From the book
Symposium
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordLetting someone be and refusing to let a question go are different but complementary actions in the portrayal of Socratic attention.
- In the SymposiumAristodemus prevents repeated summons from interrupting Socrates’ customary standing.
- In this editionThe phrase “did not let go” translates a negated verb, not a positive statement that Socrates already knew the answer.
- A place to readAristodemus asks the host not to disturb Socrates.
Meaning
Letting someone be and refusing to let a question go are different but complementary actions in the portrayal of Socratic attention.
Use in the book
Aristodemus prevents repeated summons from interrupting Socrates’ customary standing. At Potidaea Socrates himself refuses to release a problem simply because it has not yielded. The first verb protects space for inquiry; the second shows the inquirer’s persistence. Neither passage says that delay by itself proves successful discovery.
Places to read
Translation in this edition
The phrase “did not let go” translates a negated verb, not a positive statement that Socrates already knew the answer. It is stronger evidence for persistence than for accomplishment.
ἀνίημι (aniēmi)
aniēmi — To release, relax, or let go; its negation makes persistence explicit.
- 220c — οὐκ ἀνίει. Socrates does not give up when his inquiry fails to advance.
ἐάω (eaō)
eaō — To allow or let be; it can protect another person’s activity rather than signify indifference.
- 175b — ἐᾶτε. Aristodemus repeatedly asks that Socrates be left alone.