Symposium

whether it is enough for you if you obtain this.’ We know that, hearing this, not even one would deny it or show that he wants anything else, but he would simply think he had heard what he had after all long desired: to come together and be fused with the beloved, and from two to become one. For this is the cause: that this was our ancient nature, and we were whole. So to the desire 193a and pursuit of the whole, love is the name. And before, as I say, we were one; but now, because of our injustice, we have been broken up by the god, as the Arcadians were by the Lacedaemonians.¹ So there is fear that, if we are not orderly toward the gods, we may be split apart once more, and go about like those carved in relief in profile on the steles, sawn through along the nose, become like halved dice.² But for these reasons every man must urge every man to be pious toward the 193b gods, so that we may escape the one and obtain the other, with Love as our leader and general. Let no one act against him — and whoever is hateful to the gods acts against him — for by becoming friends and being reconciled with the god we shall discover and meet with our own darlings, which few of those now living do. And let Eryximachus not suppose, please, making comedy of the speech, that it is Pausanias and Agathon I mean³ — 193c for perhaps they too are in fact of that number, and both are male by nature — but in any case I for my part speak of all, both men and women: that our race would become happy in this way, if we brought love to completion and each obtained his own darling, going back to his ancient nature. And if this is best, then of things as they now stand, what comes nearest to it must also be best; and this is to obtain a darling