenging any detractor to find a more perfect example of human happiness and virtue than Socrates.
For your book club
- Does Xenophon’s practical, soldierly Socrates feel more authentic than Plato’s more mystical version?
- Can a teacher be held responsible for the political crimes of their former students?