This paper is an examination of ancient Athens and argues that
individualism, similar to the way it is understood today,
was present and prevalent in that society. It also argues, through a detailed comparison of sources that include Xenophon and Plato, that Socrates was a representative of that trend, and, through the clash between the
philosopher and the defeated and weakened Athenian democracy, that he was perhaps
individualism's greatest martyr. Contents: Introduction Individualism in Athens Socrates as Individualist The Clash of Socrates and Athens Bibliography