Alcibiades

up his speech and the group was applauding him, a noise came from outside and this was Alcibiades. Alcibiades is drunk and everyone there wants Alcibiades to stay after he said he wanted to join. He sits next to Socrates and Agathon on the couch which separates the two of them. Alcibiades then notices Socrates is on the same couch as Agathon, the most beautiful person in the room and Socrates says that Alcibiades is jealous. The conversation then leads to everyone wanting him to speak about…

raised by this piece of text. Alcibiades and Thucydides both experienced exile from Athens, which allows Alcibiades to communicate with Sparta, and allows Thucydides to gain eyewitnesses and accounts from both sides. The text is a speech within Thucydides by Alcibiades to the Spartans. This speech Alcibiades is urging the Spartans to send troops to help the Syracuse and invade the territory belonging to the Athenians. One of the features of this speech is Alcibiades giving the Spartans advice…

As discussed in the Symposium, individuals have different interpretations of erotic love. Aristophanes and Alcibiades define erotic love as longing for another being which an individual is drawn to. Both these men yearn for love in the idea of another figure in their life. Alcibiades yearned for the Socrates, whereas Aristophanes yearned to find his “matching half” (Plato, pg. 19). Both want to achieve a sense of completeness in their lives, because of these yearning faults are seen in their…

Alcibiades’ speech in Plato’s Symposium is a digression from the previous speakers’ because he illustrates a personal instance in which eros (love) is and is not felt, whereas the previous speakers defined it. Additionally, he shows eros as not always beneficial. His unrequited love for Socrates proves that it is not always a mutual emotion and can have a detrimental impact, unlike the other speeches which portray love as a beneficial force for both lovers and society. However, it would be…

Alcibiades’ speech can be understood as a confession of deep love of a young admirer for an esteemed Greek philosopher in the form of several accountable praises. The reasons of this love have been dispersed throughout the speech, giving us glimpses of the consistent perception he held of Socrates. The continuity in this monologue serves as a connection between their varying audiences which is the foundation for this essay. This writing deals with organizing and categorising the different causes…

and Alcibiades share a common pursuit of wholeness through the physical form. Aristophanes uses a tale of traditional Greek mythology which teaches humans were once whole, but as punishment humans were separated into two beings and given the life purpose of finding the other half. Furthermore, Alcibiades contributes to Aristophanes description of love by telling his own life story of being unable to find his other half and describing himself as enslaved to love. Aristophanes and Alcibiades both…

The most thought provoking text for me this semester was the chapter on Alcibiades from Plutarch’s Lives. From reading about, and discussing, the life of the ancient Greek war-hero, I was provoked to question what people look for in their leader, and what exactly makes a leader “good”. To spare no sentiment, Alcibiades, by today’s standards, appears to be downright crazy. He frequently was involved in physical altercations in which he would intentional injury others, often times without being…

scheme plotted to discourage the Sicilian expedition and to subvert Athen’s democracy. For this reason, many accused Alcibiades, whom was a rising political figure known for his undemocratic character and habits to be the main perpetrator behind this scandal. However, this bold accusation is far from logical for several reasons. First, by examining Thucydides’ writings, Alcibiades was a strong advocate for the Sicilian expedition and it would be contradictory to create a bad omen against this…

the Wars, is Alcibiades. He influenced multiple people and was highly appreciated in numerous nations, giving him a wide berth for manipulation of important figures to cater to his own plans. Involved in the Peloponnesian conflict since the battle involving Potidaea, Alcibiades’ ideas were respected among influential persons; given the fact that he had been brought up by esteemed member of society, Socrates (Krentz, 2003). Showing his political strength in Athenian court, Alcibiades overruled…

rungs of the ladder leading to the knowledge of Beauty Itself, because they were tainted by human flesh and mortality. Before, in Diotima’s speech, Beauty was defined as good, in itself and by itself, alone, endless, and whole (Plato, 211b). In Alcibiades’ speech, he drunkenly admits he fell in love with Socrates’ wisdom and suggests that Socrates is the Beauty Diotima had previously expressed. He suggests that Socrates has been holding onto his wisdom, faking ignorance, which makes his whole…