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What did Aristotle mean by saying Athens should not “sin twice against philosophy”?
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Aristotle
Aristotle, detail of a Roman copy (2nd century bce) of a Greek alabaster portrait bust (c. 325 bce); in the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.
When Aristotle stated that he did not wish for Athens to "sin twice against philosophy," he was referring to the city's historical execution of Socrates.21
Following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, anti-Macedonian sentiment surged in Athens. Because of his Macedonian birth and his past connections to the Macedonian court, Aristotle found himself in a precarious position. Fearing that the city might subject him to a trial similar to the one that led to the death of Socrates—who was convicted of impiety and corrupting the youth—Aristotle chose to flee to [Chalcis]. By leaving, he sought to prevent the Athenians from committing another grave injustice against a philosopher.231