ong　you　and　I　will　have　to　determine　who　bears　off　the　palm　of　wisdom…of　this　Dionysus　shall　be　the　judge；　but　at　present　you　are　better　occupied　with　supper。　　　Socrates　took　his　place　on　the　couch；　and　supped　with　the　rest；　and　then　libations　were　offered；　and　after　a　hymn　had　been　sung　to　the　god；　and　there　had　been　the　usual　ceremonies；　they　were　about　to　commence　drinking；　when　Pausanias　said；　And　now；　my　friends；　how　can　we　drink　with　least　injury　to　ourselves？　I　can　assure　you　that　I　feel　severely　the　effect　of　yesterday's　potations；　and　must　have　time　to　recover；　and　I　suspect　that　most　of　you　are　in　the　same　predicament；　for　you　were　of　the　party　yesterday。　Consider　then：　How　can　the　drinking　be　made　easiest？　　　I　entirely　agree；　said　Aristophanes；　that　we　should；　by　all　means；　avoid　hard　drinking；　for　I　was　myself　one　of　those　who　were　yesterday　drowned　in　drink。　　　I　think　that　you　are　right；　said　Eryximachus；　the　son　of　Acumenus；　but　I　should　still　like　to　hear　one　other　person　speak：　Is　Agathon　able　to　drink　hard？　　　I　am　not　equal　to　it；　said　Agathon。　　　Then；　the　Eryximachus；　the　weak　heads　like　myself；　Aristodemus；　Phaedrus；　and　others　who　never　can　drink；　are　fortunate　in　finding　that　the　stronger　ones　are　not　in　a　drinking　mood。　（I　do　not　include　Socrates；　who　is　able　either　to　drink　or　to　abstain；　and　will　not　mind；　whichever　we　do。）　Well；　as　of　none　of　the　company　seem　disposed　to　drink　much；　I　may　be　forgiven　for　saying；　as　a　physician；　that　drinking　deep　is　a　bad　practice；　which　I　never　follow；　if　I　can　help；　and　certainly　do　not　recommend　to　another；　least　of　all　to　any　one　who　still　feels　the　effects　of　yesterday's　carouse。　　　I　always　do　what　you　advise；　and　especially　what　you　prescribe　as　a　physician；　rejoined　Phaedrus　the　Myrrhinusian；　and　the　rest　of　the　company；　if　they　are　wise；　will　do　the　same。　　　It　was　agreed　that　drinking　was　not　to　be　the　order　of　the　day；　but　that　they　were　all　to　drink　only　so　much　as　they　pleased。　　　Then；　said　Eryximachus；　as　you　are　all　agreed　that　drinking　is　to　be　voluntary；　and　that　there　is　to　be　no　compulsion；　I　move；　in　the　next　place；　that　the　flute…girl；　who　has　just　made　her　appearance；　be　told　to　go　away　and　play　to　herself；　or；　if　she　likes；　to　the　women　who　are　within。　To…day　let　us　have　conversation　instead；　and；　if　you　will　allow　me；　I　will　tell　you　what　sort　of　conversation。　This　proposal　having　been　accepted；　Eryximachus　proceeded　as　follows：…　　　I　will　begin；　he　said；　after　the　manner　of　Melanippe　in　Euripides；
  Not　mine　the　word
  which　I　am　about　to　speak；　but　that　of　Phaedrus。　For　often　he　says　to　me　in　an　indignant　tone：　〃What　a　strange　thing　it　is；　Eryximachus；　that；　whereas　other　gods　have　poems　and　hymns　made　in　their　honour；　the　great　and　glorious　god；　Love；　has　no　encomiast　among　all　the　poets　who　are　so　many。　There　are　the　worthy　sophists　too…the　excellent　Prodicus　for　example；　who　have　descanted　in　prose　on　the　virtues　of　Heracles　and　other　heroes；　and；　what　is　still　more　extraordinary；　I　have　met　with　a　philosophical　work　in　which　the　utility　of　salt　has　been　made　the　theme　of　an　eloquent　discourse；　and　many　other　like　things　have　had　a　like　honour　bestowed　upon　them。　And　only　to　think　that　there　should　have　been　an　eager　interest　created　about　them；　and　yet　that　to　this　day　no　one　has　ever　dared　worthily　to　hymn　Love's　praises！　So　entirely　has　this　great　deity　been　neglected。〃　Now　in　this　Phaedrus　seems　to　me　to　be　quite　right；　and　therefore　I　want　to　offer　him　a　contribution；　also　I　think　that　at　the　present　moment　we　who　are　here　assembled　cannot　do　better　than　honour　the。　god　Love。　If　you　agree　with　me；　there　will　be　no　lack　of　conversation；　for　I　mean　to　propose　that　each　of　us　in　turn；　going　from　left　to　right；　shall　make　a　speech　in　honour　of　Love。　Let　him　give　us　the　best　which　he　can；　and　Phaedrus；　because　he　is　sitting　first　on　the　left　hand；　and　because　he　is　the　father　of　the　thought；　shall　begin。　　　No　one　will　vote　against　you；　Eryximachus；　said　Socrates。　How　can　I　oppose　your　motion；　who　profess　to　understand　nothing　but　matters　of　love；　nor；　I　presume；　will　Agathon　and　Pausanias；　and　there　can　be　no　doubt　of　Aristophanes；　whose　whole　concern　is　with　Dionysus　and　Aphrodite；　nor　will　any　one　disagree　of　those　whom　I；　see　around　me。　The　proposal；　as　I　am　aware；　may　seem　rather　hard　upon　us　whose　place　is　last；　but　we　shall　be　contented　if　we　hear　some　good　speeches　first。　Let　Phaedrus　begin　the　praise　of　Love；　and　good　luck　to　him。　All　the　company　expressed　their　assent；　and　desired　him　to　do　as　Socrates　bade　him。　　　Aristodemus　did　not　recollect　all　that　was　said；　nor　do　I　recollect　all　that　he　related　to　me；　but　I　will　tell　you　what　I　thought　most　worthy　of　remembrance；　and　what　the　chief　speakers　said。　　　Phaedrus　began　by　affirming　that　love　is　a　mighty　god；　and　wonderful　among　gods　and　men；　but　especially　wonderful　in　his　birth。　For　he　is　the　eldest　of　the　gods；　which　is　an　honour　to　him；　and　a　proof　of　his　claim　to　this　honour　is；　that　of　his　parents　there　is　no　memorial；　neither　poet　nor　prose…writer　has　ever　affirmed　that　he　had　any。　As　Hesiod　says：
  First　Chaos　came；　and　then　broad…bosomed　Earth；　　　　　　The　everlasting　seat　of　all　that　is；　　　　　　And　Love。
  In　other　words；　after　Chaos；　the　Earth　and　Love；　these　two；　came　into　being。　Also　Parmenides　sings　of　Generation：
  First　in　the　train　of　gods；　he　fashioned　Love。
  And　Acusilaus　agrees　with　Hesiod。　Thus　numerous　are　the　witnesses　who　acknowledge　Love　to　be　the　eldest　of　the　gods。　And　not　only　is　he　the　eldest；　he　is　also　the　source　of　the　greatest　benefits　to　us。　For　I　know　not　any　greater　blessing　to　a　young　man　who　is　beginning　life　than　a　virtuous　lover　or　to　the　lover　than　a　beloved　youth。　For　the　principle　which　ought　to　be　the　guide　of　men　who　would　nobly　live　at　principle；　I　say；　neither　kindred；　nor　honour；　nor　wealth；　nor　any　other　motive　is　able　to　implant　so　well　as　love。　Of　what　am　I　speaking？　Of　the　sense　of　honour　and　dishonour；　without　which　neither　states　nor　individuals　ever　do　any　good　or　great　work。　And　I　say　that　a　lover　who　is　detected　in　doing　any　dishonourable　act；　or　submitting　through　cowardice　when　any　dishonour　is　done　to　him　by　another；　will　be　more　pained　at　being　detected　by　his　beloved　than　at　being　seen　by　his　father；　or　by　his　companions；　or　by　any　one　else。　The　beloved　too；　when　he　is　found　in　any　disgraceful　situation；　has　the　same　feeling　about　his　lover。　And　if　there　were　only　some　way　of　contriving　that　a　state　or　an　army　should　be　made　up　of　lovers　and　their　loves；　they　would　be　the　very　best　governors　of　their　own　city；　abstaining　from　all　dishonour；　and　emulating　one　another　in　honour；　and　when　fighting　at　each　other's　side；　although　a　mere　handful；　they　would　overcome　the　world。　For　what　lover　would　not　choose　rather　to　be　seen　by　all　mankind　than　by　his　beloved；　either　when　abandoning　his　post　or　throwing　away　his　arms？　He　would　be　ready　to　die　a　thousand　deaths　rather　than　endure　this。　Or　who　would　desert　his　beloved　or　fail　him　in　the　hour　of　danger？　The　veriest　coward　would　become　an　inspired　hero；　equal　to　the　bravest；　at　such　a　time；　Love　would　inspire　him。　That　courage　which；　as　Homer　says；　the　god　breathes　into　the　souls　of　some　heroes；　Love　of　his　own　nature　infuses　into　the　lover。　　　Love　will　make　men　dare　to　die　for　their　beloved…love　alone；　and　women　as　well　as　men。　Of　this；　Alcestis；　the　daughter　of　Pelias；　is　a　monument　to　all　Hellas；　for　she　was　willing　to　lay　down　her　life　on　behalf　of　her　husband；　when　no　one　else　would；　although　he　had　a　father　and　mother；　but　the　tenderness　of　her　love　so　far　exceeded　theirs；　that　she　made　them　seem　to　be　strangers　in　blood　to　their　own　son；　and　in　name　only　related　to　him；　and　so　noble　did　this　action　of　hers　appear　to　the　gods；　as　well　as　to　men；　that　among　the　many　who　have　done　virtuously　she　is　one　of　the　very　few　to　whom；　in　admiration　of　her　noble　action；　they　have　granted　the　privilege　of　returning　alive　to　earth；　such　exceeding　honour　is　paid　by　the　gods　to　the　devotion　and　virtue　of　love。　But　Orpheus；　the　son　of　Oeagrus；　the　harper；　they　sent　empty　away；　and　presented　to　him　an　apparition　only　of　her　whom　he　sought；　but　herself　they　would　not　give　up；　because　he　showed　no　spirit；　he　was　only　a　harp…player；　and　did　not…dare　like　Alcestis　to　die　for　love；　but　was　contriving　how　he　might　enter　hades　alive；　moreover；　they　afterwards　caused　him　to　suffer　death　at　the　hands　of　women；　as　the　punishment　of　his　cowardliness。　Very　different　was　the　reward　of　the　true　love　of　Achilles　towards　his　lover　Patroclus…his　lover　and　not　his　love　（the　notion　that　Patroclus　was　the　beloved　one　is　a　foolish　error　into　which　Aeschylus　has　fallen；　for　Achilles　was　surely　the　fairer　of　the　two；　fairer　also　than　all　the　other　heroes；　and；　as　Homer　informs　us；　he　was　still　beardless；　and　younger　far）。　And　greatly　as　the　gods　honour　the　virtue　of　love；　still　the　return　of　love　on　the　part　of　the　beloved　to　the　lover　is　more　admired　and　valued　and　rewarded　by　them；　for　the　lover　is　more　divine；　because　he　is　inspired　by　God。　Now　Achilles　was　quite　aware；　for　he　had　been　told　by　his　mother；　that　he　might　avoid　death　and　return　home；　and　live　to　a　good　old　age；　if　he　abstained　from