Συμπόσιον : ή περί έρωτος

At a convivial banquet several attendees offer a sequence of speeches that praise and probe the nature of erotic desire, using myth, ethical distinctions, medical and musical analogies, and comic invention. Each address presents a distinct conception of love, progressing from private valorization and social norms toward broader claims about harmony, desire, and the good. The account is framed as a later retelling, which lends a reflective, oral quality to the dialogue. The sequence culminates in a philosophical interrogation that reframes eros as a motivating force linked to the pursuit of beauty and the ascent toward intellectual understanding.