From the book
Lysis
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordŌidē means song; a sung composition.
- In LysisSocrates says that Hippothales’ songs bear above all on Hippothales himself, because their eventual significance depends on whether he secures the beloved.
- Reading contextAttractive form or enthusiastic performance cannot by itself establish that a composition succeeds at its intended work.
- A place to readThe Greek example means “these songs bear on you.”
- English renderings
- Song; a sung composition
Meaning
Song; a sung composition.
Grammatical category: noun, feminine.
Use in the book
Socrates says that Hippothales’ songs bear above all on Hippothales himself, because their eventual significance depends on whether he secures the beloved. At 206b songs are paired with speeches as means that ought to charm rather than estrange the listener.
The noun is broader than ἐγκώμιον, which specifies a song’s praising function. In the argument the decisive question is the song’s effect. Attractive form or enthusiastic performance cannot by itself establish that a composition succeeds at its intended work.