The frame, and Socrates arriving late

Apollodorus is on his way into Athens when a friend stops him to ask about the famous evening at Agathon's — the one with Socrates, Alcibiades, and the speeches on love. Apollodorus says he has the story by heart; he heard it from Aristodemus, the small barefoot man who was actually there. He warns his friend that he is, by general consensus, slightly mad on the subject of Socrates. Then he begins.

Aristodemus, he says, ran into Socrates on the road one day, freshly bathed and in his good sandals — both unusual. Socrates explained he was on his way to Agathon's, who was celebrating his prize at the Lenaia. Why so well-dressed? To be a beautiful man among beautiful men, Socrates said. He invited Aristodemus to come along uninvited. Then, halfway to Agathon's house, Socrates fell quiet, stopped on a neighbor's porch, and would not move. Aristodemus walked on alone. Agathon welcomed him gracefully and sent a slave to fetch Socrates. The slave came back saying Socrates was standing motionless and refused to be disturbed. Leave him, Agathon said. He does this. Dinner began.

Halfway through the meal Socrates appeared, took the couch beside Agathon, and the two traded compliments about whose wisdom was the greater. After dinner the men considered how heavily to drink — most, Eryximachus among them, were still hung over from the night before. Pausanias suggested a light night. Eryximachus seconded it and proposed they send the flute-girl away and entertain themselves differently: each man, in turn, will deliver the finest speech he can in praise of Eros. Phaedrus, says Eryximachus, has been complaining for weeks that no one writes hymns to Love. Tonight they will fix that. The proposal is accepted.