From the book
Lysis
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordProsphilēs means welcome, dear, favorably received; a person made an object of affection.
- In LysisHippothales asks what conversation or action could make someone προσφιλής to his beloved.
- Reading contextIt asks how to become welcome to a particular beloved without yet defining the relation or establishing reciprocal affection.
- A place to readThe Greek example means “might become dear to his beloved.”
- English renderings
- Welcome, dear, favorably received; a person made an object of affection
Meaning
Welcome, dear, favorably received; a person made an object of affection.
Grammatical category: adjective.
Use in the book
Hippothales asks what conversation or action could make someone προσφιλής to his beloved. The adjective takes the dative παιδικοῖς, specifying the person whose affection or favor is sought. The edition renders the phrase “become a friend to,” but the Greek lemma here is προσφιλής, not φίλος.
The distinction matters for close reading: this practical request launches Socrates’ demonstration before the later explicit investigation of friendship. It asks how to become welcome to a particular beloved without yet defining the relation or establishing reciprocal affection.
Places to read
- 206cπροσφιλὴς παιδικοῖς γένοιτο — might become dear to his beloved.