REVIEW: Socrates is a Dense, But Riveting Look at the Philosopher’s Trial

Socrates Page 4 featured image. Alessandro Ranghiasci (Artist), Francesco Barilli (Writer), Giulia Gabrielli (Letters), Lucy Lenzi (Translator) Comixology Originals and Becco Giallo March 28, 2023

Socrates chronicles the philosopher’s trial in 399 BC and his eventual demise. Why did Athens, the seat of democracy, condemn a man widely regarded as one of its ‘greatest citizens’?

Socrates

Alessandro Ranghiasci (Artist), Francesco Barilli (Writer), Giulia Gabrielli (Letters), Lucy Lenzi (Translator)
Comixology Originals and Becco Giallo
March 28, 2023

Socrates COVER. Alessandro Ranghiasci (Artist), Francesco Barilli (Writer), Giulia Gabrielli (Letters), Lucy Lenzi (Translator) Comixology Originals and Becco Giallo March 28, 2023

The Comixology Originals series, featuring five translated biographical graphic novels from Becco Giallo, is an intriguing prospect for me. A look back at some of the greatest historical figures, in graphic novel form—what better way to spend the evening after a long day of work?

I’d already reviewed Mary Shelley: The Eternal Dream, and while that book left much to be desired, I couldn’t wait to read Socrates. I’m not as close to the subject matter of Socrates as I am to Mary Shelley, so I felt like I would actually be able to learn something new about the ancient philosopher.

And, I must say, I did! I’d grown up on stories about Socrates drinking hemlock, but the circumstances leading up to that fateful moment were left fuzzy. Come to think of it, I might have been a bit too young to understand it all.

Socrates was condemned for his opinions about the gods with the additional charge of corrupting the youth through his philosophical teachings. Socrates the book states that he was arguably one of the first people to be tried and convicted for his ideas. Considering the state of the world we currently live in, Socrates is bizarrely prescient.

If you’re looking for a breezy read, don’t let the graphic novel medium fool you. Socrates is a dense read and very wordy. The style of writing and translation fit the philosophical theme, of course, and since author Francesco Barilli used Plato’s writings to inform the story, the syntax of that time gives the book a sense of realism. But it also makes for very heavy reading. You need to concentrate to absorb the power of Socrates’ defence at his trial, his words of encouragement to his students, and the reasoning behind his choice of mythological stories. The only point at which readers will need the author’s help is Socrates’ deathbed farewell. Had it not been for Barilli’s note at the end, I would have been left very confused. Barilli does his best to explain, though the actual meaning has yet to be uncovered.

Among the main events of Socrates are interspersed fables about the Greek gods—tales told by either Socrates or his students to illustrate the philosophical points they were trying to make. These sections made surprising but beautiful interludes. Admittedly, I didn’t always see a direct connection between the myth Socrates was recalling to the story he was trying to illustrate, but Plato believed he was making a point when he was writing these events.

As I read Socrates, which is bookended with moments from Plato’s point of view, I did wonder if we were getting a realistic picture of the Athenian teacher. Socrates in this graphic novel is so selfless, so understanding, and so sure of his place as a seeker of knowledge, that he doesn’t seem real. Given the opportunity to escape prison and death, he refuses, resigned to his fate. He is beloved by his students, his family, and even the people of Athens. Yet, those same people condemn him to death. That’s a disconnect that was jarring enough to make me question the narrative.

But it is not the story but the narrator that is Socrates’ main issue. Socrates, the philosopher, wrote nothing down. His teachings were purely oral. However, his students did take notes, particularly Plato, who was such a devoted student that practically all his writings, bar one, featured Socrates in a leading role. Barilli shared in the afterword that he based the entire graphic novel on Plato’s writings about the alleged conversation that led to Socrates being accused of crimes of atheism, the proceedings of the trial, and Socrates’ final days where he was visited by his students, during which some of them coaxed him to escape with them. Plato, being such a disciple of Socrates was not the most objective of narrators. His Socrates is nearly perfect and thus, unbelievable.

How much of Socrates is Barilli’s reimagining of the philosopher’s work and death, and how much is it a graphic novel of Plato’s memories of his teacher? It’s hard to tell. Is this even a story about Socrates, at all? Or are we learning more about Plato through his remembrances of his mentor? I almost wish the book had leaned into that muddled aspect of perspective instead of taking Plato’s word as gospel. Human memory, especially about other people, has been known to be flawed. It would have been interesting to see if there were other sources to back up, or contradict, Plato’s retellings. Xenophon was a contemporary of Plato and Socrates’ student who created his own texts about the philosopher. He might have been a noteworthy source for Socrates. What about Aristophanes’ comedies about Socrates? Those could have served as a counterpoint to Plato’s text. As much as I feel like I’ve learned something about Socrates’ last days, I do feel a little cheated that I got such a limited point of view.

Despite my misgivings about perspective, the story of Socrates was gripping. And it’s stunningly rendered by artist Alessandro Ranghiasci, who drew on several different styles for the myriad events in the book. The ‘present’ for Socrates is vivid and clear, the colours strong. The reader has little choice but to witness the trial ‘first-hand’. The flashbacks of Socrates teaching the very students who will betray him are rendered as faded sketches, like memories those involved would soon forget. For the stories of the gods, Ranghiasci adopts a classic style beautifully reminiscent of painted Greek pottery. I felt transported to ancient Greece where Zeus, Poseidon, Minotaurs, and two-headed dogs still roamed.

At the end of the book, Ranghiasci shares the challenges of recreating a world that has not existed for so long. Ancient Greek ruins are beautiful, but they are still ruins. It’s often hard to imagine the resplendent colours and the sheer scale of the architecture of that time. Ranghiasci took some artistic license when looking for the right spot to situate Socrates’ trial. He also put in a great deal of thought and research to find the likeliest places where Socrates would have held his conversations with students. In the afterword, Ranghiasci apologises for any mistakes he may have made due to the lack of available information. But considering he was drawing events from 399 BC, I’d say Ranghiasci is more than forgiven!

Lettering in comics is often an overlooked art form, so ubiquitous we don’t think about it. But I did notice the lettering in Socrates because it was way too small. I found myself having to zoom in often. I don’t know if the size will be better in a printed edition, but the digital book I got was a trying read.

Whatever my misgivings, I am glad I read Socrates. It was a riveting book, beautifully told through words and art. Clearly a lot of research went into this book, but I still suspect the majority of the story is based on Plato’s work. One source isn’t definitive; instead, it’s most likely to be biased — and Plato obviously was! Having said that, Barilli picked through Plato’s work to choose the events that best conveyed the story in this graphic novel, which sounds like quite a task. Ranghiasci researched the architecture and plans of Athens in that era to give readers a believable version of the city as it may have been. That’s a lot more work than many would put in to create a compelling retelling of a person’s life. You will find yourself wanting to do independent research, and I highly suggest you do. But until then, dive into a fascinating and unfortunate moment in history, and you may find yourself understanding some of our present.

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Louis Skye

Louis Skye

A writer at heart with a fondness for well-told stories, Louis Skye is always looking for a way to escape the planet, whether through comic books, films, television, books, or video games. E always has an eye out for the subversive and champions diversity in media. Pronouns: E/ Em/ Eir

One thought on “REVIEW: Socrates is a Dense, But Riveting Look at the Philosopher’s Trial

  1. Well done. “taking Plato’s word as gospel. Human memory, especially about other people, has been known to be flawed. It would have been interesting to see if there were other sources to back up, or contradict, Plato’s retellings. Xenophon was a contemporary of Plato and Socrates’ student who created his own texts about the philosopher. He might have been a noteworthy source for Socrates. What about Aristophanes’ comedies about Socrates? Those could have served as a counterpoint to Plato’s text. As much as I feel like I’ve learned something about Socrates’ last days, I do feel a little cheated that I got such a limited point of view”

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