In Plato’s Apology, while on trial for charges of piety, Socrates compares himself to Achilles, a great warrior who Homer wrote about in his epic poem, The Iliad. In this epic, Achilles is the quintessential man, a warrior who upheld the honor culture of the Greeks. In contrast, Socrates believes the model man is full of wisdom, reason, and logic. Socrates focuses on justice and injustice and wishes the culture to do the same. He wants the Greek culture to move away from the honor culture depicted in The Iliad and towards a culture that values justice. In his attempt to move society away from an honor culture, he find himself faced with charges of piety which he must dispute. Even though Socrates moves away from an honor culture, he is aware…show more content… In an honor culture members are dishonored for acts of cowardice, such as running away. In The Iliad, Achilles wanted to maintain his honor after the death of his friend by returning to battle to avenge the death of Patroclus and protect his own honor. Socrates says Achilles returned to battle "fearing much more to live as a bad man and not to avenge his friends” (Plato 79). For Achilles, losing his life in battle to avenge his friend was worth not returning to battle and losing his honor. He valued his honor over his own life, a popular trait of the honor culture which he…show more content… By showing he understands the honor culture; he has a chance and making the jury understand what he has been trying to do. Socrates sees similarities between himself and Achilles in the areas of bravery, honor, and obeying the gods and society, all traits traditional of a Greek honor culture. He hopes that through his apology, the jury understands his comparison to Achilles and makes the connection that what he is doing is brave, honorable, and does in fact put society and the gods above all
