The Last Days of Socrates

In what ways is Socrates’s pursuit of dialogue like a traditional hero journey, and in what ways does it subvert the traditional hero narrative?

What is the difference between piety and the just, as understood by Euthyphro and Socrates by the end of their dialogue?

Analogies to nature appear at several points in the dialogues. Discuss the effect of these analogies, using at least three specific examples as evidence.

Why does Socrates ask the jury to consider only the content of his defense and not the form? Is this an earnest request or its own rhetorical tactic?

How is piety understood in a traditional Athenian sacred context, and in what ways does Socrates both conform to and diverge from traditional notions of piety in his society?

Is Socrates guilty of worshipping new gods? Defend your answer drawing on at least three aspects of Socrates’s behavior across the dialogues.

In response to Echecrates asking if Phaedo has time to recount the story of Socrates’s last day, Phaedo replies, “remembering Socrates always gives me more pleasure than anything, whether I’m talking about him myself or whether I’m just listening to someone else” (119). Discuss the importance of remembering Socrates in the context of Athenian views of the sacred.

What is the one truth that Socrates knows, and how does he know it?