Aristophanes.The two halves wander about longing after one another.
two parts of man, each desiring his other half, came together, Sym- and throwing their arms about one another, entwined in /""«'«• mutual embraces, longing to grow into one, they were on ^p^'^™^ the point of dying from hunger and self-neglect, because „. they did not like to do anything apart ; and when one of halves wan- the halves died and the other survived, the survivor sought another mate, man or woman as we call them, — being the after one sections of entire men or women, — and clung to that. They anot'ier- were being destroyed, when Zeus in pity of them invented a new plan : he turned the parts of generation round to the front, for this had not been always their position, and they sowed the seed no longer as hitherto like grasshoppers in the ground, but in one another ; and after the transposition the male generated in the female in order that by the mutual embraces of man and woman they might breed, and the race might continue ; or if man came to man they might be satisfied, and rest, and go their ways to the business of life : so ancient is the desire of one another which is implanted in us, reuniting our original nature, making one of two, and healing the state of man. Each of us when separated, having one side only, like a flat fish, is but the indenture of a man, and he is always looking for his other half. Men who are a Thecimrac- section of that double nature which was once called Andro- 'f^f^of^en and women gynous are lovers of women ; adulterers are generally of depend this breed, and also adulterous women who lust after men : "P°" '^^ . nature from the women who are a section of the woman do not care which they for men, but have female attachments ; the female companions w«re ori- are of this sort. But they who are a section of the male severed, follow the male, and while they are young, being slices of 192 the original man, they hang about men and embrace them, and they are themselves the best of boys and youths, because they have the most manly nature. Some indeed assert that they are shameless, but this is not true ; for they do not act thus from any want of shame, but because they are valiant and manly, and have a manly countenance, and they embrace that which is like them. And these when they grow up become our statesmen, and these only, which is a great proof of the truth of what I am saying. When they reach manhood they are lovers of youth, and are not naturally inclined to marry or beget children, — if at all, they do so
