The Hemlock Cup

Socrates was a soldier, lover, a man of the people. He philosophised in the squares and public arenas of Golden Age Athens. This brilliantly researched biography reveals the man behind the legacy. Socrates lived and contributed to a city that nurtured key ingredients of contemporary civilisation - democracy, liberty, science, drama and rational thought. When Socrates was around 70 years of age, his beloved Athens turned on him, condemning him to death by poison. Socrates' pursuit of personal liberty is a vibrant story that Athens didn't want us to hear, but which must be told. Bettany Hughes has painstakingly pieced together Socrates' life, following in his footsteps across Greece and Asia Minor.