The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life PDF
Preview The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life
ALSO BY BETTANY HUGHES Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF Copyright © 2010 by Bettany Hughes All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. www.aaknopf.com Originally published in Great Britain in 2010 by Jonathan Cape, an imprint of the Random House Group Limited, London. Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hughes, Bettany. The hemlock cup : Socrates, Athens and the search for the good life / by Bettany Hughes.—1st U.S. ed. p. cm. eISBN: 978-0-307-59529-4 1. Socrates. 2. Philosophers—Greece—Athens—Biography. 3. Philosophers, Ancient— Biography. 4. Athens (Greece)—Biography. I. Title. B316.H84 2011 183′.2—dc22 [B] 2010045486 Jacket image: Socrates, engraving by Thomas Trotter after a drawing by Peter Paul Rubens. Mary Evans Picture Library. Jacket design by Jason Booher v3.1 For KE-SE-NE-WI-JA xenwia and xenia and therefore for my friends, at home and abroad. CONTENTS Cover Other Books by This Author Title Page Copyright Dedication Epigraph 1 Acknowledgements 2 Preface 3 Introduction 4 The dramatic story of Socrates – sources and approach 5 Dramatis personæ 6 List of Illustrations 7 Maps ACT ONE – ATHENA’S CITY 1 The water-clock: time to be judged 2 Athena’s city 3 Socrates in the Agora 4 The Stoa of the King 5 The first blood sacrifice 6 Checks, balances and magic-men 7 Persuade or obey 8 Peitho, the power of persuasion ACT TWO – SOCRATES AS A YOUNG MAN 9 Alopeke: a philosopher is born 10 Kerameikos – potters and beautiful boys 11 Pericles: high society, and democracy as high theatre 12 Delos – and the birth of an empire 13 Purple ambition 14 Paddling in the river, sweating in the gym: Socratic youth 15 Gym-hardened fighting men 16 ‘Golden Age’ Athens 17 Aspasia – Sophe Kai Politike, Wise and Politically Astute ACT THREE – SOCRATES THE SOLDIER 18 Samos 19 Flexing muscles 20 Socrates the soldier 21 Demons and virtues 22 The plague ACT FOUR – NEW GODS, NEW POSSIBILITIES: SOCRATES IN MIDDLE AGE 23 Silver Owls and a wise owl 24 Hot air in the Agora 25 Democracy, liberty and freedom of speech 26 The good life – after dark 27 Delphi, the Oracle 28 Gnothi Seauton – Know Yourself 29 Aristocrats, democrats and the realities of war ACT FIVE – THE FIGHT GOES ON 30 The Peloponnesian War, phase two – a messy siege 31 Brickbats and bouquets 32 Amphipolis ACT SIX – SOCRATES AND LOVE 33 Socrates in the symposium 34 The trouble with love 35 Oh, tell me the truth about love 36 Diotima – a very social priestess 37 Little Bears 38 Xanthippe 39 Alcibiades: violet-crowned, punch-drunk ACT SEVEN – CUTTING DOWN THE TALLEST CORN 40 Melos 41 Venus de Milo abused 42 Priest of nonsense: playing with fire 43 Sicily 44 Rivers of blood 45 Decelea – closing down the mines 46 Time of terror 47 Arginusae – standing out in the crowd 48 Tall poppies, cut corn 49 Thirty Tyrants ACT EIGHT – THE TRIAL AND DEATH OF SOCRATES 50 The scapegoat 51 An apology 52 Twilight and Delos at dawn 53 Socrates bound 54 Flight from the world Coda: The tomb of Socrates – the Tower of the Winds Afterword Appendix One Honouring Aphrodite Appendix Two Mysteria – the Eleusinian Mysteries Timeline Text Acknowledgements Image Acknowlegements Notes Bibliography Illustrations Many wonders, many terrors, but none more wonderful or more terrible than a human being. Sophocles, Antigone, 332 And what kind of person is more loved by the gods than the one who is most happy? Xenophon, describing Socrates in his Memorabilia, 4.8.3
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