The Symposium — Reading Notes

The Chorus of Agreement

A striking structural feature of Xenophon's dialogue is the repeated choral response "Without a doubt" from the assembled company. This formula, used over a dozen times in the excerpted portion, creates a rhythmic call-and-response that mimics Socratic elenchus but with a lighter, almost comic tone. When Socrates asks whether a good go-between should make clients pleasing to one person or many, the company splits—some answer "Yes, of course, the largest number," while others maintain "Without a doubt." Socrates then declares the proposition agreed, pushing the argument forward. This device underscores the cooperative yet playful nature of the debate, distinguishing Xenophon's symposium from a more adversarial philosophical inquiry.

Socrates as Go-Between

In a central passage, Socrates defends the discredited art of the go-between by defining its duties through a series of agreed-upon steps: proper dress, modulated looks, and speech that can convey love or hate. He argues that a good go-between can make clients pleasing to the whole community, earning the title "arch-go-between." When he nominates Antisthenes as such a man, Antisthenes retorts, "What! are you going to pass on the business? will you devolve this art of yours on me as your successor, Socrates?" The exchange highlights Xenophon's interest in practical virtue and social skill, rather than abstract metaphysics. The dialogue moves swiftly, with Socrates using irony and self-deprecation to steer the conversation toward ethical self-improvement.

Prayers and Paradoxes

Xenophon peppers the symposium with witty paradoxes and allusions. One guest recalls hearing Socrates pray for "great store of corn and wine, but dearth of wits," a joke that inverts conventional piety. The translator's footnotes draw parallels to Ovid and Plato, but the humor remains grounded in the characters' personalities. The pace shifts between rapid-fire question-and-answer and longer speeches, as when Socrates compares the go-between's art to that of a teacher. These changes in tempo mirror the drinking party's evolving mood—from formal debate to relaxed banter. Readers should note how Xenophon uses these shifts to reveal character: Callias the host, Autolycus the silent beloved, and Antisthenes the sharp-tongued foil.

Xenophon's Symposium rewards attention to its conversational dynamics and the translator's careful annotations. Dakyns's edition includes bracketed Greek transliterations and references to classical sources, which illuminate the text's allusions without overwhelming the reader. To appreciate the work's distinctive voice, compare Socrates' method here with his portrayal in Plato or Aristophanes. The dialogue's brevity—just over 24,000 words—makes it an accessible entry into Xenophon's Socratic writings, but its layered ironies and competitive wit demand a second reading to catch every jest.

I finished Xenophon’s Symposium the other night and found myself smiling at how gently Socrates teases his friends about love. It stayed with me. Then I stumbled on Elements of metaphysics — Context and Discussion, and it felt like the same quiet pause before answering. Not heavy, just present.