From the book
Lysis
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Beloved
ἐρώμενος
erōmenosErōmenos means beloved; the person who is loved erotically.
Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordErōmenos means beloved; the person who is loved erotically.
- In LysisFrom ἐράω, this participle identifies the recipient of a lover’s desire.
- Reading contextNor does being a beloved entail returning affection.
- A place to readThe Greek example means “to the beloved.”
- English renderings
- Beloved; the person who is loved erotically
Meaning
Beloved; the person who is loved erotically.
Grammatical category: present middle/passive participle used as a noun.
Use in the book
From ἐράω, this participle identifies the recipient of a lover’s desire. At 206a Socrates advises against praising the beloved before winning him; at 222a he asks what affinity the desirer has with the beloved in soul, character, ways, or figure.
Do not confuse ἐρώμενος with φιλούμενος. Both may be translated “loved”, but the latter is the broader passive participle of φιλέω and is central to the logical alternatives at 212a–213c2. Nor does being a beloved entail returning affection.
Places to read
From the book
Lysis
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Darling
παιδικά
paidikaPaidika means darling; the boy who is the object of a lover’s courtship.
Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordPaidika means darling; the boy who is the object of a lover’s courtship.
- In LysisUsually with τά, the plural form refers to one beloved person, here Lysis, rather than to several children.
- Reading contextPreserve its courtship sense while distinguishing it from παῖς, the ordinary word for boy or child.
- A place to readThe Greek example means “one’s darling.”
- English renderings
- Darling; the boy who is the object of a lover’s courtship
Meaning
Darling; the boy who is the object of a lover’s courtship.
Grammatical category: neuter plural adjective used as a noun.
Use in the book
Usually with τά, the plural form refers to one beloved person, here Lysis, rather than to several children. Hippothales wants to know what speech or conduct will make him dear to his darling (206c); Socrates’ conversation with Lysis supplies the demonstration (210e).
The term recurs in the problem of unreturned affection (212b–c) and in the claim about the genuine lover at 222a. Preserve its courtship sense while distinguishing it from παῖς, the ordinary word for boy or child.
Places to read
From the book
Empedocles’ The Testimonia, Volume II
Empedocles of Acragas · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Beloved
ἐρώμενος (erōmenos); παιδικά (paidika)
Erōmenos means beloved, conventionally marking the beloved partner in an erotic relationship.
Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordErōmenos means beloved, conventionally marking the beloved partner in an erotic relationship.
- In this workDiogenes reports, on the authority of Aristippus and Satyrus, that Pausanias was Empedocles’ beloved, then identifies him as the addressee of On Nature.
- In this editionThe translation “beloved” preserves the relationship language while avoiding claims about conduct not contained in the passage.
- A place to readCalls Pausanias the beloved and addressee.
Meaning
Erōmenos means beloved, conventionally marking the beloved partner in an erotic relationship. Paidika can likewise designate someone’s beloved. Neither word should be silently translated into the merely instructional “student.”
Use in the book
Diogenes reports, on the authority of Aristippus and Satyrus, that Pausanias was Empedocles’ beloved, then identifies him as the addressee of On Nature. The notice brings an intellectual dedication and personal attachment together, without supplying the relationship’s duration, ages, or further circumstances. The Suda, citing Porphyry, assigns Empedocles himself the beloved role in relation to Parmenides. That separate claim belongs to a different and late teacher tradition; it does not corroborate the Pausanias report. These notices show that ancient biographies could describe philosophical transmission through intimate relationships as well as public teaching. They should be recorded without inventing a modern identity category, treating erotic attachment as discrediting, or flattening the relationships into a uniform institutional genealogy.
Places to read
- A 1 §§ 59–60 (biography)Diogenes Laertius VIII 60, reporting Aristippus and Satyrus. Calls Pausanias the beloved and addressee.
- A 2 (biography)The Suda, reporting Porphyry, History of Philosophers. Calls Empedocles the beloved of Parmenides.
Translation in this edition
The translation “beloved” preserves the relationship language while avoiding claims about conduct not contained in the passage. The biographical reports remain attributed testimony rather than verified personal records.