From the book
Lysis
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordKosmos means ornament, distinction; something that enhances its possessor.
- In LysisSocrates says that, if Hippothales wins Lysis, what he has said and sung will be κόσμος for him.
- Reading contextThe cognate κεκοσμημένους later describes the boys as adorned for the festival, offering a literal counterpart to the figurative ornament of praise.
- A place to readThe Greek example means “what has been said will be an ornament for you.”
- English renderings
- Ornament, distinction; something that enhances its possessor
Meaning
Ornament, distinction; something that enhances its possessor.
Grammatical category: noun, masculine.
Use in the book
Socrates says that, if Hippothales wins Lysis, what he has said and sung will be κόσμος for him. The meaning is an adornment or credit attached to success, not “world” or “cosmic order.”
The surrounding contrast is reputational: an impressive beloved makes the successful lover look impressive, while failure leaves the same praise as evidence of what he lost. The cognate κεκοσμημένους later describes the boys as adorned for the festival, offering a literal counterpart to the figurative ornament of praise.