From the book
Symposium
Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordThe verbs trace physical-looking movements that make the generation analogy vivid.
- In the SymposiumBeauty prompts a gracious, joyful opening and birth; ugliness prompts coiling, aversion and painful retention.
- Reading contextBeauty prompts a gracious, joyful opening and birth; ugliness prompts coiling, aversion and painful retention.
- A place to readThe contrasting sequences explain productive release and blocked generation.
Meaning
The verbs trace physical-looking movements that make the generation analogy vivid.
Use in the book
Beauty prompts a gracious, joyful opening and birth; ugliness prompts coiling, aversion and painful retention. The contrast explains why the pregnant subject is so excited about beauty. These are the subject’s reactions to the condition of birth, not actions performed by the conceived child. The subsequent psychic application makes their figurative force clear.
Places to read
- 206d–206eThe contrasting sequences explain productive release and blocked generation.
ἀνείλλεται (aneilletai)
aneilletai — Printed middle form: shrinks back or draws itself in, accompanying aversion to ugliness.
- 206d — ἀνείλλεται. Recoil accompanies turning away and failure to beget.
Read: Approach and recoil.
διαχέω (diacheō)
diacheō — To spread or melt; in the middle, to open or relax with gladness.
- 206d — διαχεῖται. Glad release precedes giving birth.
Read: Approach and recoil.
προσπελάζω (prospelazō)
prospelazō — To draw near or approach.
- 206d — προσπελάζῃ. The pregnant subject approaches what is beautiful.
Read: Approach and recoil.
συσπειρᾶται (syspeiratai)
syspeiratai — Printed middle form: coils or draws itself together in a reaction of distress.
- 206d — συσπειρᾶται. The pregnant subject contracts in distress before ugliness.
Read: Approach and recoil.