Today in class we talked more about the Agora and Socrates. We talked about how much Socrates valued democracy. He gave his life because he valued the system so much. He had the opportunity to escape before he was to be executed but he chose to stay. He was sentenced to forced suicide where he would have to drink hemlock poison. Everyone knew how bad of a death hemlock poison was. The following was taken off of emedicine.com "Poison hemlock: Signs of poison hemlock toxicity can be divided into an early stimulation phase and, in severe poisonings, a later depressant phase.
Emesis [means vomiting]
Salivation [drooling]
Mydriasis [means excessive dilation of pupils]
Tachycardia, [heart palpitations] then bradycardia[abnormally slow heartbeat]
Initial fasciculations [small muscle twitches all over the body], then flaccid paralysis
Hypoventilation [can't breathe], respiratory arrest"
"and he walked about until, as he said, his legs began to fail, and then he lay on his back, according to the directions, and the man who gave him the poison now and then looked at his feet and legs; and after a while he pressed his foot hard and asked him if he could feel; and he said, no; and then his leg, and so upwards and upwards, and showed us that he was cold and stiff. And he felt them himself, and said: When the poison reaches the heart, that will be the end. He was beginning to grow cold about the groin, when he uncovered his face, for he had covered himself up, and said (they were his last words)—he said: Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius; will you remember to pay the debt? The debt shall be paid, said Crito; is there anything else? There was no answer to this question; but in a minute or two a movement was heard, and the attendants uncovered him; his eyes were set, and Crito closed his eyes and mouth." - Phaedro
Great post, Adam! Way to go the extra mile to find the historical description of Socrates' death.
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