2 h 34 minAudiobook2 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What makes someone worth loving: a beautiful face, a fine character, or the way they help us live?
In Xenophon’s The Symposium, Callias hosts a dinner to honour Autolycus, a young athlete celebrating a victory. Socrates arrives with companions, and a visiting showman brings music, dancing, and acrobatics. Entertainment gives way to conversation as the guests explain what makes them proud, from wealth and beauty to poverty and the ability to improve others.
Each answer invites teasing—and a closer look. Critobulus takes pride in his beauty, while Antisthenes finds wealth in having enough within himself. As love becomes the evening’s central concern, Socrates examines Callias’s attachment to Autolycus. His playful questions draw a distinction between desire for a body and affection for a person’s character.
What you’ll discover
- Socrates in playful company Meet a Socrates whose jokes bring serious questions into an evening of shared entertainment.
- Pride under gentle scrutiny Follow the guests as their proudest claims become invitations to teasing and examination.
- Beauty put to the test Join Critobulus’s comic debate about attraction and what good looks can actually accomplish.
- Wealth without a fortune Consider Antisthenes’s claim that true wealth means having enough within yourself, rather than owning more.
- Love that values character Explore affection that asks both people to become better, not merely admire each other.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy lively dinner-table conversation, ancient Greek social life, and philosophy carried by jokes rather than long formal speeches.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
Who’s who
- SocratesHe joins the entertainment and uses playful questions to examine beauty, pride, friendship, and love.
- CalliasThe wealthy host admires Autolycus and becomes the focus of Socrates’ discussion of worthy love.
- AutolycusThe young athlete’s victory occasions the dinner, while his beauty and character attract the company’s attention.
- AntisthenesHe argues that true wealth lies in having enough within oneself, not in possessing a large fortune.
- CritobulusHis pride in his beauty prompts comic debate about attraction and the power of good looks.
- Love and friendshipSocrates argues that affection should value character and encourage both people to live better.
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- 15-minute summary
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- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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El banquete
by Jenofonte
What makes someone worth loving: a beautiful face, a fine character, or the way they help us live?
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From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 5
Callias, a wealthy Athenian, holds a dinner in honour of Autolycus, a young athlete celebrating a victory. Socrates joins the company with several companions. Autolycus attends with his father, Lycon, and his beauty draws the guests’ attention. The gathering begins with the pleasures of a festive evening: food, company, and the presence of someone everyone admires.
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Is Xenophon’s Symposium the same as Plato’s Symposium?
No. Both works place Socrates at a drinking party and discuss love, but they present different gatherings and conversations. Xenophon gives more space to entertainment, teasing, and the guests’ personal claims about what makes them admirable.
What does symposium mean in this book?
A symposium is a social gathering associated with drinking after dinner in ancient Greece. In Xenophon’s work, the guests enjoy performers, jokes, and conversation. The setting lets serious questions about character and love arise within an evening of shared pleasure.
What does Socrates say about love in Xenophon’s Symposium?
Socrates distinguishes attraction to someone’s body from love of their character. He argues that affection grounded in character can support lasting friendship. A good lover should care about the beloved’s conduct and growth, not simply seek satisfaction for himself.
The author
Xenophon
430 BC–353 BC · Ancient Greek historian and philosopher
Greek philosopher, historian, and soldier.
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