Socrates: Wise and Influential

Socrates: Wise and Influential
Look into the eyes of the bust of Socrates and you can almost see what he saw in the universe. It looks as though his wisdom is unsurmountable, as he did believe himself to be the most brilliant man in the universe, while also knowing for sure: the only thing he knows is that he doesn’t know anything. Unlike the famous Kouros statues that were all alike and used for a certain purpose of a grave maker, or shrine to the gods, the portrait of Socrates shows depth and importance. During the classical period it became increasingly common for Greek sculptures to depict more realistic forms. The portrait of Socrates details a man who was not afraid to ask hard questions, it also puts across the point that he may have been revered and feared as well by the Greeks. His statue was created twenty years after his death. For a man who was accused of corrupting the youth, and executed for it, one might question why then did someone find this man to be deserving of a statue? Did the Greeks begin to side with his ideas and theories after a low point in their victories? Perhaps the views of the sophists were beginning to surpass the previous views of Greek culture. This sculpture may have been the Apotheosis of Socrates’ career, a way to elevate him to a trailblazer status during a period when the gods were being pushed from explanation of cause in the lives of the Greeks.
The rendition of Socrates shows a man that demands respect from those who choose to listen to his teachings, though he demanded himself to not be an actual teacher. He is depicted as an aging man who represents a lifetime of hard work, and travel. Socrates has a huge impact on the Greek society, and even the rest of the world for many ...

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... and thought his death would cleanse the city of Athens. In a sense Socrates is sacrificing himself for the city as a well respected man loved by many.
Socrates life was similar to his philosophies in more ways than one. He was loved, and unloved by the society. He was wise and depicted as such in the statue which represents him, though he would argue himself as unwise. His thoughts and actions have been preserved by the writings of his students, and his ideas have been preserved by actions from the world beyond his time. It is clear why a statue of this man was created; his questions changed the world.

Works Cited

Staff, History.com. "Socrates." History.com. N.p., 2009. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .

"Socrates." Ancient Greece. N.p., 2003. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .