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Gradually；　and　not　without　difficulty；　Laches　is　made　to　pass　on　from　the



more　popular　to　the　more　philosophical；　it　has　never　occurred　to　him　that



there　was　any　other　courage　than　that　of　the　soldier；　and　only　by　an　effort



of　the　mind　can　he　frame　a　general　notion　at　all。　　No　sooner　has　this



general　notion　been　formed　than　it　evanesces　before　the　dialectic　of



Socrates；　and　Nicias　appears　from　the　other　side　with　the　Socratic



doctrine；　that　courage　is　knowledge。　　This　is　explained　to　mean　knowledge



of　things　terrible　in　the　future。　　But　Socrates　denies　that　the　knowledge



of　the　future　is　separable　from　that　of　the　past　and　present；　in　other



words；　true　knowledge　is　not　that　of　the　soothsayer　but　of　the　philosopher。　



And　all　knowledge　will　thus　be　equivalent　to　all　virtuea　position　which



elsewhere　Socrates　is　not　unwilling　to　admit；　but　which　will　not　assist　us



in　distinguishing　the　nature　of　courage。　　In　this　part　of　the　Dialogue　the



contrast　between　the　mode　of　cross…examination　which　is　practised　by　Laches



and　by　Socrates；　and　also　the　manner　in　which　the　definition　of　Laches　is



made　to　approximate　to　that　of　Nicias；　are　worthy　of　attention。







Thus；　with　some　intimation　of　the　connexion　and　unity　of　virtue　and



knowledge；　we　arrive　at　no　distinct　result。　　The　two　aspects　of　courage　are



never　harmonized。　　The　knowledge　which　in　the　Protagoras　is　explained　as



the　faculty　of　estimating　pleasures　and　pains　is　here　lost　in　an　unmeaning



and　transcendental　conception。　　Yet　several　true　intimations　of　the　nature



of　courage　are　allowed　to　appear：　　（1）　That　courage　is　moral　as　well　as



physical：　　（2）　That　true　courage　is　inseparable　from　knowledge；　and　yet　（3）



is　based　on　a　natural　instinct。　　Laches　exhibits　one　aspect　of　courage；



Nicias　the　other。　　The　perfect　image　and　harmony　of　both　is　only　realized



in　Socrates　himself。







The　Dialogue　offers　one　among　many　examples　of　the　freedom　with　which　Plato



treats　facts。　　For　the　scene　must　be　supposed　to　have　occurred　between　B。C。



424；　the　year　of　the　battle　of　Delium；　and　B。C。　418；　the　year　of　the　battle



of　Mantinea；　at　which　Laches　fell。　　But　if　Socrates　was　more　than　seventy



years　of　age　at　his　trial　in　399　（see　Apology）；　he　could　not　have　been　a



young　man　at　any　time　after　the　battle　of　Delium。











LACHES；　OR　COURAGE。







by







Plato







Translated　by　Benjamin　Jowett











PERSONS　OF　THE　DIALOGUE：



Lysimachus；　son　of　Aristides。



Melesias；　son　of　Thucydides。



Their　sons。



Nicias；　Laches；　Socrates。











LYSIMACHUS：　　You　have　seen　the　exhibition　of　the　man　fighting　in　armour；



Nicias　and　Laches；　but　we　did　not　tell　you　at　the　time　the　reason　why　my



friend　Melesias　and　I　asked　you　to　go　with　us　and　see　him。　　I　think　that　we



may　as　well　confess　what　this　was；　for　we　certainly　ought　not　to　have　any



reserve　with　you。　　The　reason　was；　that　we　were　intending　to　ask　your



advice。　　Some　laugh　at　the　very　notion　of　advising　others；　and　when　they



are　asked　will　not　say　what　they　think。　　They　guess　at　the　wishes　of　the



person　who　asks　them；　and　answer　according　to　his；　and　not　according　to



their　own；　opinion。　　But　as　we　know　that　you　are　good　judges；　and　will　say



exactly　what　you　think；　we　have　taken　you　into　our　counsels。　　The　matter



about　which　I　am　making　all　this　preface　is　as　follows：　　Melesias　and　I



have　two　sons；　that　is　his　son；　and　he　is　named　Thucydides；　after　his



grandfather；　and　this　is　mine；　who　is　also　called　after　his　grandfather；



Aristides。　　Now；　we　are　resolved　to　take　the　greatest　care　of　the　youths；



and　not　to　let　them　run　about　as　they　like；　which　is　too　often　the　way　with



the　young；　when　they　are　no　longer　children；　but　to　begin　at　once　and　do



the　utmost　that　we　can　for　them。　　And　knowing　you　to　have　sons　of　your　own；



we　thought　that　you　were　most　likely　to　have　attended　to　their　training　and



improvement；　and；　if　perchance　you　have　not　attended　to　them；　we　may　remind



you　that　you　ought　to　have　done　so；　and　would　invite　you　to　assist　us　in



the　fulfilment　of　a　common　duty。　　I　will　tell　you；　Nicias　and　Laches；　even



at　the　risk　of　being　tedious；　how　we　came　to　think　of　this。　　Melesias　and　I



live　together；　and　our　sons　live　with　us；　and　now；　as　I　was　saying　at



first；　we　are　going　to　confess　to　you。　　Both　of　us　often　talk　to　the　lads



about　the　many　noble　deeds　which　our　own　fathers　did　in　war　and　peacein



the　management　of　the　allies；　and　in　the　administration　of　the　city；　but



neither　of　us　has　any　deeds　of　his　own　which　he　can　show。　　The　truth　is



that　we　are　ashamed　of　this　contrast　being　seen　by　them；　and　we　blame　our



fathers　for　letting　us　be　spoiled　in　the　days　of　our　youth；　while　they　were



occupied　with　the　concerns　of　others；　and　we　urge　all　this　upon　the　lads；



pointing　out　to　them　that　they　will　not　grow　up　to　honour　if　they　are



rebellious　and　take　no　pains　about　themselves；　but　that　if　they　take　pains



they　may；　perhaps；　become　worthy　of　the　names　which　they　bear。　　They；　on



their　part；　promise　to　comply　with　our　wishes；　and　our　care　is　to　discover



what　studies　or　pursuits　are　likely　to　be　most　improving　to　them。　　Some　one



commended　to　us　the　art　of　fighting　in　armour；　which　he　thought　an



excellent　accomplishment　for　a　young　man　to　learn；　and　he　praised　the　man



whose　exhibition　you　have　seen；　and　told　us　to　go　and　see　him。　　And　we



determined　that　we　would　go；　and　get　you　to　accompany　us；　and　we　were



intending　at　the　same　time；　if　you　did　not　object；　to　take　counsel　with　you



about　the　education　of　our　sons。　　That　is　the　matter　which　we　wanted　to



talk　over　with　you；　and　we　hope　that　you　will　give　us　your　opinion　about



this　art　of　fighting　in　armour；　and　about　any　other　studies　or　pursuits



which　may　or　may　not　be　desirable　for　a　young　man　to　learn。　　Please　to　say



whether　you　agree　to　our　proposal。







NICIAS：　　As　far　as　I　am　concerned；　Lysimachus　and　Melesias；　I　applaud　your



purpose；　and　will　gladly　assist　you；　and　I　believe　that　you；　Laches；　will



be　equally　glad。







LACHES：　　Certainly；　Nicias；　and　I　quite　approve　of　the　remark　which



Lysimachus　made　about　his　own　father　and　the　father　of　Melesias；　and　which



is　applicable；　not　only　to　them；　but　to　us；　and　to　every　one　who　is



occupied　with　public　affairs。　　As　he　says；　such　persons　are　too　apt　to　be



negligent　and　careless　of　their　own　children　and　their　private　concerns。　



There　is　much　truth　in　that　remark　of　yours；　Lysimachus。　　But　why；　instead



of　consulting　us；　do　you　not　consult　our　friend　Socrates　about　the



education　of　the　youths？　　He　is　of　the　same　deme　with　you；　and　is　always



passing　his　time　in　places　where　the　youth　have　any　noble　study　or　pursuit；



such　as　you　are　enquiring　after。







LYSIMACHUS：　　Why；　Laches；　has　Socrates　ever　attended　to　matters　of　this



sort？







LACHES：　　Certainly；　Lysimachus。







NICIAS：　　That　I　have　the　means　of　knowing　as　well　as　Laches；　for　quite



lately　he　supplied　me　with　a　teacher　of　music　for　my　sons；Damon；　the



disciple　of　Agathocles；　who　is　a　most　accomplished　man　in　every　way；　as



well　as　a　musician；　and　a　companion　of　inestimable　value　for　young　men　at



their　age。







LYSIMACHUS：　　Those　who　have　reached　my　time　of　life；　Socrates　and　Nicias



and　Laches；　fall　out　of　acquaintance　with　the　young；　because　they　are



generally　detained　at　home　by　old　age；　but　you；　O　son　of　Sophroniscus；



should　let　your　fellow　demesman　have　the　benefit　of　any　advice　which　you



are　able　to　give。　　Moreover　I　have　a　claim　upon　you　as　an　old　friend　of



your　father；　for　I　and　he　were　always　companions　and　friends；　and　to　the



hour　of　his　death　there　never　was　a　difference　between　us；　and　now　it　comes



back　to　me；　at　the　mention　of　your　name；　that　I　have　heard　these　lads



talking　to　one　another　at　home；　and　often　speaking　of　Socrates　in　terms　of



the　highest　praise；　but　I　have　never　thought　to　ask　them　whether　the　son　of



Sophroniscus　was　the　person　whom　they　meant。　　Tell　me；　my　boys；　whether



this　is　the　Socrates　of　whom　you　have　often　spoken？







SON：　　Certainly；　father；　this　is　he。







LYSIMACHUS：　　I　am　delighted　to　hear；　Socrates；　that　you　maintain　the　name



of　your　father；　who　was　a　most　excellent　man；　and　I　further　rejoice　at　the



prospect　of　our　family　ties　being　renewed。







LACHES：　　Indeed；　Lysimachus；　you　ought　not　to　give　him　up；　for　I　can　assure



you　that　I　have　seen　him　maintaining；　not　only　his　father's；　but　also　his



country's　name。　　He　was　my　companion　in　the　retreat　from　Delium；　and　I　can



tell　you　that　if　others　had　only　been　like　him；　the　honour　of　our　country



would　have　been　upheld；　and　the　great　defeat　would　never　have　occurred。







LYSIMACHUS：　　That　is　very　high　praise　which　is　accorded　to　you；　Socrates；



by　faithful　witnesses　and　for　actions　like　those　which　they　praise。　　Let　me



tell　you　the　pleasure　which　I　feel　in　hearing　of　your　fame；　and　I　hope　that



you　will　regard　me　as　one　of　your　warmest　friends。　　You　ought　to　have



visited　us　long　ago；　and　made　yourself　at　home　with　us；　but　now；　from　this



day　forward；　as　we　have　at　last　found　one　another　out；　do　as　I　saycome



and　make　acquaintance　with　me；　and　with　these　young　men；　that　I　may



continue　your　friend；　as　I　was　your　father's。　　I　shall　expect　you　to　do　so；



and　shall　venture　at　some　future　time　to　remind　you　of　your　duty。　　But　what



say　you　of　the　matter　of　which　we　were　beginning　to　speakthe　art　of



fighting　in　armour？　　Is　that　a　practice　in　which　t