Xenophon’s symposium

Unlike Xenophon's other Socratic works, Symposium is not presented as a work about Socrates. The narrator explains the purpose of the work by saying that it is worthwhile to record not only the serious but also the light-hearted behavior of kaloikagathoi, a term that refers to men of good character and taste and is often translated “gentlemen.” Eleven adult men attend the dinner party hosted by Callias, a wealthy and good-looking man of about twenty-eight, in honor of Autolycus, a beautiful and accomplished younger man of about eighteen, victor in the pancration in 422 BC. In addition to enjoying the wit and wisdom of the participants, we are able to learn something from them about kalokagathia, a combination of personal quality and social grace. In this sense the work is a guide to good etiquette, offering both illustrations of good etiquette and numerous comments on it. It turns out that Socrates is the truest gentleman at the party (see 9.1) and a master of good etiquette, so the work does turn out to be about Socrates. His role begins small but gradually expands until he is by far the dominant figure, offering no less than four lengthy disquisitions in chapters 4, 5, 7, and 8 and dominating chapter 6 as well. He does not speak here as much as he does in the other Socratic works of Xenophon, but he does speak more than anyone else, and what he has to say is worth more than what the others have to say. Callias does not make parties simply to pass the time; he has invited Autolycus because he has an erotic interest in him. But he pursues the young man in the right way, inviting him to an evening's entertainment together with his father and one Niceratus. He has arranged some formal entertainment: a jester named Philippus will show up pretending that he has not been invited, and a Syracusan impresario will bring a handsome young boy and two beautiful young girls to entertain the party with music, dance, acrobatic performances, and a short erotic skit. He has not, however, arranged for any other guests.