Source edition
Platonis Opera, Tomus II: Tetralogia III-IV. Burnet, John, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This dialogue depicts a gathering of Athenian intellectuals at the house of the tragic poet Agathon, where they take turns delivering speeches in praise of the god of love, Eros. The participants explore love from various angles, discussing its role in inspiring virtue, the distinction between heavenly and earthly love, love as cosmic harmony, and the famous myth of original, spherical humans seeking their lost halves. When it is Socrates' turn, he recounts the teachings of the priestess Diotima, explaining that Eros is an intermediary being who guides the soul upward from physical attraction to the contemplation of "Beauty itself" (the Idea). Toward the end, the drunken young politician Alcibiades crashes the banquet and passionately praises Socrates' unique virtue and inner beauty. The dialogue concludes at dawn after a chaotic night, with Socrates discussing the unity of tragedy and comedy before departing.