Gorgias
    Part
  1 Intro|               or with the mention of Nicias, who died in 413, and is
  2 Intro|              the rich men of Athens, Nicias and his brothers, Aristocrates,
  3 Text |             may, if you will, summon Nicias the son of Niceratus, and


Laches
    Part
  4 Intro|           fathers.~At their request, Nicias and Laches have accompanied
  5 Intro|          acquire the accomplishment. Nicias and Laches are quite willing
  6 Intro|            Socrates is also known to Nicias, to whom he had introduced
  7 Intro|            he is younger than either Nicias or Laches, prefers to wait
  8 Intro|             a characteristic manner. Nicias, the tactician, is very
  9 Intro|            or discover anything. But Nicias and Laches are older and
 10 Intro|          remain;—in this showing, as Nicias says, how little he knows
 11 Intro|              about their past lives. Nicias has often submitted to this
 12 Intro|               if he could only tell.~Nicias is now appealed to; and
 13 Intro|              intelligence?’ to which Nicias replies, ‘Intelligence of
 14 Intro|              or a god.~Again, (2) in Nicias’ way of speaking, the term ‘
 15 Intro|              them. The characters of Nicias and Laches are indicated
 16 Intro|         armour. The more enlightened Nicias is quite ready to accept
 17 Intro|              with the refinements of Nicias.~In the discussion of the
 18 Intro|           dialectic of Socrates; and Nicias appears from the other side
 19 Intro|            to approximate to that of Nicias, are worthy of attention.~
 20 Intro|      exhibits one aspect of courage; Nicias the other. The perfect image
 21 Text |              Thucydides. Their sons. Nicias, Laches, Socrates.~LYSIMACHUS:
 22 Text |              man fighting in armour, Nicias and Laches, but we did not
 23 Text |        common duty. I will tell you, Nicias and Laches, even at the
 24 Text |           you agree to our proposal.~NICIAS: As far as I am concerned,
 25 Text |             glad.~LACHES: Certainly, Nicias; and I quite approve of
 26 Text |               Certainly, Lysimachus.~NICIAS: That I have the means of
 27 Text |           time of life, Socrates and Nicias and Laches, fall out of
 28 Text |             well as to you. Suppose, Nicias, that one or other of you
 29 Text |           one or other of you begin.~NICIAS: I have no objection, Socrates;
 30 Text |         should not like to maintain, Nicias, that any kind of knowledge
 31 Text |             to be a good: and if, as Nicias and as the teachers of the
 32 Text |         something in such an art, as Nicias asserts, but I tell you
 33 Text |         Laches has voted one way and Nicias another, I should like to
 34 Text |            had a teacher of the art.~NICIAS: Why, Socrates, is not the
 35 Text |            in armour?~SOCRATES: Yes, Nicias; but there is also a prior
 36 Text |          medicine or about the eyes?~NICIAS: About the eyes.~SOCRATES:
 37 Text |         horse and not of the bridle?~NICIAS: True.~SOCRATES: And in
 38 Text |            end and not of the means?~NICIAS: Certainly.~SOCRATES: And
 39 Text |              which you have in view?~NICIAS: Most true.~SOCRATES: And
 40 Text |            end is the soul of youth?~NICIAS: Yes.~SOCRATES: And we are
 41 Text |            And therefore, Laches and Nicias, as Lysimachus and Melesias,
 42 Text |           should not be surprised if Nicias or Laches may have discovered
 43 Text |             you to detain Laches and Nicias, and question them. I would
 44 Text |            kind. But you, Laches and Nicias, should each of you tell
 45 Text |       Socrates, my friends; but you, Nicias and Laches, must determine
 46 Text |             comply with our request.~NICIAS: I see very clearly, Lysimachus,
 47 Text |     LYSIMACHUS: Why do you say that, Nicias?~NICIAS: Because you seem
 48 Text |             do you say that, Nicias?~NICIAS: Because you seem not to
 49 Text |              I have but one feeling, Nicias, or (shall I say?) two feelings,
 50 Text |             place, and find out from Nicias and Laches what we want
 51 Text |       conclusions.~SOCRATES: Let us, Nicias and Laches, comply with
 52 Text |        SOCRATES: And shall we invite Nicias to join us? he may be better
 53 Text |           that.~SOCRATES: Come then, Nicias, and do what you can to
 54 Text |             you think about courage.~NICIAS: I have been thinking, Socrates,
 55 Text |          lips.~SOCRATES: What is it, Nicias?~NICIAS: I have often heard
 56 Text |        SOCRATES: What is it, Nicias?~NICIAS: I have often heard you
 57 Text |              That is certainly true, Nicias.~NICIAS: And therefore if
 58 Text |              certainly true, Nicias.~NICIAS: And therefore if the brave
 59 Text |             SOCRATES: Tell him then, Nicias, what you mean by this wisdom;
 60 Text |        wisdom which plays the flute?~NICIAS: Certainly not.~SOCRATES:
 61 Text |         wisdom which plays the lyre?~NICIAS: No.~SOCRATES: But what
 62 Text |            this knowledge or wisdom.~NICIAS: I mean to say, Laches,
 63 Text |          SOCRATES: That is just what Nicias denies.~LACHES: Yes, that
 64 Text |              instead of abusing him?~NICIAS: Laches does not want to
 65 Text |             same.~LACHES: Very true, Nicias; and you are talking nonsense,
 66 Text |              same as the courageous?~NICIAS: Not at all.~LACHES: No
 67 Text |               What is Laches saying, Nicias? He appears to be saying
 68 Text |             something of importance.~NICIAS: Yes, he is saying something,
 69 Text |              true.~SOCRATES: How so?~NICIAS: Why, because he does not
 70 Text |          certainly so in my opinion.~NICIAS: And do you think that the
 71 Text |               LACHES: Certainly not.~NICIAS: And do you suppose that
 72 Text |              live is better? And yet Nicias, would you allow that you
 73 Text |           soothsayer nor courageous?~NICIAS: What! do you mean to say
 74 Text |             Indeed I do: who but he?~NICIAS: Much rather I should say
 75 Text |             I cannot understand what Nicias would be at, Socrates; for
 76 Text |              should not. But perhaps Nicias is serious, and not merely
 77 Text |              SOCRATES: Then tell me, Nicias, or rather tell us, for
 78 Text |            grounds of hope and fear?~NICIAS: I do.~SOCRATES: And not
 79 Text |             is what you were saying?~NICIAS: I was.~SOCRATES: Then this
 80 Text |             could not be courageous.~NICIAS: I think not.~SOCRATES:
 81 Text |               SOCRATES: Clearly not, Nicias; not even such a big pig
 82 Text |              truly good. And I hope, Nicias, that you will tell us whether
 83 Text |               to deny their courage.~NICIAS: Why, Laches, I do not call
 84 Text |       acknowledges to be courageous.~NICIAS: Not so, Laches, but do
 85 Text |             view which is implied in Nicias’ definition of courage is
 86 Text |               but I must beg of you, Nicias, to begin again. You remember
 87 Text |              to be a part of virtue.~NICIAS: Very true.~SOCRATES: And
 88 Text |          together are called virtue.~NICIAS: Certainly.~SOCRATES: Do
 89 Text |          Would you not say the same?~NICIAS: Certainly.~SOCRATES: Well
 90 Text |           SOCRATES: That is my view, Nicias; the terrible things, as
 91 Text |            do you not agree with me?~NICIAS: I agree.~SOCRATES: And
 92 Text |             things you call courage?~NICIAS: Precisely.~SOCRATES: And
 93 Text |          myself as to a third point.~NICIAS: What is that?~SOCRATES:
 94 Text |       correct.~SOCRATES: And do you, Nicias, also acknowledge that the
 95 Text |            future, present, or past?~NICIAS: Yes, indeed Socrates; that
 96 Text |          fearful and of the hopeful?~NICIAS: Yes.~SOCRATES: And the
 97 Text |              goods and future evils?~NICIAS: True.~SOCRATES: And the
 98 Text |           the future or at any time?~NICIAS: That is true.~SOCRATES:
 99 Text |           and past, and of any time?~NICIAS: That, as I suppose, is
100 Text |         answer which you have given, Nicias, includes only a third part
101 Text |        alteration in your statement?~NICIAS: I agree, Socrates.~SOCRATES:
102 Text |          deal both with gods or men.~NICIAS: I think, Socrates, that
103 Text |             say.~SOCRATES: But then, Nicias, courage, according to this
104 Text |            only, will be all virtue?~NICIAS: It would seem so.~SOCRATES:
105 Text |              of the parts of virtue?~NICIAS: Yes, that was what we were
106 Text | contradiction with our present view?~NICIAS: That appears to be the
107 Text |            the case.~SOCRATES: Then, Nicias, we have not discovered
108 Text |          discovered what courage is.~NICIAS: We have not.~LACHES: And
109 Text |              LACHES: And yet, friend Nicias, I imagined that you would
110 Text |              by the wisdom of Damon.~NICIAS: I perceive, Laches, that
111 Text |               You are a philosopher, Nicias; of that I am aware: nevertheless
112 Text |         would have asked him myself.~NICIAS: To that I quite agree,
113 Text |    Lysimachus.~LYSIMACHUS: He ought, Nicias: for certainly I would do
114 Text |              I had a knowledge which Nicias and Laches have not, then


The Republic
    Book
115 1    |       brother, Niceratus, the son of Nicias, and several others who