The Apology of Socrates

In the year 399 B.C. the Athenians killed Socrates. They found the seventy-one year old philosopher guilty of "corrupting the youth by his teaching." They also accused him of refusing to honor the gods of the city and introducing new divinities, but this was the lesser charge. In his defense speech during his trial Socrates pays little attention to this second charge, stating flatly that he does believe there are gods (Apology,36)