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Socrates left no actual writing so impressions of Socrates have come primarily from the writings of his student, Plato. There are also other contributions from Xenophon and a contemporary playwright – Aristophanes. It is possible that Plato embellished the legacy of Socrates by making him appear the noblest philosopher; an ideal to be cherished and followed. Black cat sunflower doormat . The extent of this embellishment is hard to quantify, but the life of Socrates remains a great inspiration to many. Socrates married Xanthippe and together they had three children. Tradition suggests that Xanthippe was argumentative and hard to please, with Socrates the model of philosophic calm.

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Apart from a brief spell in the army, it is not clear how Socrates earned a living; but he attracted a group of young men, who came to learn and study with Socrates. Socrates sought to teach through a path of self-enquiry. He did not claim to have the answers; he would merely ask questions to his students, forcing them to think for themselves and question their own dogmas and beliefs. This famous statement of Socrates is symptomatic of his Socratic method. Socrates was always aware of the limitation of his knowledge. Plato writes how the thirty tyrants sought to involve Socrates in the unjust execution of Leon of Salamis, who opposed the Tyrants. Socrates, however, refused and could have been executed himself, had not the tyrants been overthrown. During Socrates’ life, the state of Athens was undergoing political turmoil after suffering a humiliating defeat in the Peloponnesian war. This exacerbated feelings of nationalism and loyalty to the Athenian state. However, Socrates felt compelled to test and examine his own countrymen. He was also willing to criticise and test conceptions of justice and avoid a narrow sectarian viewpoint.