We now enter the narrative itself. There is first the famous and enigmatic trance which seizes Socrates at the front porch. We know it means something significant, yet we are for the time being denied all intent to interpret what the trance means as we are led with Appolodorus into Agathon’s house: we are still in this world and not yet ready to partake of things divine. Once all have entered Agathon’s house and reclined on their couch, the protagonists agree to dismiss the flute-player. The six orators, including Socrates, are now confined among themselves in a closed space: something important is about to take place. The flute-girl symbolizes the outside, chaotic world of passions being chased out and away from the inner confines of the soul as it is about to enter the mysteries of Love. The enclosed room is also the image of the well-ordered State safe within its walls and governed by just and temperate laws in which chaos has no part, leaving the citizens free to actualize the polis. We may even go as far as seeing in this assembly, to say something bold, an anticipation of the Church, an assembly of faithful who, through their gathering at a ritual feast, meet the divine Logos, creator of all things, Love itself. Wine, the cause of drunkeness, is for that reason consumed very moderately, if at all, and only reindulged in again at the end, when everything is thrown into confusion by the entrance of a band of revellers. The setting is now in good order with no unruly passion left. (1)
LIBRARY
HOMER
HESIOD
ORPHICA
ARCHILOCHUS
SAPPHO
ALCAEUS
ANAXIMANDER
XENOPHANES
HERACLITUS
PARMENIDES
EMPEDOCLES
ANAXAGORAS
AESCHYLUS
SOPHOCLES
EURIPIDES
THUCYDIDES
HERODOTUS
ARISTOPHANES
PLATO
ARISTOTLE
HESIOD
ORPHICA
ARCHILOCHUS
SAPPHO
ALCAEUS
ANAXIMANDER
XENOPHANES
HERACLITUS
PARMENIDES
EMPEDOCLES
ANAXAGORAS
AESCHYLUS
SOPHOCLES
EURIPIDES
THUCYDIDES
HERODOTUS
ARISTOPHANES
PLATO
ARISTOTLE
PHILO
EPISTLE TO DIOGNETUS
IGNATIUS THEOPHORUS
CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
ORIGEN
PLOTINUS
ATHANASIUS THE GREAT
GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN
BASIL THE GREAT
GREGORY OF NYSSA
MACARIUS THE GREAT
ECUMENICAL SYNODS : THESYMBOL OF FAITH
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA
PROCLUS
ROMANOS MELODOS
DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE
MAXIMUS CONFESSOR
PETER DAMASCENE
SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN
GREGORY PALAMAS
NICHOLAS CABASILAS
MANUEL II PALAEOLOGUS
GENNADIUS SCHOLARIUS
DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS
CAVAFY
PAPATSONIS
EPISTLE TO DIOGNETUS
IGNATIUS THEOPHORUS
CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
ORIGEN
PLOTINUS
ATHANASIUS THE GREAT
GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN
BASIL THE GREAT
GREGORY OF NYSSA
MACARIUS THE GREAT
ECUMENICAL SYNODS : THESYMBOL OF FAITH
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA
PROCLUS
ROMANOS MELODOS
DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE
MAXIMUS CONFESSOR
PETER DAMASCENE
SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN
GREGORY PALAMAS
NICHOLAS CABASILAS
MANUEL II PALAEOLOGUS
GENNADIUS SCHOLARIUS
DIONYSIOS SOLOMOS
CAVAFY
PAPATSONIS
© 2022 ELLOPOS