#Vox populi trial#

Joseph Moakley Endowed Professor of Political Science - Boston College And the prosecution of Socrates was instigated not by the citizens of Athens but by Anytus, one of the leaders of the restored Athenian democracy, who persuaded the young Meletus to bring the charges. Pilate, as the Roman procurator of Judea, did not owe his tenure in office to the potentially unruly crowd to which he deferred and presumably enjoyed considerable autonomy. Furthermore, the trials of Jesus and Socrates contain their own ambiguities. After dispatching a trireme with the news, however, the Athenians had second thoughts and, following a debate of considerable elevation, rejected a demagogic appeal by Cleon and reversed their original cruel decision. The angry Athenians first made a hasty and unprecedented decision to put to death not only the captured Mytilenian rebels who had incited the revolt but the city’s entire adult male population. As related by Thucydides in “The Debate on Mytilene,” the Athenians demonstrated superior judgment in their deliberation about the fate of Mytilene, a city on the island of Lesbos that had broken ranks with Athens to join forces with Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. That we can attribute the condemnation of two men who influenced so profoundly the course of Western civilization to the myopia and suggestibility of ordinary citizens acting collectively might lead us to be skeptical of the capacity of the people for self-government and to infer that we should trust instead in the wisdom of their leaders.īefore writing off the public, however, we should recall that the history of the ancients does not always cast such doubt on the decisions of ordinary people.

Although his friends contrived for him to escape from prison, he opted to remain in chains, arguing that while he believed himself innocent, he did not wish to violate a lawful process. As reported by Plato, Socrates was, despite an eloquent self-defense, found guilty by a jury of 500 citizens and sentenced to die.

#Vox populi trial#

He chose trial rather than voluntary self-exile.

With Athens recovering from a protracted war and experiencing some political turmoil, Socrates stood accused of introducing novel religious practices and corrupting the young. Some four centuries earlier the same issue had arisen in a society with a more democratic tradition, ancient Athens, and the people had ruled, if less passionately, similarly unwisely. That is, what is the appropriate balance between the preferences of citizens and the considered judgment of policymakers? Thus, Matthew’s dramatic rendering of Pilate’s accession to the demand of the crowd for the crucifixion of Jesus raises the fundamental dilemma of democratic governance: the relative claims of the wishes of the public and the wisdom of public officials in making policy. Then he released for them Barabbas and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.” The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Let him be crucified.’ And he said, ‘Why what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified.’ So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.