Symposium.
Glaucon, Apollodorus.
indistinct indeed, if you imagine that the occasion was
recent ; or that I could have been of the party.
Why, yes, he replied, I thought so.
Impossible : I said. Are you ignorant that for many years
Agathon has not resided at Athens ; and not three have
elapsed since 1 became acquainted with Socrates, and have
made it my daily business to know all that he says and does. 173
There was a time when I was running about the world,
fancying myself to be well employed, but I was really a most
wretched being, no better than you are now. I thought that
I ought to do anything rather than be a philosopher.
Well, he said, jesting apart, tell me when the meeting
occurred.
The banquet took place many years ago when Agathon won his first prize. In our boyhood, I replied, when Agathon won the prize with his first tragedy, on the day after that on which he and his chorus offered the sacrifice of victory.
Then it must have been a long while ago, he said ; and who told you — did Socrates ?
The speeches had been preserved by Aristodemus. No indeed, I replied, but the same person who told Phoenix ; — he was a little fellow, who never wore any shoes, Aristodemus, of the deme of Cydathenaeum. He had been at Agathon's feast ; and I think that in those days there was no one who was a more devoted admirer of Socrates. Moreover, I have asked Socrates about the truth of some parts of his narrative, and he confirmed them. Then, said Glaucon, let us have the tale over again ; is not the road to Athens just made for conversation ? And so we walked, and talked of the discourses on love ; and therefore, as I said at first, I am not ill-prepared to comply with your request, and will have another rehearsal of them if you like. For to speak or to hear others speak of philosophy always gives me the greatest pleasure, to say nothing of the profit. But when I hear another strain, especially that of you rich men and traders, such conversation displeases me ; and I pity you who are my companions, because you think that you are doing something when in reality you are doing nothing. And I dare say that you pity me in return, whom you regard as an unhappy creature, and very probably you are right. But I certainly know of you what you only think of me — there is the difference.
