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Why did Socrates drink the poison hemlock?

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The form that capital punishment took in Athens was by drinking a drink containing poison hemlock. Therefore Socrates took the hemlock because that was his punishment. During the course of the trial after he was found guilty the prosecution asked for the death penalty to be administered. When Socrates was asked what he felt would be a fair alternative punishment his suggestions was a fine. Some scholars believe that if he had agreed to be exiled as his punishment the jury would have voted for that. However, faced with a decision between the death penalty and a fine the jury chose the death penalty.

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This short discussion focuses on why Socrates drank the poison hemlock. Why did he choose to die by his own hand? Over 300 words of original text along with links to informative websites for further research.

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The form that capital punishment took in Athens was by drinking a drink containing poison hemlock. Therefore Socrates took the hemlock because that was his punishment. During the course of the trial after he was found guilty the prosecution asked for the death penalty to be administered. When Socrates was asked what he felt would be a fair alternative punishment his suggestions was a fine. Some scholars believe that if he had agreed to be exiled as his punishment the jury would ...

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