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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Approximately how many years ago did the Socratic dialogues take place?

2. Why didn't Socrates obtain a higher education?

3. What happened at the end of the dialogue between Euthyphro and Socrates?

4. How many groups of information are in the book's introductory material?

5. How old was Socrates at the time of his trial?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who are Apollo and Artemis?

2. How did Socrates respond to people who commented on his great wisdom?

3. Why was the Apollonian Oracle at Delphi created?

4. What does Socrates say about his own wisdom?

5. How were the four dialogues that were included in "The Last Days of Socrates" originally arranged?

6. How do Socrates and Euthyphro describe the relationship between deities and mortals?

7. What does Tarrant say in the introductory notes about other versions of these dialogues?

8. Who are some of the authors, mentioned in Book 3, Chapter 1, who wrote about Socrates?

9. Why did Socrates initially pursue his habit of questioning people?

10. What does Tarrant warn readers about, regarding Socrates, and the various literary characters based on him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare the various scholars who contributed to "The Last Days of Socrates." What are their areas of expertise? Which portions of the text do they comment on, and why? How do they relate to the text of the dialogues? What do they challenge, or choose to explain? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

Socrates is still considered wise, more than 2000 years after his death. Why has he been nearly immortalized in the annals of history? Why is he considered so wise? Did his contemporaries feel the same way about him that modern philosophers do? Why or why not? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Who is Meletus? Why did he choose to prosecute Socrates? What evidence did his use as a basis for his prosecution? Why did he seek the death penalty for Socrates? Was he acting on behalf of the Athenian government? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

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