Abstract

Lund argues that Socrates pits the generals Laches and Nicias against each other in the hopes of getting Lysimachus and Melesias to allow him access to their sons. The dialogue thus offers a good occasion to reflect on Socrates’ motives, especially since his treatment of Laches and Nicias suggests that he is unmoved by civic obligation. Lund finds clues in the dialogue that indicate that Socrates’ interest in the young is to secure useful interlocutors for his continued inquiry into moral and divine phenomena.