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.
Lys. 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 benefits 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.
Lys. 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.
La. 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.
Lys. 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?
Soc. 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.
Nic. 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