The dialogue concludes with Socrates disappointing both his audiences. He suggests to Lysis and Menexenus, his apparent friends, that they are a laughingstock to the others because they do not know what a friend is. As for his unknown audience, who would surely identify with Hippothales eager to learn from Socrates how to captivate a lust object, we may imagine the confusion caused by Socrates having some intimate words with Lysis and Menexenus while they are all being led out of the palaestra. Hippothales is not mentioned, and the feeling is that he is shut out.

Here I read through Platonic dialogues, translating and commenting on the Greek text as I go.

The resulting analyses may be found at:

https://theplatoparadigm.com