Socrates the martyr?

The term martyr always makes me think of my youngest sister. My sister is the youngest of 4 girls, quite often blows our teasing so out of proportion that she storms off and tries to get our mom to react. The first time I heard the term martyr it was when my mother told my sister to stop being such a martyr. The definition of martyr in that sense is obviously quite a bit less severe than what it actually means to be a martyr but the need for attention stays the same.  

When reading through the book again starting in Eurythphro I could see the development of Socaretes personal quest to find the meaning of piety, impiety, justice and injustice.  Socrates has set out to gain this knowledge to prove his innocence at the upcoming trial. Throughout the trial Socrates does not budge on his belief that he is completely innocent of the charges against him. Socrates at one point in the trial mentions his family but he says he will not bring them forward. “Yet I will not bring any of them forward before you and implore you acquit me.”[1]   Socrates says he’s not going to beg by bringing his family out for votes of sympathy. A martyr would have brought his family out in order to cause more of scene and gather more sympathy. Socrates in the other hand wants to be tried for his actions alone not because he has a family or not. This shows Socrates integrity, even after all his speeches Socrates is condemned to death and that is when his true character shows.

This presents the dilemma should Socrates die for a trial that was not just? When Socrates is in prison Crito comes to him and offers a way of escape but Socrates refuses. This could be an example of Socrates being a martyr dying when he could instead escape. I believe it actually strengthens the case for him dying for what he believes in. For Socrates to escape would be unjust, therefore going against the very beliefs he was claiming to have in trial. For Socrates to escape would prove the Athenians that Socrates was an unjust man and would leave them to believe that the trial had been true.  So although it meant dying Socrates chose to stay true to his beliefs rather than live.

Another point to look at is Socrates attitude while he is imprisoned. “But I have found you all along the noblest and gentlest man that has ever come here.” [2]  This statement by the guard speaks volumes, Socrates if a martyr would have been exaggerating every little discomfort to get sympathy. Socrates also did not complain about the unfairness of the trial. He did not mention it to friends right before he died looking for pity. He does the opposite and tells those around him not to cry. Socrates was someone that would have driven me insane, but he also went about things not to gain attention but to seek out the true meaning. Socrates, although probably providing a good number of headaches to those he talked to, was not a martyr. He stayed true to his beliefs until the end.

[1] Plato, Euthyphro, Apology Crito, trans. F.J. Church. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1948. pg. 41 section XXIII

[2]pg.69 section LXV