Great Trials of World History

399 BCE

The Trial of Socrates

Impiety and corrupting the young

The Athenian philosopher Socrates was charged with impiety (not believing in the city's gods) and corrupting the youth. A jury of about 500 citizens convicted him, and he was sentenced to death by drinking hemlock. His defence speech is recorded in Plato's Apology; he refused to escape, arguing in the Crito that he must obey the laws of the city.

• Jury of about 500.
• Plato's Apology records his defence.

c. 30–33 CE

The Trial of Jesus

Before the Sanhedrin and Pilate

According to the Gospels, Jesus of Nazareth was brought before the Jewish council (the Sanhedrin) and then the Roman governor of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, who, despite finding no fault, gave in to the crowd and sentenced him to crucifixion. The trial is often studied for its procedural irregularities.

1431

The Trial of Joan of Arc

Heresy at Rouen

Joan of Arc, who had led French forces against the English, was captured and tried by a church court at Rouen, under English control, for heresy, including for wearing men's clothing. She was burnt at the stake at the age of about 19. A retrial ordered by the Pope annulled the verdict in 1456, and she was canonised in 1920.

• Verdict annulled in 1456.
• Canonised in 1920.

1535

The Trial of Sir Thomas More

A man for all seasons

Thomas More, former Lord Chancellor of England and author of Utopia, refused to take the oath accepting Henry VIII as supreme head of the Church of England. He was convicted of treason on perjured evidence and beheaded, declaring himself "the King's good servant, but God's first". He is the patron saint of lawyers and statesmen.

• Patron saint of lawyers.
• "The King's good servant, but God's first."

1633

The Trial of Galileo

And yet it moves

The Roman Inquisition tried the astronomer Galileo Galilei for supporting the Copernican theory that the Earth moves around the Sun. He was found "vehemently suspect of heresy", forced to recant and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. The legend says he muttered "Eppur si muove" ("And yet it moves"). In 1992 Pope John Paul II acknowledged the Church's error.