{
    "schema": "prokopton42-public-passage-v1",
    "id": "plato.symposium",
    "canonical_url": "https://prokopton42.com/en/works/plato/symposium/reference-194/",
    "language": "en",
    "title": "Symposium",
    "author": "Plato",
    "date": "c. 385-370 BCE",
    "summary": "At a drinking party, several guests praise Eros before Socrates reports Diotima’s teaching. Love of bodies, creation, knowledge, and desire for immortality culminate in ascent toward beauty, after which Alcibiades disrupts the scene.",
    "learning": "Compare praises of Eros, follow the ascent reported from Diotima, and distinguish theoretical speech, reported account, and Alcibiades’ portrait.",
    "long_summary": "Phaedrus, Pausanias, Eryximachus, Aristophanes, and Agathon give love different genealogies and functions. Diotima, quoted by Socrates within a reported frame, presents it as desire for an absent good and guides ascent from beautiful bodies toward knowledge of beauty.\n\nAlcibiades’ drunken praise replaces theory with a portrait of Socrates, desired yet elusive. The plurality of speeches prevents their fusion into one doctrine. Narrative frames, rivalry, and irony also show how desire transforms the speaker.",
    "historical_context": "The corpus manifests do not yet establish the precise place and circumstances of composition. The images below document the author’s world or the text’s transmission. They do not claim to show the exact scene of writing.",
    "material_world_label": "Classical Greek world, 5th century BCE",
    "material_world": {
        "technology": "Bronze, iron, pottery, simple cranes, and shipbuilding sustain cities. Power still comes mainly from people, animals, wind, and water.",
        "science": "Geometry, astronomy, inquiry into nature, and rational argument advance without modern measuring instruments or standardized experiments.",
        "medicine": "Practitioners observe symptoms, diet, and seasons; healing sanctuaries and ritual treatment also remain common.",
        "transport": "Walking and animals dominate on land. Sailing ships and triremes connect islands, ports, and colonies.",
        "agriculture": "Small farms, grain, vines, olives, goats, and sheep shape the diet; harvests remain vulnerable to weather and war.",
        "communication": "Public speech, messengers, and handwritten letters carry news. Theatre, the civic square, and the banquet are major social media.",
        "clothing": "Women and men drape wool or linen as chitons, peploi, and cloaks. Garments are pinned, belted, and shaped by status rather than tailored like modern clothes."
    },
    "material_world_scenes": [
        {
            "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-01.webp",
            "title": "Technology, science, and care",
            "description": "Bronze, iron, pottery, simple cranes, and shipbuilding sustain cities. Power still comes mainly from people, animals, wind, and water. Geometry, astronomy, inquiry into nature, and rational argument advance without modern measuring instruments or standardized experiments. Practitioners observe symptoms, diet, and seasons; healing sanctuaries and ritual treatment also remain common."
        },
        {
            "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-02.webp",
            "title": "Travel and communication",
            "description": "Walking and animals dominate on land. Sailing ships and triremes connect islands, ports, and colonies. Public speech, messengers, and handwritten letters carry news. Theatre, the civic square, and the banquet are major social media."
        },
        {
            "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-03.webp",
            "title": "Farming and food",
            "description": "Small farms, grain, vines, olives, goats, and sheep shape the diet; harvests remain vulnerable to weather and war."
        },
        {
            "asset": "/assets/timeline/landmarks/03-431-bce/world-04.webp",
            "title": "Clothing, women and men",
            "description": "Women and men drape wool or linen as chitons, peploi, and cloaks. Garments are pinned, belted, and shaped by status rather than tailored like modern clothes."
        }
    ],
    "intellectual_tradition": {
        "id": "platonism",
        "label": "Socratic and Platonic thought"
    },
    "period": {
        "id": "ancient",
        "label": "Antiquity"
    },
    "languages": [
        "grc",
        "en",
        "fr"
    ],
    "manifestations": [
        {
            "coverage": "complete",
            "file": "data/corpus/normalized/plato/symposium/representations/grc.ndjson",
            "language": "grc",
            "records": 52,
            "role": "original",
            "sha256": "bca358b0b7b3b521a7893ceed21e100710cd6b3a48c27614de5de1406582d98e",
            "source_id": "perseus-plato-symposium-grc"
        },
        {
            "coverage": "complete",
            "file": "data/corpus/normalized/plato/symposium/representations/en.ndjson",
            "language": "en",
            "records": 52,
            "role": "historical_translation",
            "sha256": "b6367a8cc011157de332277d7c41ae239e43743901337e29bd4f8ebb310f9177",
            "source_id": "perseus-plato-symposium-en"
        },
        {
            "coverage": "complete",
            "file": "data/corpus/normalized/plato/symposium/representations/fr.ndjson",
            "language": "fr",
            "records": 52,
            "role": "historical_translation",
            "sha256": "3eb62f66ffe5fe094613cfdc6b19e17c985d4782b6d225d192e8ad89c281f97d",
            "source_id": "wikisource-cousin-symposium-fr-01"
        }
    ],
    "concepts": [
        {
            "id": "aporia",
            "label": "Aporia"
        },
        {
            "id": "care_of_soul",
            "label": "Care of the soul"
        },
        {
            "id": "community",
            "label": "Community"
        },
        {
            "id": "duty",
            "label": "Duty"
        },
        {
            "id": "ether_field",
            "label": "Ether and field"
        },
        {
            "id": "faith",
            "label": "Faith"
        },
        {
            "id": "family",
            "label": "Family"
        },
        {
            "id": "fear",
            "label": "Fear"
        },
        {
            "id": "forms",
            "label": "Intelligible forms"
        },
        {
            "id": "friendship",
            "label": "Friendship"
        },
        {
            "id": "god",
            "label": "God"
        },
        {
            "id": "hope",
            "label": "Hope"
        },
        {
            "id": "judgment",
            "label": "Judgment"
        },
        {
            "id": "justice",
            "label": "Justice"
        },
        {
            "id": "love",
            "label": "Love"
        },
        {
            "id": "memory",
            "label": "Memory"
        },
        {
            "id": "mindfulness",
            "label": "Mindfulness"
        },
        {
            "id": "philosophical_eros",
            "label": "Philosophical eros"
        },
        {
            "id": "reason",
            "label": "Reason"
        },
        {
            "id": "roles",
            "label": "Roles and relationships"
        },
        {
            "id": "sin",
            "label": "Sin"
        },
        {
            "id": "spirit",
            "label": "Spirit"
        },
        {
            "id": "time",
            "label": "Time"
        },
        {
            "id": "virtue",
            "label": "Virtue"
        },
        {
            "id": "war_and_peace",
            "label": "War and peace"
        },
        {
            "id": "wisdom",
            "label": "Wisdom"
        }
    ],
    "source_work_ids": [
        "plato.symposium"
    ],
    "passages": 52,
    "word_count": 23769,
    "word_counts_by_language": {
        "en": 23769,
        "fr": 22632,
        "grc": 17413
    },
    "editorial_status": "gpt_5_6_semantic_draft_v1",
    "structure": {
        "citation_scheme": "plato-stephanus-page-v1",
        "kind": "native",
        "levels": [
            {
                "key": "stephanus_page",
                "label_fr": "Page Stephanus",
                "label_en": "Stephanus page"
            }
        ],
        "leaf_fr": "Passage",
        "leaf_en": "Passage"
    },
    "canonical_passage_id": "passage:plato.symposium:194",
    "canonical_ref": "194",
    "canonical_parent_ref": null,
    "canonical_parent_id": null,
    "representations": [
        {
            "language": "grc",
            "text": "τὸν οὖν Σωκράτη εἰπεῖν καλῶς γὰρ αὐτὸς ἠγώνισαι, ὦ Ἐρυξίμαχε· εἰ δὲ γένοιο οὗ νῦν ἐγώ εἰμι, μᾶλλον δὲ ἴσως οὗ ἔσομαι ἐπειδὰν καὶ Ἀγάθων εἴπῃ εὖ, καὶ μάλʼ ἂν φοβοῖο καὶ ἐν παντὶ εἴης ὥσπερ ἐγὼ νῦν. φαρμάττειν βούλει με, ὦ Σώκρατες, εἰπεῖν τὸν Ἀγάθωνα, ἵνα θορυβηθῶ διὰ τὸ οἴεσθαι τὸ θέατρον προσδοκίαν μεγάλην ἔχειν ὡς εὖ ἐροῦντος ἐμοῦ. ἐπιλήσμων μεντἂν εἴην, ὦ Ἀγάθων, εἰπεῖν τὸν Σωκράτη, εἰ ἰδὼν τὴν σὴν ἀνδρείαν καὶ μεγαλοφροσύνην ἀναβαίνοντος ἐπὶ τὸν ὀκρίβαντα μετὰ τῶν ὑποκριτῶν, καὶ βλέψαντος ἐναντία τοσούτῳ θεάτρῳ, μέλλοντος ἐπιδείξεσθαι σαυτοῦ λόγους, καὶ οὐδʼ ὁπωστιοῦν ἐκπλαγέντος, νῦν οἰηθείην σε θορυβήσεσθαι ἕνεκα ἡμῶν ὀλίγων ἀνθρώπων. τί δέ, ὦ Σώκρατες; τὸν Ἀγάθωνα φάναι, οὐ δήπου με οὕτω θεάτρου μεστὸν ἡγῇ ὥστε καὶ ἀγνοεῖν ὅτι νοῦν ἔχοντι ὀλίγοι ἔμφρονες πολλῶν ἀφρόνων φοβερώτεροι; οὐ μεντἂν καλῶς ποιοίην, φάναι, ὦ Ἀγάθων, περὶ σοῦ τι ἐγὼ ἄγροικον δοξάζων· ἀλλʼ εὖ οἶδα ὅτι εἴ τισιν ἐντύχοις οὓς ἡγοῖο σοφούς, μᾶλλον ἂν αὐτῶν φροντίζοις ἢ τῶν πολλῶν. ἀλλὰ μὴ οὐχ οὗτοι ἡμεῖς ὦμεν—ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖ παρῆμεν καὶ ἦμεν τῶν πολλῶν—εἰ δὲ ἄλλοις ἐντύχοις σοφοῖς, τάχʼ ἂν αἰσχύνοιο αὐτούς, εἴ τι ἴσως οἴοιο αἰσχρὸν ὂν ποιεῖν· ἢ πῶς λέγεις; ἀληθῆ λέγεις, φάναι. τοὺς δὲ πολλοὺς οὐκ ἂν αἰσχύνοιο εἴ τι οἴοιο αἰσχρὸν ποιεῖν; καὶ τὸν Φαῖδρον ἔφη ὑπολαβόντα εἰπεῖν ὦ φίλε Ἀγάθων, ἐὰν ἀποκρίνῃ Σωκράτει, οὐδὲν ἔτι διοίσει αὐτῷ ὁπῃοῦν τῶν ἐνθάδε ὁτιοῦν γίγνεσθαι, ἐὰν μόνον ἔχῃ ὅτῳ διαλέγηται, ἄλλως τε καὶ καλῷ. ἐγὼ δὲ ἡδέως μὲν ἀκούω Σωκράτους διαλεγομένου, ἀναγκαῖον δέ μοι ἐπιμεληθῆναι τοῦ ἐγκωμίου τῷ Ἔρωτι καὶ ἀποδέξασθαι παρʼ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου ὑμῶν τὸν λόγον· ἀποδοὺς οὖν ἑκάτερος τῷ θεῷ οὕτως ἤδη διαλεγέσθω. ἀλλὰ καλῶς λέγεις, ὦ Φαῖδρε, φάναι τὸν Ἀγάθωνα, καὶ οὐδέν με κωλύει λέγειν· Σωκράτει γὰρ καὶ αὖθις ἔσται πολλάκις διαλέγεσθαι.",
            "edition": "perseus-plato-symposium-grc",
            "source_id": "perseus-plato-symposium-grc",
            "translation_type": "original"
        },
        {
            "language": "en",
            "text": "Whereon Socrates remarked: Your own performance, Eryximachus, made a fine hit: but if you could be where I am now—or rather, I should say, where I shall be when Agathon has spoken—you would be fitly and sorely afraid, and would be as hard put to it as I am. You want to throw a spell over me, Socrates, said Agathon, so that I may be flustered with the consciousness of the high expectations the audience has formed of my discourse. Nay, Agathon, how forgetful I should be, replied Socrates, if after noticing your high and manly spirit as you stepped upon the platform with your troupe—how you sent a straight glance at that vast assembly to show that you meant to do yourself credit with your production, and how you were not dismayed in the slightest—if I should now suppose you could be flustered on account of a few fellows like us. Why, Socrates, said Agathon, I hope you do not always fancy me so puffed up with the playhouse as to forget that an intelligent speaker is more alarmed at a few men of wit than at a host of fools. No, Agathon, it would be wrong of me indeed, said Socrates, to associate you with any such clownish notion: I am quite sure that on finding yourself with a few persons whom you considered clever you would make more account of them than of the multitude. Yet we, perhaps, are the latter; for we were there, and among the crowd: but suppose you found yourself with other folk who were clever, you would probably feel ashamed that they should witness any shameful act you might feel yourself to be doing. Will you agree to that? Quite true, he said. Whereas before the multitude you would not be ashamed if you felt you were doing anything shameful? Here Phaedrus interposed: My dear Agathon, if you go on answering Socrates he will be utterly indifferent to the fate of our present business, so long as he has some one to argue with, especially some one handsome. For my part, I enjoy listening to Socrates’ arguments; but I am responsible for our eulogy of Love, and must levy a speech from every one of you in turn. Let each of you two, then, give the god his meed before you have your argument. You are quite right, Phaedrus, said Agathon, and there is nothing to hinder my speaking; for I shall find many other occasions for arguing with Socrates.",
            "translator": "Benjamin Jowett",
            "edition": "perseus-plato-symposium-en",
            "source_id": "perseus-plato-symposium-en",
            "translation_type": "historical_human_translation"
        },
        {
            "language": "fr",
            "text": "[194a] — Tu t’es très-bien tiré d’affaire, Éryximaque, dit Socrate ; mais, si tu étais où j’en suis et où j’en serai plus encore quand Agathon aura parlé, tu tremblerais et serais tout aussi embarrassé que moi. — Tu veux donc, ô Socrate, dit Agathon, me jeter un sort, et me troubler l’esprit en me faisant croire que l’assemblée est dans l’attente, comme si je devais dire les plus belles choses. — J’aurais bien peu de mémoire, Agathon, reprit Socrate, [194b] si toi, que j’ai vu monter avec tant de fermeté sur la scène, environné des comédiens, et, regardant en face une si grande assemblée, réciter tes vers sans aucune émotion, j’allais croire que tu puisses te troubler pour quelques personnes comme nous ! — Ah ! je te prie, répondit Agathon, ne crois pas, Socrate, que je sois tellement enivré du théâtre, que j’ignore combien, pour un homme sensé, le jugement d’un petit nombre de sages est plus redoutable que celui d’une multitude de fous. [194c] — Je serais bien injuste si je doutais de ton bon goût ; je suis persuadé que si tu te trouvais avec un petit nombre de personnes qui te paraîtraient sages, tu les préférerais à la foule ; mais peut-être ne sommes-nous pas de ces sages ; car enfin nous étions aussi au théâtre et nous faisions partie de la foule. Mais supposé que tu te trouvasses avec d’autres qui fussent des sages, ne craindrais-tu pas de faire quelque chose qu’ils pussent désapprouver ? — Oui certainement, je le craindrais, répondit Agathon. — Et n’aurais-tu pas la même crainte vis-à-vis la foule ? reprit Socrate. [194d] — Là-dessus, Phèdre prit la parole, et dit : Mon cher Agathon, si tu continues de répondre à Socrate, il ne se mettra plus en peine du reste, pourvu qu’il ait avec qui causer, surtout si c’est quelqu’un qui ait de la beauté. Moi aussi j’aime à entendre Socrate ; mais c’est aujourd’hui un devoir pour moi de veiller à ce que l’Amour ne perde rien des louanges qui lui sont dues, et je dois demander à chacun de vous sa part. Quand vous aurez l’un et l’autre payé votre dette au dieu, vous pourrez causer tant qu’il voudra. [194e] — Tu as raison, Phèdre, reprit Agathon, et me voilà prêt à parler ; car aussi bien pourrai-je rentrer une autre fois en conversation avec Socrate. Je vais donc établir d’abord le plan de mon discours, et je commencerai. « Il me semble que ceux qui ont parlé jusqu’ici ont moins loué l’Amour que félicité les hommes du bonheur qu’il leur donne ; mais le dieu même",
            "translator": "Victor Cousin",
            "edition": "wikisource-cousin-symposium-fr-01",
            "source_id": "wikisource-cousin-symposium-fr-01",
            "translation_type": "historical_human_translation"
        }
    ],
    "content_checksum": "e9eac17989d8508ae4fab1118f7eb67efafa99729412592e48f6bf9ea96a4dd8"
}