Laches | Page 7

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 say--come 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 speak--the art of fighting in armour? Is that a
practice in which the lads may be advantageously instructed?
SOCRATES: I will endeavour to advise you, Lysimachus, as far as I
can in this matter, and also in every way will comply with your wishes;
but as I am younger and not so experienced, I think that I ought
certainly to hear first what my elders have to say, and to learn of them,
and if I have anything to add, then I may venture to give my opinion to
them as well as to you. Suppose, Nicias, that one or other of you begin.
NICIAS: I have no objection, Socrates; and my opinion is that the
acquirement of this art is in many ways useful to young men. It is an
advantage to them that among the favourite amusements of their leisure
hours they should have one which tends to improve and not to injure
their bodily health. No gymnastics could be better or harder exercise;
and this, and the art of riding, are of all arts most befitting to a freeman;
for they only who are thus trained in the use of arms are the athletes of
our military profession, trained in that on which the conflict turns.
Moreover in actual battle, when you have to fight in a line with a
number of others, such an acquirement will be of some use, and will be
of the greatest whenever the ranks are broken and you have to fight
singly, either in pursuit, when you are attacking some one who is
defending himself, or in flight, when you have to defend yourself
against an assailant. Certainly he who possessed the art could not meet
with any harm at the hands of a single person, or perhaps of several;

and in any case he would have a great advantage. Further, this sort of
skill inclines a man to the love of other noble lessons; for every man
who has learned how to fight in armour will desire to learn the proper
arrangement of an army, which is the sequel of the lesson: and when he
has learned this, and his ambition is once fired, he will go on to learn
the complete art of the general. There is no difficulty in seeing that the
knowledge and practice of other military arts will be honourable and
valuable to a man; and this lesson may be the beginning of them. Let
me add a further advantage, which is by no means a slight one,--that
this science will make any man a great deal more valiant and
self-possessed in the field. And I will not disdain to mention, what by
some may be thought to be a small matter;--he will make a better
appearance at the right time; that is to say, at the time when his
appearance will strike terror into his enemies. My opinion then,
Lysimachus, is, as I say, that the youths should be instructed in this art,
and for the reasons which I have given. But Laches may take a different
view; and I shall be very glad to hear what he has to say.
LACHES: I should not like to maintain, Nicias, that any kind of
knowledge