Socrates is known, of course, as a philosopher, and his belief systems are regarded as widely influential for western thought. But a general look at his life shows this: a charismatic leader with eccentric, controversial spiritual and intellectual beliefs who attracts a wide range of followers and students, but is persecuted and suffers what is essentially a martyr's death. History has quite a few examples of influential leaders, from Jesus to Buddha to Mohammad to Confucius, many of whose views were controversial in their time, whose beliefs not only became influential on future generations of thinkers, but became broad-ranging religious movements that shaped and reshaped whole civilizations.
"Religion," of course, can be interpreted in different ways. These days, it often means belief systems largely spiritual in their nature, like Christianity. But other belief systems, like Confucianism, are known largely as ethical and moral philosophies rather than spiritual belief systems, and yet are still considered "religions" because of their broad influence on society and how their tenets are viewed and practiced by the wider population. Some religions, like Buddhism, fall somewhere in between, sometimes emphasizing spiritual aspects and sometimes focusing on human morals and ethical philosophy.
With this in mind, is it at all possible for something like this to happen with Socrates and his spiritual and ethical teachings? Could it be possible for him to become the center of a religious movement that is able to gain widespread popular support and influence (whether it's during his life or after his death, and whether he is executed as OTL or somehow lives)? How could this have happened? What would such a belief system look like, whether it ends up taking a spiritual emphasis, it becomes a Confucianism-like highly influential set of moral and social principles, or Socrates ends up something akin to the Buddha of Ancient Greece (with a Socratic religion's spiritual views growing out of ancient Greek paganism similar to how Buddhist spirituality grew out of traditional Hinduism), with both spiritual and everyday philosophical emphases? And how far could such a belief system spread, and what would be its effects?
Any POD before, during, or after Socrates's life is acceptable.
"Religion," of course, can be interpreted in different ways. These days, it often means belief systems largely spiritual in their nature, like Christianity. But other belief systems, like Confucianism, are known largely as ethical and moral philosophies rather than spiritual belief systems, and yet are still considered "religions" because of their broad influence on society and how their tenets are viewed and practiced by the wider population. Some religions, like Buddhism, fall somewhere in between, sometimes emphasizing spiritual aspects and sometimes focusing on human morals and ethical philosophy.
With this in mind, is it at all possible for something like this to happen with Socrates and his spiritual and ethical teachings? Could it be possible for him to become the center of a religious movement that is able to gain widespread popular support and influence (whether it's during his life or after his death, and whether he is executed as OTL or somehow lives)? How could this have happened? What would such a belief system look like, whether it ends up taking a spiritual emphasis, it becomes a Confucianism-like highly influential set of moral and social principles, or Socrates ends up something akin to the Buddha of Ancient Greece (with a Socratic religion's spiritual views growing out of ancient Greek paganism similar to how Buddhist spirituality grew out of traditional Hinduism), with both spiritual and everyday philosophical emphases? And how far could such a belief system spread, and what would be its effects?
Any POD before, during, or after Socrates's life is acceptable.