Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- PART I AN ANALYSIS OF THE LYSIS
- 1 203a1–207b7: the cast assembles, and the main conversation is set up
- 2 207b8–210d8 (Socrates and Lysis): do Lysis' parents really love him?
- 3 210e1–213c9: Socrates and Menexenus – how does one get a friend?
- 4 213d1–216b9: Socrates and Lysis again, then Menexenus – poets and cosmologists on what is friend of what (like of like; or opposite of opposite?)
- 5 216c1–221d6: what it is that loves, what it really loves, and why
- 6 221d6–222b2: the main argument reaches its conclusion
- 7 222b3–e7: some further questions from Socrates about the argument, leading to (apparent) impasse
- 8 223a1–b8: the dialogue ends – people will say that Socrates and the boys think they are friends, but that they haven't been able to discover what ‘the friend’ is
- 9 203a1–207b7 revisited
- PART II THE THEORY OF THE LYSIS
- Epilogue
- Translation of the Lysis
- Bibliography
- Index of names
- Index of subjects
2 - 207b8–210d8 (Socrates and Lysis): do Lysis' parents really love him?
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 September 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- PART I AN ANALYSIS OF THE LYSIS
- 1 203a1–207b7: the cast assembles, and the main conversation is set up
- 2 207b8–210d8 (Socrates and Lysis): do Lysis' parents really love him?
- 3 210e1–213c9: Socrates and Menexenus – how does one get a friend?
- 4 213d1–216b9: Socrates and Lysis again, then Menexenus – poets and cosmologists on what is friend of what (like of like; or opposite of opposite?)
- 5 216c1–221d6: what it is that loves, what it really loves, and why
- 6 221d6–222b2: the main argument reaches its conclusion
- 7 222b3–e7: some further questions from Socrates about the argument, leading to (apparent) impasse
- 8 223a1–b8: the dialogue ends – people will say that Socrates and the boys think they are friends, but that they haven't been able to discover what ‘the friend’ is
- 9 203a1–207b7 revisited
- PART II THE THEORY OF THE LYSIS
- Epilogue
- Translation of the Lysis
- Bibliography
- Index of names
- Index of subjects
Summary
207b8–d4: A FEW PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS
So, at 207b8, Socrates is addressing Menexenus, but his question is really directed at both boys, who are soon answering together:
‘Son of Demophon,’ 207c1 I said, ‘which of the two of you is the older?’
‘We have different views (amphisbētein) about that,’ he said.
‘Then you'll also dispute (erizein) about which of you is the better born,’ I said.
‘Yes, absolutely,’ he said.
207c5 ‘And about which of you is the more beautiful, too, in the same way.’
They both laughed at that.
‘I shan't ask you, though,’ I said, ‘which of you is the richer; after all, the two of you are friends (philō), aren't you?’
‘Yes, absolutely,’ they said together.
207c10 ‘Well, what friends have is said to be in common between them, so that on this subject you won't quarrel at all – at least if you're telling the truth about your friendship.’
They agreed.
207d1 I was setting about asking them, after that, which of the two of them was juster and wiser. Then, as I was in the middle of doing this, someone came up and got Menexenus to go off with him, because – he said – the trainer was calling for him; I got the impression he was in the middle of sacrificing.[…]
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- Plato's Lysis , pp. 12 - 38Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005