symposium   

supper.

Socrates took his place on the couch, and supped with the rest;

and then libations were offered, and after a hymn had been sung to the

god, and there had been the usual ceremonies, they were about to

commence drinking, when Pausanias said, And now, my friends, how can

we drink with least injury to ourselves? I can assure you that I

feel severely the effect of yesterday's potations, and must have

time to recover; and I suspect that most of you are in the same

predicament, for you were of the party yesterday. Consider then: How

can the drinking be made easiest?

I entirely agree, said Aristophanes, that we should, by all means,

avoid hard drinking, for I was myself one of those who were

yesterday drowned in drink.

I think that you are right, said Eryximachus, the son of Acumenus;

but I should still like to hear one other person speak: Is Agathon

able to drink hard?

I am not equal to it, said Agathon.

Then, the Eryximachus, the weak heads like myself, Aristodemus,

Phaedrus, and others who never can drink, are fortunate in finding

that the stronger ones are not in a drinking mood. (I do not include

Socrates, who is able either to drink or to abstain, and will not

mind, whichever we do.) Well, as of none of the company seem

disposed to drink much, I may be forgiven for saying, as a

physician, that drinking deep is a bad practice, which I never follow,

if I can help, and certainly do not recommend to another, least of all

to any one who still feels the effects of yesterday's carouse.

I always do what you advise, and especially what you prescribe as

a physician, rejoined Phaedrus the Myrrhinusian, and the rest of the

company, if they are wise, will do the same.

It was agreed that drinking was not to be the order of the day,

but that they were all to drink only so much as they pleased.

Then, said Eryximachus, as you are all agreed that drinking is to be