Epaminondas: "The Trial and Death of Socrates" by Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo (trans. G.M.A. Grube)
(Original Review, 2000-12-02)
I'm not trying to do much more than suggest Plato isn't starting from a blank sheet but from huge trauma: the death of a way of life that produced his great teacher, Socrates, but at the same time, killed him. The jurors who vote to put Socrates to death, after listening to the speeches, are the citizens who voted to exterminate the Melians, and many other atrocities.
If you're into stuff like this, you can read the full review.
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