Chapter 19 Volume 3 Chapter 2

A good general should take steps for the safety, maintenance, and victory of his army; he should not only have his own honor in mind, but that of the army as a whole. Once he met a man who had been elected as a general and asked him: "Do you think why Homer called Agamemnon 'the shepherd of the people'? Is it because just as a shepherd must take care of the sheep The safety of the flock, providing them with fodder, so that the purpose of raising sheep can be achieved. Similarly, a general should also consider the safety of soldiers, provide them with food, so that the purpose of raising soldiers can be achieved? Moreover, the purpose of doing this is to so that they can defeat the enemy and gain greater happiness in battle. Also, why did Homer call Agamemnon

'A good king and a valiant warrior? ' He does not mean that he cannot be a "valiant warrior" if he alone fights bravely against the enemy and cannot make all the soldiers as brave as himself; Can he not be a 'good king' if he rules the happiness of the people?A king is not chosen so that he may take good care of himself, but that by him he may do good to those who made him; and all men go to war so that they may live the best life They elect generals precisely because they think they can lead themselves to this end.So it is the duty of a commander to be prepared to carry out the opinions of those who elect them as generals.There is nothing more honorable than to discover that one is capable of such endeavors, or more disgraceful to discover its opposite."

In this way, when Socrates considers the merits of a good general, he ignores all his other qualities, but only emphasizes this; a good general must think about the happiness of his people.