Plato's dialogue Meno opens with the following question: “Can you tell me, Socrates, whether virtue (aretē) can be taught, or, if it is not teachable, is it the result of practice, or does it come to people, not by practice or through teaching, but from their nature, or is there some other explanation?”. Socrates refuses to answer until a definition of virtue itself is established, but the question sets out several criteria for marking out the good from the bad. Some people perhaps have it in their nature to be kinder or braver and generally more good than their neighbours, others may have been taught courage and self-discipline, and others again may work continually at controlling their tempers or being more prudent. On the other hand, what is responsible for a child's unruly behaviour? Is it bad parenting exacerbated by weak teaching, is it a question of getting into bad habits or keeping bad company, or does it just happen that there are black sheep in the most respectable families? Meno has put his finger on problems that were as perplexing for the Greeks as they are for modern educationists.

The goodness of the Homeric hero

For Homer, being good (agathos) was mainly a question of class. The adjective is applied to those of noble birth who are leaders in the assemblies and outstanding warriors; its opposite is kakos, which refers especially to one who is cowardly, weak or of low birth.