symposium   

words in those parts, and therefore the lovers do not like the trouble

of pleading their suit. In Ionia and other places, and generally in

countries which are subject to the barbarians, the custom is held to

be dishonourable; loves of youths share the evil repute in which

philosophy and gymnastics are held because they are inimical to

tyranny; for the interests of rulers require that their subjects

should be poor in spirit and that there should be no strong bond of

friendship or society among them, which love, above all other motives,

is likely to inspire, as our Athenian tyrants-learned by experience;

for the love of Aristogeiton and the constancy of Harmodius had

strength which undid their power. And, therefore, the ill-repute

into which these attachments have fallen is to be ascribed to the evil

condition of those who make them to be ill-reputed; that is to say, to

the self-seeking of the governors and the cowardice of the governed;

on the other hand, the indiscriminate honour which is given to them in

some countries is attributable to the laziness of those who hold

this opinion of them. In our own country a far better principle

prevails, but, as I was saying, the explanation of it is rather

perplexing. For, observe that open loves are held to be more

honourable than secret ones, and that the love of the noblest and

highest, even if their persons are less beautiful than others, is

especially honourable.

Consider, too, how great is the encouragement which all the world

gives to the lover; neither is he supposed to be doing anything

dishonourable; but if he succeeds he is praised, and if he fail he

is blamed. And in the pursuit of his love the custom of mankind allows

him to do many strange things, which philosophy would bitterly censure

if they were done from any motive of interest, or wish for office or

power. He may pray, and entreat, and supplicate, and swear, and lie on

a mat at the door, and endure a slavery worse than that of any

slave-in any other case friends and enemies would be equally ready

to prevent him, but now there is no friend who will be ashamed of