19.4 The Trial of the Generals

It so happened that Socrates was on the Council at the time, his name having been drawn by lot. The period of service for the appointment was a year, and a citizen could serve on the Council only twice in his life. Councilors had to undergo a review or background check to verify their eligibility. On entering office Socrates had sworn an oath to uphold the laws of Athens. It is likely he voted against the summary trial. Socrates was, moreover, a member of the “presidency” or executive committee, prytaneia, of the Council, during the time of the trial. The Council itself consisted of 500 citizens, 50 from each of the ten administrative tribes. The year was divided into ten periods, during each of which one tribe presided as the executive committee (the order of their tenure being determined by lot). During the time of the trial, Socrates’ tribe Antiochis was presiding, so he served on the executive committee. Each day a new committee member was chosen by lot to be the epistatēs, chairman — in effect the president of Athens — from that evening through the next day. <a href="https://medium.com/the-first-philosophers/19-4-the-trial-of-the-generals-27163bb3ac38">Visit Now</a>