After the wars in 403, Plato wanted to return to politics; however, he realized that the political world had shifted since the war. After the execution of Socrates, he decided he would not participate in the politics of Athens. Plato followed Socrates until Socrates died (469-399BC). He then went on to write about Socrates and his ideas of philosophy. Socrates was a soldier involved in the Peloponnesian Wars, which provided Plato with commentary as a contributor to the extent Plato’s political philosophy and his stance towards Athenian political commitments and ideals.  

Source: Russett, Bruce. “Thucydides, Ancient Greece, and the Democratic Peace.” Journal of Military Ethics, vol. 5, no. 4, 2006, pp. 254–69. Crossref, doi:10.1080/15027570601037798.

Image: David, Jacques Louis.The Death of Socrates. 1787. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. WikiMedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David_-_The_Death_of_Socrates.jpg. Accessed December 9, 2020.

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