Symposium

not infected with human flesh and colours and much other mortal nonsense, but if he could catch sight of the divine beautiful itself, single in form? Do you think,’ she said, ‘that it is a paltry life 212a that a human being comes to have who looks there and beholds that with what he must,¹ and is with it? Or do you not reflect,’ she said, ‘that there alone it will befall him, seeing with that by which the beautiful is visible, to give birth not to images of virtue, since it is not an image he is touching, but to true virtue, since he is touching the true; and that to him who has given birth to true virtue and nurtured it, it belongs to become loved by the gods, and, if to any other human being, to him too to become immortal?’

212b“These things, then, Phaedrus and you others, Diotima said, and I am persuaded; and being persuaded I try to persuade the others too that for this possession one would not easily get a better fellow-worker for human nature than Love. That is why I for my part say that every man must honour Love, and I myself honour matters of love and exercise myself in them exceptionally, and I urge the others to do so; and now and always I make an encomium of the power and courage of Love as far as I am able. This 212c speech, then, Phaedrus, if you want, hold it spoken as an encomium of Love; if not, whatever you delight in naming it, and however, name it that.”

When Socrates had said this, the others praised him, but Aristophanes tried to say something, because Socrates in speaking had mentioned him about his speech;² and suddenly³ the courtyard door, being knocked on, made a great noise, as of revellers, and they heard the voice of a pipe-girl. So Agathon said, “Boys, 212d won’t you look? And if it is one of our intimates, call him in; if not, say that we are not drinking but are already going to rest.”