Symposium
Symposium is a dialogue by Plato, written around 385–370 BC. It deals mainly with love and is one of Plato's most valued dialogues.
The dialogue recounts a banquet at the house of Agathon, where Socrates and the other guests agree to deliver speeches in praise of Eros.
The speakers offer contrasting accounts of love, culminating in Socrates’s account of Diotima’s teaching and its ascent from desire for an individual body toward an appreciation of beauty and wisdom.
Despite its brevity, the dialogue develops several distinct arguments and provides an accessible starting point for Plato’s use of dramatic conversation.
This edition of Plato's Symposium is based on the English translation by Benjamin Jowett.
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Public domain (US)·No sign-up·DRM-free·Real text, not scans
Copyright note. Symposium by Plato is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading Symposium in PDF or EPUB.
- Pages
- 76
- Reading time
- 2 hours 45 minutes
- Pace
- Intermediate
- First published
- 385
- Language
- Ancient Greek
- Downloads
- 3,910
1641 years later, still timely
Why Read Symposium in 2026?
A dinner party where each guest defines love. Playful, serious, and surprisingly humane—ideas you can test in conversation.
Today's connection
Use it to practice listening across styles: mythic, medical, comic, philosophical. The dialogue form lowers heat and raises clarity; friendship frames argument. Perfect for seminars and thoughtful nights.
Many voices, one theme
Different styles sharpen the question instead of blurring it.
From desire to vision
The ladder of love reframes growth.
Friendship as frame
Community makes hard talk possible.
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About the author
Plato
Dialogues that teach thinking; reason, myth, and civic life explored in living talk.
