Symposium or Drinking Party

This new edition of Symposium by Plato offers both beginning readers and scholars a solid, reliable translation that remains faithful to the original text while being accessible to contemporary audiences.

In addition to the translation, the volume provides several aids to guide readers through this remarkable work:

A concise introduction sets the scene and conveys the tenor of the dialogue. It introduces readers to the main characters, offering a gloss on their backgrounds and comments on their roles in the dialogue. Additionally, it provides a list of basic points for readers to keep in mind as they read the work.

A thought-provoking interpretive essay presents reflections on the themes of the dialogue, with a particular focus on the dialogue as drama.

A select bibliography directs readers to both classic and contemporary works that are especially relevant to Symposium.

Two appendices are included: one with a line drawing that depicts the spatial layout and positioning of characters in the Symposium, and another with a chart illustrating the relation of the first six speeches to number, age, parentage, and the function of Eros.