Charmides is a dialogue written by Plato in the 4th century BC, focusing on the concept of temperance or moderation. The story begins with Socrates returning from military service and meeting his friends at a palaestra. The youth Charmides enters, admired for his physical beauty, sparking questions about whether he also possesses inner virtue, particularly temperance. Through dialogue, Socrates examines various definitions of temperance?quietness, modesty, and self-knowledge?while exposing their limitations. This opening frames Plato’s deeper philosophical inquiry into the nature of virtue itself.
