In our last few +1s (here, here and here), we've been spending some time immersed in wisdom from ancient Athens learning more about the role their ancient navy played in the birth of democracy.
Today we’re going to spend some more time with Professor Hale and invite Socrates to join the party as well.
Let’s get straight to work.
Hale tells us: “Two momentous deaths marked the demise of the old order: Socrates and Thucydides [pronounced “thoo-SIH-duh-deez”]. Five years after the city’s surrender Socrates was accused of heresy and of corrupting the minds of the young. At his trial Socrates denied the charges and reminded the 501 jurors of his war record under Phormio and Lamachus. ‘When the generals whom you chose to command me assigned me my positions at Potidea and Amphipolis and Delium, I remained at my post like anyone else and faced death. Afterward, when god appointed me, as I believed, to the duty of leading a philosophic life, examining myself and others, how inconsistent I should have been to desert my post then, through fear of death or any other danger!’ He also spoke of the role he played in the trial of generals after Arginusae, when he had upheld the law rather than give in to the crowd.”
He continues by saying: “The jury sentenced Socrates to death, but his execution was unexpectedly delayed because of a ship. … In his last days Socrates reminisced about his career as a philosopher. His early scientific interest in the workings of the cosmos had given way in midlife to an obsessive questioning about human nature and the pursuit of virtue. Borrowing a proverbial phrase from Athenian seafarers, he called his change of course a deutoros plous or second voyaging. When mariners cruising under sail met with a dead calm, they would run out the oars and venture on by rowing.”
And: “In the same way Socrates had turned away from the natural world and studied mankind instead. When word came that the Delias had landed near Cape Sunium, his reprieve was over. Like so many others who had incurred the anger of the Athenians, Socrates drank the hemlock, walked about for a little while, and then lay down to die. He had written nothing of his philosophy, asserting that the only thing he knew was that he knew nothing.”
That’s from one of the later chapters called “Rowing to Hades” in which Professor Hale walks us through the fall of Athens that followed their loss to the Spartans in the Peloponnesian War.
As we’ve discussed, the last Note I created was on Donald Robertson’s latest book called How to Think Like Socrates. Donald joined us in Athens and gave a talk on the grounds of Plato’s Academy along with a couple of spontaneous talks on the Acropolis.
He also joined us for an incredibly special trip to board an Athenian trireme—their warship that dominated the ancient world. The picture of him joyfully sitting in the commanding officer’s chair is one of my absolute favorite shots from the entire trip. (Check it out here.)
Now…
When I read about the “second voyaging” I thought of David Brooks’ brilliant book The Second Mountain.
Check out those Notes where he tells us: “When making a commitment decision, defining the purpose of your life is the biggest part of the problem. That’s a matter of the ultimate horizon. The question ‘What is my ultimate good?’ is a different kind of question than ‘How can I win at Monopoly?’”
And…
When I read about the ship returning to Cape Sunium, I thought of our trip at the end of the week to The Temple of Poseidon—which is on Cape Sunium and overlooks an incredible stretch of the Aegean Sea. (Check that out here.)
Finally…
When I read about the calm waters that led to the ancient mariners running out the oars, I thought of the Latin proverb: “Si ventus non est, remiga”/“If the wind fails, take to the oars.”
That’s Today’s +1.
Wind not blowing in the direction you’d like?
PERFECT.
P.S. Fun historical fact I bet you didn’t know…
The ancient Athenian mariners could row 50 to 100 MILES (!) in a single day!
😲 🤯
P.P.S. Fun Johnson family fact I bet you didn’t know…
You know what we were going to name Emerson if he was a girl?
Athena.
🤓
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