From the book
Lysis
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
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At a Glance
- The wordDia means through; with the accusative, because of or on account of.
- In LysisIts causal use becomes decisive at 218d–219b2.
- Reading contextAt 220e the Greek itself says ἐχθροῦ ἕνεκα, “for the sake of an enemy”; do not silently rewrite that phrase as διά.
- A place to readThe Greek example means “because of illness, for the sake of health.”
- English renderings
- Through; with the accusative, because of or on account of
Meaning
Through; with the accusative, because of or on account of.
Grammatical category: preposition.
Use in the book
Its causal use becomes decisive at 218d–219b2. The sick person is attached to the doctor because of illness but for the sake of health. διά with the accusative identifies the occasion or explanatory condition; ἕνεκα names the end sought. Treating both as a vague “for” conceals the structure of the proposal.
The earlier phrase διὰ κακοῦ παρουσίαν means “because of the presence of badness”: the accusative governed by διά is παρουσίαν, while κακοῦ depends on that noun. At 221c the proposal that badness is the cause is explicitly reconsidered. At 220e the Greek itself says ἐχθροῦ ἕνεκα, “for the sake of an enemy”; do not silently rewrite that phrase as διά.