Folio Society: Symposium by Plato

The Symposium is a philosophical text by Plato dated c. 385-370 BC. It concerns itself at one level with the genesis, purpose and nature of love, and (in latter-day interpretations) is the origin of the concept of Platonic love. Love is examined in a sequence of speeches by men attending a symposium, or drinking party. Each man must deliver an encomium, a speech in praise of Love . Plato’s meditation on passionate love, or the Greek eros, is both pivotal to our understanding of his wider philosophy and one of Ancient Greece's greatest and most beautiful literary triumphs. Translated by Tom Griffiths.