The Dialogues of Plato (Jowett)/Laches Introduction

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The Dialogues of Plato
by Plato

Laches Introduction by Benjamin Jowett

Laches (the Dialogue)

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3748024The Dialogues of Plato — Laches IntroductionBenjamin Jowett

LACHES.

INTRODUCTION.

Laches.
Analysis ^{Steph. 178} Lysimachus, the son of Aristides the Just, and Melesias, the son ' of the elder Thucydides, two aged men who live together, are desirous of educating their sons in the best manner. Their own ¹⁷⁹ education, as often happens with the sons of great men, has been neglected ; and they are resolved that their children shall have more care taken of them, than they received themselves at the hands of their fathers.

At their request, Nicias and Laches have accompanied them to see a man named .Stesilaus fighting in heavy armour. The two ¹⁸⁰ fathers ask the two generals what they think of this exhibition, and whether they would advise that their sons should acquire the ac- complishment. Nicias and Laches are quite willing to give their opinion ; but they suggest that Socrates should be invited to take part in the consultation. He is a stranger to Lysimachus, but is ¹⁸¹ afterwards recognised as the son of his old friend Sophroniscus, with whom he never had a difference to the hour of his death. Socrates is also known to Nicias, to whom he had introduced the excellent Damon, musician and sophist, as a tutor for his son, and to Laches, who had witnessed his heroic behaviour at the battle of Delium (cp. Symp. 221).

Socrates, as he is younger than either Nicias or Laches, prefers to wait until they have delivered their opinions, which they give in a characteristic manner. Nicias, the tactician, is very much in ¹⁸² favour of the new art, which he describes as the gymnastics of war — useful when the ranks are formed, and still more useful when they are broken ; creating a general interest in military studies, and greatly adding to the appearance of the soldier in the field. ¹⁸³ Laches, the blunt warrior, is of opinion that such an art is not knowledge, and cannot be of any value, because the Lacedaemonians, those great masters of arms, neglect it. His own experience in actual service has taught him that these pretenders

Laches.
Analysis. are useless and ridiculous. This man Stesilaus has been seen by Analysis, him on board ship making a very sorry exhibition of himself. The possession of the art will make the coward rash, and subject the ¹⁸⁴ courageous, if he chance to make a shp, to invidious remarks. And now let Socrates be taken into counsel. As they differ he must decide.

Socrates would rather not decide the question by a plurality of votes: in such a serious matter as the education of a friend's ¹⁸⁵ children, he would consult the one skilled person who has had masters, and has works to show as evidences of his skill. This is not himself; for he has never been able to pay the sophists for ¹⁸⁶ instructing him, and has never had the wit to do or discover any- thing. But Nicias and Laches are older and richer than he is : ¹⁸⁷ they have had teachers, and perhaps have made discoveries ; and he would have trusted them entirely, if they had not been diametri- cally opposed. Lysimachus here proposes to resign the argument into the hands of the younger part of the company, as he is old, and has a bad memory. He earnestly requests Socrates to remain ;-4n this showing, as Nicias says, how little he knows the man, who ¹⁸⁸ will certainly not go away until he has cross-examined the company about their past lives. Nicias has often submitted to this process ; and Laches is quite willing to learn from Socrates, because his ¹⁸⁹ actions, in the true Dorian mode, correspond to his words. Socrates proceeds : We might ask who are our teachers? But ¹⁹⁰ a better and more thorough way of examining the question will be to ask, 'What is Virtue?' — or rather, to restrict the enquiry to that part of virtue which is concerned with the use of weapons — 'What is Courage ? ' Laches thinks that he knows this : (i) ' He is courageous who remains at his post.' But some nations fight ¹⁹¹ flying, after the manner of Aeneas in Homer ; or as the heavy- armed Spartans also did at the battle of Plataea. (2) Socrates wants a more general definition, not only of military courage, but ¹⁹² of courage of all sorts, tried both amid pleasures and pains. Laches replies that this universal courage is endurance. But courage is a good thing, and mere endurance may be hurtful and injurious. Therefore (3) the element of intelligence must be added. But then ¹⁹³ again unintelligent endurance may often be more courageous than

the intelligent, the bad than the good. How is this contradiction Page:The Dialogues of Plato v. 1.djvu/120 Page:The Dialogues of Plato v. 1.djvu/121 Page:The Dialogues of Plato v. 1.djvu/122 Page:The Dialogues of Plato v. 1.djvu/123

LACHES, OR COURAGE.

PERSONS OF THE DIALOGUE.

Lysimachus, son of Aristides.	Nicias.
Melesias, son of Thucydides.	Laches.
Their Sons.	Socrates.

Scene:—A newly-erected Palaestra outside the walls of Athens.

^{Steph. 178}

Laches.
Lysimachus.

Lysimachus and Melesias request Nicias and Laches to advise with them respecting the education of their sons.

L YSIMACHUS. 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 grand- ¹⁷⁹ father; and this is mine, who is also called after his grand- father, 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

Laches.
Lysimachus, Nicias, Laches. 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 peace — in the management of the allies, and in the administra- tion 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 Should the art of fighting in armour be taught them? likely to be most improving to them. Some one com- mended 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 i8o 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.

Nic. 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.