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Despite leaving no written works, Socrates’ ideas were preserved through the dialogues of his students, most notably Plato. His moral inquiries challenged the prevailing beliefs of his time and encouraged individuals to seek virtue and self-knowledge. Socrates’ life was tragically cut short in 399 B.C. when he was tried and executed for allegedly corrupting the youth of Athens. His unwillingness to renounce his principles established him as a martyr for free thought.