Whatever else Socrates was, he died because he condemned the executions of some Athenian military leaders. The "democracy" in Athens was a demagogic mobocracy, rushing into wars of attempted conquest, while passing up obvious chances to prevail in a years-long war of self-defense. Their stupid practice of ostracism led to the undermining of both public order and long-term political and economic health by exploitation of the practice by factions and score-settlers. After the disaster at Syracuse -- an idea from Alcibiades, but overwhelmingly approved -- Sparta prevailed in a naval battle, and forced Athens into surrender, then imposed an oligarchy. The thug king of Sparta then eliminated all his rivals (including the guy who'd engineered the final victory over Athens), but pushed what was left of the Spartan pederastocracy into a fatal war with its wartime ally, Thebes. Thebes was the real winner of the Peloponnesian War, and remained a major power in Greece until Phillip and his son Alexander mosied on down from Macedonia and pulverized the gay Theban army.
