Tag: Socrates

The well-known maxim "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" is almost universally misattributed to the philosopher Socrates. The truth is that Socrates held a far more ascetic view of diet, while the quote is more accurately associated with the father of medicine, Hippocrates.

For Socrates, food was not about pleasure but about necessity, a philosophy reflected in his remarkably simple and frugal diet. As documented by his student Plato and historian Xenophon, the iconic Athenian philosopher intentionally avoided lavish meals, preferring modest fare that would sustain his mind and body without inducing gluttony or excess.

Approximately 15 minutes after ingesting poison hemlock, severe symptoms can begin, including respiratory paralysis and death. With such high stakes, the question, '**Can hemlock be made into tea?**' requires a life-or-death distinction, separating the deadly poison hemlock from the non-toxic needles of the hemlock tree.