“Lysis, or Friendship” - Plato But if this cannot be, the lover will be the friend altogether wrong in our conclusions?
of that which is loved?
I am sure that we have been wrong, Socrates, said True.
Lysis. And he blushed as he spoke, the words seem-And the hater will be the enemy of that which is ing to come from his lips involuntarily, because his hated?
whole mind was taken up with the argument; there Certainly.
was no mistaking his attentive look while he was Yet we must acknowledge in this, as in the pre-listening.
ceding instance, that a man may be the friend of I was pleased at the interest which was shown by one who is not his friend, or who may be his en-Lysis, and I wanted to give Menexenus a rest, so I emy, when he loves that which does not love him or turned to him and said, I think, Lysis, that what which even hates him. And he may be the enemy of you say is true, and that, if we had been right, we one who is not his enemy, and is even his friend: for should never have gone so far wrong; let us proceed example, when he hates that which does not hate no further in this direction (for the road seems to him, or which even loves him.
be getting troublesome), but take the other path That appears to be true.
into which we turned, and see what the poets have But if the lover is not a friend, nor the beloved a to say; for they are to us in a manner the fathers friend, nor both together, what are we to say? Whom and authors of wisdom, and they speak of friends are we to call friends to one another? Do any re-in no light or trivial manner, but God himself, as main?
they say, makes them and draws them to one an-Indeed, Socrates, I cannot find any.
other; and this they express, if I am not mistaken, But, O Menexenus! I said, may we not have been in the following words:—