In 406 BC, Socrates opposed an illegal mass trial of Athens’ generals, even when the angry assembly threatened his opponents with the same fate

In 406 BC, Socrates stood against an angry Athenian Assembly after the Battle of Arginusae. Athens wanted to try several generals together, a process Socrates believed was unlawful. He refused to support the vote, despite growing pressure and threats against those who resisted. The moment showed something central to his character: he would not abandon principle simply because the crowd demanded it.