A revisionist account of the most famous trial and execution in Western civilization—one with great resonance for American society today.

A revisionist account of the most famous trial and execution in Western civilization—one with great resonance for American society today.

In the spring of 399 BCE, Socrates stood trial in his native Athens. The court was packed, and after being found guilty by his peers, Socrates died by drinking a cup of the poison hemlock. But, Robin Waterfield asks in this provocative reinterpretation of one of the most famous court cases in world history, is this the whole story? Examining not only the actual records but placing Socrates in the historical context of an Athenian society in a state of moral decline, Waterfield provides a gripping portrait of our most enduring philosopher.

Praise for Robin Waterfield’s Xenophon’s Retreat:

“An excellent book. Robin Waterfield writes very well, in a style that is accessible and sophisticated.”—Barry Strauss, Cornell University, author of The Trojan War

“A timeless story as well as a vivid tale of its times.”— BBC History magazine