Socrates was one of the famous philosophises of the Greek culture. He was a member of the class of hoplites, and an Athenian citizen. Formally he is not a sophist as he refused to be paid for his education, but as the sophists, and especially Socrates, were seen as underminers of traditional values by the majority of Athens is he often classified as a sophist nevertheless. This is probably because he did question everything that was part of the Polis, just like the sophists. One of his interesting remarks is: "I, Socrates, am the most intelligent of all men, as I am the only one who knows that he does not know anything."

Socrates was accused of impiety, and of corrupting the morals of the youth. He was sentenced to death in 399. The first point of the accusation was most likely connected with Socrates' own little god, daimonion, that he described as a little voice inside his head. This voice advised him as a sort of mysterious, and irrational power. During the crisis of the last years of the Peloponessian war people believed much easier in all forms of magic and hysteria. The result was that the relationship of Socrates and his daimonion was seen as a deal with the devil to undermine the position of the Polis.