War and Eros

The Charmides consists of Socrates’ narration, to a nameless friend, of his doings at the palaistra (wrestling school) of Taureas, across from the precinct sacred to Βασίλη, the Queen – that is, Persephone, queen of the underworld. As he tells this friend – who does not speak ­throughout the dialogue – he had eagerly gone to the palaistra to take up his ­“customary occupations” (ἐπὶ τὰς συνήθεις διατριβάς) the day after he returned to Athens from a long military campaign in Thrace. Among the many congregating there he is greeted first by his long-standing friend Chaerephon, who takes him over to sit next to Critias. Socrates answers the company’s questions about the campaign, and especially about the recent bloody battle in which he had taken part, news of which had just reached Athens. Many of their acquaintance had been killed in that battle.