| |
| | Socrates (469-399 B.C.) |
 | | In the ancient world, no figure stands out for the courage of his convictions more than Socrates of Athens, who lived within the ancient Athenian democracy, 469-399 B.C. Although robust from workouts at the gymnasium, he was stout and paunchy. |
 | | Most of his young followers were of aristocratic or other affluent parentage and largely shared Socrates' openly admitted admiration for the Spartan constitution, even when the city-state was engaged against Sparta in the mutually ruinous Peloponnesian war (the second phase ran 431-404 B.C.). |
 | | Notwithstanding his love of talk, Socrates, although born to citizen rights, stopped attending the Athenian direct democracy Assembly, which on an open hillside (in view of the Acropolis across a valley) was always opened with the words, "Who wishes to speak?" |
| www.wsu.edu /~tcook/doc/Socrates2.htm (1718 words) |
|