From the book
Lysis
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordAgōniaō means be anxious or in suspense; be in agony over an outcome.
- In LysisSocrates observes Hippothales ἀγωνιῶντα while he listens to the questioning of Lysis.
- Reading contextIt motivates Socrates’ decision not to expose Hippothales by addressing him.
- A place to readThe Greek example means “him anxious and thrown into confusion.”
- English renderings
- Be anxious or in suspense; be in agony over an outcome
Meaning
Be anxious or in suspense; be in agony over an outcome.
Grammatical category: verb.
Use in the book
Socrates observes Hippothales ἀγωνιῶντα while he listens to the questioning of Lysis. The present participle presents an ongoing emotional state, accompanied by the disturbance expressed in τεθορυβημένον.
The context is the lover’s investment in how his beloved receives Socrates’ treatment, together with his desire not to be noticed. The word’s competitive coloring suits the earlier capture and victory imagery, but the passage describes anxious attention rather than an actual athletic contest. It motivates Socrates’ decision not to expose Hippothales by addressing him.
Places to read
- 210eαὐτὸν ἀγωνιῶντα καὶ τεθορυβημένον — him anxious and thrown into confusion.