The Symposium
Translated by Henry Graham Dakyns
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The opening
I
For myself, I hold to the opinion that not alone are the serious transactions of “good and noble men” most memorable, but that words and deeds distinctive of their lighter moods may claim some record. In proof of which contention, I will here describe a set of incidents within the scope of my experience.
The occasion was a horse-race at the great Panathenaic festival. Callias, the son of Hipponicus, being a friend and lover of the boy Autolycus, had brought the lad, himself the winner of the pankration, to see the spectacle.
As soon as the horse race was over, Callias proceeded to escort Autolycus and his father, Lycon, to his house in the Piraeus, being attended also by Niceratus. But catching sight of Socrates along with certain others (Critobulus, Hermogenes, Antisthenes, and Charmides), he bade an attendant conduct the party with Autolycus, whilst he himself approached the group, exclaiming:
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About this edition
- The words
- Henry Graham Dakyns's English translation, copied word for word.
- Copied from
- Left out
- The source library's header, footer and license, in 4 places
- The title page and opening pages before chapter 1
- Notes and pages added by translators, editors or publishers, in 5 places