1 Notes on Lovers Sandra Peterson The Lovers (Erastai, Anterastai: “Rival Lovers”) has disputed author and date. 1 Diogenes Laertius 3.59 lists the Anterastai as the fourth dialogue of the fourth of Thrasyllus’ tetralogies of Plato’s dialogues. Souilhé 1930, vii and 107, takes as an external reason to doubt its authenticity Diogenes’ comment in 9.37 that Thrasyllus said, “If indeed (eiper) the Anterastai is Plato’s, Democritus would be the unnamed person present.” 2 Souilhé takes eiper (“if” or “if indeed”) to imply doubt. If indeed our dictionaries and grammars are correct to assign “if indeed” as a translation of eiper into English, the word can occur to confirm, not to doubt, the clause that follows. 3 Grote and Mansfeld understand eiper so. 4 The various titles refer to the speakers, not to their topic. Examples of other Socratic works with erastai as characters are Plato’s Lysis, Symposium, and Gorgias, and Xenophon’s Symposium and Memorabilia. The dialogue intrigues not only for its various accounts of philosophy that one ambitious youth favors, but also for the subtle and sensitive interaction of its Socrates with a young wrestler. 1. 132a1–4 I went into Dionysius the grammar teacher’s, and I saw there those of the young (neôn) who were reputed best in looks and of the most distinguished fathers, and their lovers (erastas). Socrates narrates, giving no clue of hearer or date. 1 The text is Carlini 1964. Anterastai appears as title in the margin of one manuscript. Others have Erastai. The former title captures the relation of the two young speakers. The latter respects the author’s choice. In undisputed Plato, the word anterastai occurs only at Resp. 521b. 2 For other doubts see Männlein-Robert 2005. 3 See LSJ s.v. and Smyth 1974 §2246. 4 Grote 1867, 452–453; Mansfeld 1994, 66–67, n. 115; 100. On other grounds for athetizing see Pageau St. Hilaire 2014, 3–6. Annas 1985, 111–112, judges that the burden of proof falls on doubters.