From the book
Lysis
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordEpitrepō means entrust, permit; give someone control of a task or property.
- In LysisThe verb carries the questioning from permission to trust.
- Reading contextPermission here follows assessed competence, rather than wealth, free status, or age alone.
- A place to readThe Greek example means “he will entrust both himself and his possessions to you.”
- English renderings
- Entrust, permit; give someone control of a task or property
Meaning
Entrust, permit; give someone control of a task or property.
Grammatical category: verb.
Use in the book
The verb carries the questioning from permission to trust. Lysis is not entrusted with horses or his own supervision, while a hired driver, muleteer, and tutor receive authority. His parents do entrust reading, writing, and musical operations to him because he knows them.
Socrates then extends the same criterion from father to neighbor, city, and Great King. The relevant constructions specify a person entrusted and an activity or thing entrusted. Permission here follows assessed competence, rather than wealth, free status, or age alone.