Who was Socrates and when did he die?

A great question! It's always nice to see people curious about ancient writers.

Socrates (c. 470-399 BCE) was a classical Greek philosopher who is widely credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. He is best known for his Socratic method of questioning, which sought to get to the deeper truth and meaning behind a person's words and beliefs. Socrates famously refused to accept the death penalty after being charged with corrupting the youth of Athens and was instead sentenced to death by drinking hemlock. He died at the age of 70 in 399 BCE.

Being charged with corrupting the youth meant that Socrates was accused of teaching ideas that went against the traditional beliefs of the Athenian government. He was also accused of not believing in the gods of the city and therefore of being a bad influence on young people. The charges against him were seen as a threat to the stability of the state, and so he was brought to trial and ultimately sentenced to death.

The gods he didn't believe in were Zeus, Apollo, Athena, and other traditional Greek gods, which were a part of the Athenian state religion. He instead believed in an abstract concept of truth and justice, which he thought should be pursued and upheld by individuals.