Socrates on Trial: Strategies for Teaching

This article describes how Socrates' trial can be used as the basis for a segment on ancient Greek thought in courses devoted to Western civilization. Specific exercises are detailed for presenting the ideas of the pre-Socratic scientists, the sophists, and Plato to show their contemporary relevance and to engage students as active learners. These preliminary exercises culminate in a mock trial based on the case of Athens vs. Socrates. An extensive bibliography is provided of secondary literature relevant to Socrates' trial and to Athenian legal procedures.