up to another visiting wise politicians, poets, and craftsmen, making enemies out of each group. After talking to the wise men Socrates realized they were all arrogant for thinking themselves wise. Because Socrates knew he was not wise he believed he was better off then them. In the end it was a representative from each group that charged Socrates with the crimes that got him condemned to death. This "occupation" consumed his leisure as well as his finances. Socrates told the court at his trail: "I live in great poverty because of my service to the god"(6). Socrates compared himself to a gadfly, and the city of Athens a steed he was just trying to stir into life (11). When a horsefly bites me I squash it, and that is exactly what the city of Athens did to Socrates. Instead of squashing him they made him drink poison, a little bit less messy. Socrates was a gadfly by questioning Athenians on subjects they rarely talked about, making them think about something they normally wouldnt. He did his questioning out in the open where Athenians congregated so the public could observe and hopefully think on whatever subject that was being talked about. Socrates would question respectable Athenians making them look stupid too a crowd, because they would not know what to say. Making the person being questioned very angry towards Socrates for putting them in such a position. Socrates made himself many enemies by going around embarrassing people in front of a crowd. Socrates believed he did what he did because of the gods and a divine sign inside of his head. Socrates had a divine sign that kept him from leaving Athens, and made him face his trail. The divine sign was a voice, not unlike a conscience. Socrates told the court that "whenever it speaks it turns me away from something I am about to do, but it never encourages me to do anything." Socrates was saying that even though his speech and demeanor antagonized the jury and aggravated their anger to...
