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Wreaths and ribbons

στέφανος (stephanos); ταινία (tainia); κιττός (kittos); ἴον (ion)

Wreath and ribbons are separate parts of Alcibiades’ decoration.

From the book

Symposium

Plato · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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Orientation

At a Glance

  • The wordWreath and ribbons are separate parts of Alcibiades’ decoration.
  • In the SymposiumCrowning transfers the language of victory from Agathon’s recent tragic success to Socrates’ claimed constant victories in speech.
  • In this editionThe edition notes ivy’s Dionysiac association.
  • A place to readThe wreath, crowning intention, and obstructed sight explain Alcibiades’ arrival.

Meaning

Wreath and ribbons are separate parts of Alcibiades’ decoration. He brings the ribbons to crown Agathon and later uses some to crown Socrates.

Use in the book

Crowning transfers the language of victory from Agathon’s recent tragic success to Socrates’ claimed constant victories in speech. The ribbons also do practical narrative work: they block Alcibiades’ sight, so that he sits between Socrates and Agathon without seeing Socrates. Agathon later treats that placement as evidence of a deliberate attempt to separate them. The earlier visual obstruction prevents the later inference from being treated as an uncontested fact.

Places to read

  1. 212e–213bThe wreath, crowning intention, and obstructed sight explain Alcibiades’ arrival.
  2. 213eSocrates is crowned as an enduring victor in speech.
  3. 222d–eAgathon gives a later, interested interpretation of the seating.

Translation in this edition

The edition notes ivy’s Dionysiac association. The causal detail about sight is in the continuous narrative, and is more secure than any symbolic interpretation of the flowers.

ἴον (ion)

ion — A violet, here part of the wreath rather than a metaphorical bloom.

  • 212e — ἴων. The genitive plural specifies violets.

Read: Wreaths and ribbons.

κιττός (kittos)

kittos — Ivy, a material of the festive wreath.

  • 212e — κιττοῦ. Ivy is joined with violets in the description.

Read: Wreaths and ribbons.

στέφανος (stephanos)

stephanos — A wreath or crown; Alcibiades’ head is festally decorated on arrival.

  • 212e — στεφάνῳ. The wreath is thick with ivy and violets.

Read: Wreaths and ribbons.

ταινία (tainia)

tainia — A ribbon or fillet used in crowning.

  • 212e — ταινίας. Alcibiades brings many ribbons on his head.
  • 213a — ταινίας. The ribbons held before his eyes obstruct his view of Socrates.

Read: Wreaths and ribbons.