Where appropriate, entries are given in the order (1) verb, (2) noun, (3) adjective; verbs are given in the form of the present infinitive, nouns in the nominative singular, adjectives in the nominative masculine singular. In the transliteration of the Greek letters, Greek υ has been transliterated as u. Unless otherwise stated, footnote numbers refer to the translation. The meanings given relate to Plato’s usage in the Symposium and are not exhaustive.
(ἀγαπᾶν) to show devotion or regard, feel affection for. See footnote 51.
(ἀγαϑóς) the general adjective for good in the sense of being suited to a desirable purpose or function, or being morally good. The corresponding abstract noun is arete and the antonym is kakos, bad. In early Greek agathos means ‘well-born’ or, in the political sense, ‘aristocratic’. Since the ability to fight well was the attribute of the aristocrat (compare kalos kagathos) agathos can also mean ‘a good fighter’, ‘brave’. In the plural it often means ‘enjoyable material [things]’, ‘blessings’. The moral sense is often found in the Symposium, where ‘what is good’ sometimes has the abstract sense of ‘the good’. If what is good is also attractive, agathos comes close in meaning to kalos. See also chrestos.
(αἰσχϱóς) exciting an unfavourable reaction: bad; shameful, dishonourable; unattractive, ugly; wrong (see footnote 55). The antonym is kalos.
(ἀνδϱóγυνος) a man-woman. See footnote 96.
(ἀποϱεĩν) to be at a loss; aporia (ἀποϱία) (in a philosophical discussion) the state of being in difficulties, unable to proceed further. This is the state to which Socrates’ interlocutors are often reduced as a result of being cross-examined by him. See also elenchein.
(ἀϱετή) virtue, goodness, excellence of every kind; since it often denotes non-moral excellence the common translation ‘virtue’ can sometimes be misleading. Arete denotes the several qualities required of a man if he is to be well thought of (see footnote 72); and since it occasionally denotes the reward of excellence it can also mean fame. In early Greek the excellence referred to was commonly courage, a meaning that persisted in Plato’s day (compare andreia). See also the corresponding adjective agathos.
(ἄϱιστος) or beltistos (βέλτιστος) best, excellent, supreme in goodness; the superlative of agathos, good.
See footnote 18 and Marsyas in Glossary of names.
(χαϱίζεσϑαι) to do a favour to, to gratify; euphemistically, of the younger male partner in a pederastic relationship, to allow sexual relations, to grant sexual favours.
(δαίμων) an unspecified god, particularly a lesser or local deity; divine power generally. See footnotes 151 and 152. daimonios (δαιμóνιος) inspired by the divine.
(δóξα) opinion, what people think, a belief founded on appearance or impression; in Plato often contrasted with knowledge (see epistasthai); doxa can also mean reputation or fame.
(εἶδος) form. At 210b the construal ‘physical shape’ or ‘outward form’ is commonly accepted; eidos also has a philosophical sense where it is associated with the pursuit of the common and essential feature in a variety of things under consideration.
(εἰϱωνευóμενος) dissimulating, pretending ignorance, pretending not to understand; the adverb eirōnikōs (εἰϱωνιϰῶῶς) has the same meaning. (The noun eirōneia (εἰϱωνεία), dissimulation, is the source of English ‘irony’.)
(ἐλέγχειν) to cross-examine so as to refute; elenchos (ἔλεγχος) (often spelt in the Latinized form elenchus) the procedure of question and answer employed by and associated with Socrates, in which an interlocutor’s beliefs are tested by logical argument until it becomes clear that these beliefs are inconsistent and an impasse is reached.
(ἐπίστασϑαι) to know; epistēmē (ἐπιστήμη) true (i.e. rational) knowledge (compare doxa). In the plural, kinds of knowledge, including scientific knowledge. See also mathēmata.
(ἐπιϑυμεĩν) to want very much, to desire; epithūmia (ἐπιϑυμία) a strong wish or desire. Compare eran.
(ἐϱᾶν) to love passionately, be in love with, long for, feel desire for; ho erōn (ὁ ἐϱῶν) (any)one who loves, lover in a general sense (compare erastes); erōs (ἔϱως) passion, sexual love, desire; also the god Love (see footnote 24).
(ἐϱαστής) lover in the sense of the senior partner in a male homosexual or pederastic relationship.
(ἐϱώμενος) (the) beloved, the younger partner in a male homosexual or pederastic relationship. Compare paidika.
(ἐϱωτιϰά) literally, things relating to love; translated according to context as the subject of, the study of, the science of, the influence of, or the mystery of love.
(εὐδαιμονεĩν) to be happy; eudaimonia (εὐδαιμονία) happiness, flourishing, well-being; conceptions of eudaimonia need not be restricted to subjective feelings such as pleasure, but may involve, for example the (visible) attainment of prosperity, health and success in one’s aims (see Introduction p. xvi) see Introduction. The antonym is kakodaimonia (ϰαϰοδαιμονία), unhappiness, misfortune.
(ἀϱμονία) harmony. See footnote 89.
(ὑβϱί ζειν) to assault, insult, treat with contempt (see footnote 206); hubris (ὑβϱις) violent abuse, insult; wantonness; hubristēs (ὑβϱιστής) someone sarcastic or insolent. In modern English usage hubris generally denotes arrogance leading to disaster.
(ϰαϰία) moral failing; kakos (ϰαϰóς) the general adjective for bad; cowardly. In early Greek, low-born, ugly. The antonym of kakos is agathos.
(ϰαλóς) fine, beautiful, attractive, good-looking; good, noble; right. kalōs (ϰαλῶς, adverb), well. Since what is attractive is likely to seem good to us, kalos can be close in meaning to agathos, good, though it usually has more of an aesthetic than a moral sense (but see footnote 55). Its antonym is aischros, ugly. In Plato ‘what is beautiful’ sometimes has the abstract sense of ‘the beautiful’.
(ϰαλòς ϰἀγαϑóς) (in full, kalos kai agathos) literally ‘fine and good’; it generally describes a man who has the virtues (see arete) of an aristocrat or leading citizen, including good looks, intelligence, wealth and social standing.
(ϰóσμος) good order; ornament (see footnote 130); kosmios (ϰóσμιος) orderly; kosmiōs (ϰοσμιῶς, adverb), in an orderly fashion; decently.
( μαϑήματα, plural of mathēma ( μάϑημα)) kinds of knowledge, especially scientific knowledge. See also epistasthai.
(μουσιϰή) any art that is the concern of the Muses, especially music or poetry; the arts or culture generally.
(νóμος) a law or rule; convention, custom, principle; nomimōs (νομίμως, adverb) lawfully; in accordance with custom.
(οἰϰειóτης) feeling of kinship and affection such as might exist between oikeioi (οἰϰεĩοι), members of the same family or household.
(οὐ ϱάνιος) heavenly. See footnote 53.
(παιδιϰά) (virtually synonymous with eromenos) beloved boy, the junior partner in a pederastic relationship.
(παĩς) boy, youth, adolescent; the word cannot be applied to a young male after he is fully bearded. It was also used as the appellative of a slave of any age.
(πεϱί, preposition) in the matter of, concerning. See footnote 159.
(φιλεĩν) to love; philia (φιλία) (generally non-passionate) love. These words have the most general application of all Greek words for love, describing good relations between people or states, friendship, affection and devotion, even including love between sexual partners. The beloved ( paidika or eromenos) returned his lover’s eros with philia. See footnote 51.
(φιλοσοφεĩν) to do philosophy, to be a lover of wisdom, to pursue knowledge or wisdom; philosophia (φιλοσοφία) philosophy, the pursuit of knowledge or wisdom (see sophia); philosophos (φιλóσοφος) a philosopher, a lover of wisdom.
(φιλοτιμία) love of honour, i.e. of public recognition; ambition. Also, the object of ambition, i.e. honour, credit.
(φϱóνησις) wisdom (sometimes treated as synonymous with sophia, and even with episteme, knowledge); intelligence, understanding; phronimos (φϱóνιμος) having intelligent understanding, wise.
(ψυχή) (often written psyche in English). In Greek popular belief, the principle of life, which leaves the body at death; hence soul or spirit. It is also the principle of thought and feeling, and so can mean mind or consciousness. It is therefore variously translated according as one notion seems to predominate over another.
(σοφία) In early Greek it denotes knowledge of a skill, an expertise (technical or artistic); in Plato it often means intelligence, knowledge or understanding in a wide sense, of values and actions, such as how to live and behave; hence the common but sometimes misleading translation ‘wisdom’. sophos (σοφóς) expert; skilful; wise, clever, intelligent.
(σοφιστής) a sophist; originally a skilful practitioner of any art or craft (see sophia); by Plato’s time it had come to denote an itinerant teacher who taught specialist branches of knowledge, in particular the rhetorical skill necessary for swaying large assemblies and for success in political life generally.
(σωφϱοσύνη) good sense, prudence; in a moral sense, temperance, self-control, moderation in the sense of a balance between extremes; sōphrōn (σώφϱων) sensible, prudent; self-controlled, sober.