Symposium.
Socrates, Alcibiades, Agathon.
^94 Sym- posium. Socrates, Alcibiades, Agatiion. Another band of revellers enters, and the com- pany drink largely, the wiser part withdraw- On the following morning Socrates is still awake, and is maintain- ing the thesis that the genius of comedy is the same as that of tragedy. l^ke breaking tip of the banquet. turn ought to praise my neighbour on the right, he will be out of order in praising me again when he ought rather to be praised by me, and I must entreat you to consent to this, and not be jealous, for I have a great desire to praise the youth. 223 Hurrah ! cried Agathon, I will rise instantly, that I may be praised by Socrates. The usual way, said Alcibiades ; where Socrates is, no one else has any chance with the fair ; and now how readily has he invented^ a specious reason for attracting Agathon to himself. Agathon arose in order that he might take his place on the couch by Socrates, when suddenly a band of revellers entered, and spoiled the order of the banquet. ' Some one who was going out having left the door open, they had found their way in, and made themselves at home ; great con- fusion ensued, and every one was compelled to drink large quantities of wine. Aristodemus said that Eryximachus, Phaedrus, and others went away — he himself fell asleep, and as the nights were long took a good rest : he was awakened towards daybreak by a crowing of cocks, and when he awoke, the others were either asleep, or had gone away; there remained only Socrates, Aristophanes, and Agathon, who were drinking out of a large goblet which they passed round, and Socrates was discoursing to them. Aristodemus was only half awake, and he did not hear the beginning of the discourse ; the chief thing which he remembered was Socrates compelling the other two to acknowledge that the genius of comedy was the same with that of tragedy, and that the true artist in tragedy was an artist in comedy also. To this they were constrained to assent, being drowsy, and not quite following the argument. And first of all Aristophanes dropped off, then, when the day was already dawning, Aga- thon. Socrates, having laid them to sleep, rose to depart ; Aristodemus, as his manner was, following him. At the Ly- ceum he took a bath, and passed the day as usual. In the evening he retired to rest at his own home.
