Socrates, sok'ra teez, (469-399 B. C.), an ancient Greek philosopher, born at Athens. For a time he followed the profession of his father, who was a sculptor; then he was a common soldier for several years, after which he became interested in philosophy and devoted himself to the education of the youth of his native city, hoping thereby to make more useful citizens and a more firmly established and morally sound State. By means of conversation, which was simple, yet brilliant, he so illuminated commonplace facts that the great truths underlying them became apparent. Because of his pure morality, honesty and interest in all mankind, he was highly esteemed; yet he was hated by those who opposed his ideas of government and religion and was finally accused of corrupting the youth of the State with heretical religious views. He was tried before a court of citizen jurors and was sentenced to death. A month later he drank the cup of fatal hemlock and expired. Socrates made no attempt to formulate a system of philosophy, nor to commit his ideas to writing. What we know of his doctrines is learned from Xenophon's Memorabilia and Plato's Dialogues. The great influence which he wielded is largely due to the fact that his ideas were made practical in his life. He was governed always by his high sense of virtue and obeyed conscientiously the promptings of an inner voice, which he declared to be a never-failing counselor. He attained to an intellectual strength and a spiritual peace that make him remarkable among the world's greatest thinkers.