Describes Socrates as an epic hero. We see this most clearly in Plato's Apology in his intellectual battle with Meletus. The hero status of all of Plato's Republic is also transparent. His students are a significant factor in Socrates' profile. The way they venerate him helps us understand and see who this man was. It is really the only image we have of Socrates' teachings and actions. This character is presented through a thoughtful perspective, but we have a different view of Socrates because of the people who followed him. However we see two views of Socrates; we are influenced by Plato on the positive side. However, we still see the negative through the accusations of Meletus and others in the Apology. They accuse him of being an atheist and of corrupting the Athenian youth. You can see where these men get these accusations from. Although Socrates participates in many religious activities, he has no true religious views. Even the youth of Athens hang on his every word. He is very influential for these young people, so he could be seen as a corruptor. Gerd Van Riel addresses the failure to capture Socrates' beliefs in his article, Socrates' Demon: Internalization of the Divine and Self-Knowledge, “Socrates' religiosity remains very difficult to appreciate. Our knowledge of Socrates' religious beliefs depends entirely on the information provided by Socratic literature.”