of　diseases　on　animals　and　plants；　for　hoar…frost　and　hail　and　blight　spring　from　the　excesses　and　disorders　of　these　elements　of　love；　which　to　know　in　relation　to　the　revolutions　of　the　heavenly　bodies　and　the　seasons　of　the　year　is　termed　astronomy。　Furthermore　all　sacrifices　and　the　whole　province　of　divination；　which　is　the　art　of　communion　between　gods　and　men…these；　I　say；　are　concerned　with　the　preservation　of　the　good　and　the　cure　of　the　evil　love。　For　all　manner　of　impiety　is　likely　to　ensue　if；　instead　of　accepting　and　honouring　and　reverencing　the　harmonious　love　in　all　his　actions；　a　man　honours　the　other　love；　whether　in　his　feelings　towards　gods　or　parents；　towards　the　living　or　the　dead。　Wherefore　the　business　of　divination　is　to　see　to　these　loves　and　to　heal　them；　and　divination　is　the　peacemaker　of　gods　and　men；　working　by　a　knowledge　of　the　religious　or　irreligious　tendencies　which　exist　in　human　loves。　Such　is　the　great　and　mighty；　or　rather　omnipotent　force　of　love　in　general。　And　the　love；　more　especially；　which　is　concerned　with　the　good；　and　which　is　perfected　in　company　with　temperance　and　justice；　whether　among　gods　or　men；　has　the　greatest　power；　and　is　the　source　of　all　our　happiness　and　harmony；　and　makes　us　friends　with　the　gods　who　are　above　us；　and　with　one　another。　I　dare　say　that　I　too　have　omitted　several　things　which　might　be　said　in　praise　of　Love；　but　this　was　not　intentional；　and　you；　Aristophanes；　may　now　supply　the　omission　or　take　some　other　line　of　commendation；　for　I　perceive　that　you　are　rid　of　the　hiccough。　　　Yes；　said　Aristophanes；　who　followed；　the　hiccough　is　gone；　not；　however；　until　I　applied　the　sneezing；　and　I　wonder　whether　the　harmony　of　the　body　has　a　love　of　such　noises　and　ticklings；　for　I　no　sooner　applied　the　sneezing　than　I　was　cured。　　　Eryximachus　said：　Beware；　friend　Aristophanes；　although　you　are　going　to　speak；　you　are　making　fun　of　me；　and　I　shall　have　to　watch　and　see　whether　I　cannot　have　a　laugh　at　your　expense；　when　you　might　speak　in　peace。　　　You　are　right；　said　Aristophanes；　laughing。　I　will　unsay　my　words；　but　do　you　please　not　to　watch　me；　as　I　fear　that　in　the　speech　which　I　am　about　to　make；　instead　of　others　laughing　with　me；　which　is　to　the　manner　born　of　our　muse　and　would　be　all　the　better；　I　shall　only　be　laughed　at　by　them。　　　Do　you　expect　to　shoot　your　bolt　and　escape；　Aristophanes？　Well；　perhaps　if　you　are　very　careful　and　bear　in　mind　that　you　will　be　called　to　account；　I　may　be　induced　to　let　you　off。　　　Aristophanes　professed　to　open　another　vein　of　discourse；　he　had　a　mind　to　praise　Love　in　another　way；　unlike　that　either　of　Pausanias　or　Eryximachus。　Mankind；　he　said；　judging　by　their　neglect　of　him；　have　never；　as　I　think；　at　all　understood　the　power　of　Love。　For　if　they　had　understood　him　they　would　surely　have　built　noble　temples　and　altars；　and　offered　solemn　sacrifices　in　his　honour；　but　this　is　not　done；　and　most　certainly　ought　to　be　done：　since　of　all　the　gods　he　is　the　best　friend　of　men；　the　helper　and　the　healer　of　the　ills　which　are　the　great　impediment　to　the　happiness　of　the　race。　I　will　try　to　describe　his　power　to　you；　and　you　shall　teach　the　rest　of　the　world　what　I　am　teaching　you。　In　the　first　place；　let　me　treat　of　the　nature　of　man　and　what　has　happened　to　it；　for　the　original　human　nature　was　not　like　the　present；　but　different。　The　sexes　were　not　two　as　they　are　now；　but　originally　three　in　number；　there　was　man；　woman；　and　the　union　of　the　two；　having　a　name　corresponding　to　this　double　nature；　which　had　once　a　real　existence；　but　is　now　lost；　and　the　word　〃Androgynous〃　is　only　preserved　as　a　term　of　reproach。　In　the　second　place；　the　primeval　man　was　round；　his　back　and　sides　forming　a　circle；　and　he　had　four　hands　and　four　feet；　one　head　with　two　faces；　looking　opposite　ways；　set　on　a　round　neck　and　precisely　alike；　also　four　ears；　two　privy　members；　and　the　remainder　to　correspond。　He　could　walk　upright　as　men　now　do；　backwards　or　forwards　as　he　pleased；　and　he　could　also　roll　over　and　over　at　a　great　pace；　turning　on　his　four　hands　and　four　feet；　eight　in　all；　like　tumblers　going　over　and　over　with　their　legs　in　the　air；　this　was　when　he　wanted　to　run　fast。　Now　the　sexes　were　three；　and　such　as　I　have　described　them；　because　the　sun；　moon；　and　earth　are　three；…and　the　man　was　originally　the　child　of　the　sun；　the　woman　of　the　earth；　and　the　man…woman　of　the　moon；　which　is　made　up　of　sun　and　earth；　and　they　were　all　round　and　moved　round　and　round：　like　their　parents。　Terrible　was　their　might　and　strength；　and　the　thoughts　of　their　hearts　were　great；　and　they　made　an　attack　upon　the　gods；　of　them　is　told　the　tale　of　Otys　and　Ephialtes　who；　as　Homer　says；　dared　to　scale　heaven；　and　would　have　laid　hands　upon　the　gods。　Doubt　reigned　in　the　celestial　councils。　Should　they　kill　them　and　annihilate　the　race　with　thunderbolts；　as　they　had　done　the　giants；　then　there　would　be　an　end　of　the　sacrifices　and　worship　which　men　offered　to　them；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　the　gods　could　not　suffer　their　insolence　to　be　unrestrained。　　　At　last；　after　a　good　deal　of　reflection；　Zeus　discovered　a　way。　He　said：　〃Methinks　I　have　a　plan　which　will　humble　their　pride　and　improve　their　manners；　men　shall　continue　to　exist；　but　I　will　cut　them　in　two　and　then　they　will　be　diminished　in　strength　and　increased　in　numbers；　this　will　have　the　advantage　of　making　them　more　profitable　to　us。　They　shall　walk　upright　on　two　legs；　and　if　they　continue　insolent　and　will　not　be　quiet；　I　will　split　them　again　and　they　shall　hop　about　on　a　single　leg。〃　He　spoke　and　cut　men　in　two；　like　a　sorb…apple　which　is　halved　for　pickling；　or　as　you　might　divide　an　egg　with　a　hair；　and　as　he　cut　them　one　after　another；　he　bade　Apollo　give　the　face　and　the　half　of　the　neck　a　turn　in　order　that　the　man　might　contemplate　the　section　of　himself：　he　would　thus　learn　a　lesson　of　humility。　Apollo　was　also　bidden　to　heal　their　wounds　and　compose　their　forms。　So　he　gave　a　turn　to　the　face　and　pulled　the　skin　from　the　sides　all　over　that　which　in　our　language　is　called　the　belly；　like　the　purses　which　draw　in；　and　he　made　one　mouth　at　the　centre；　which　he　fastened　in　a　knot　（the　same　which　is　called　the　navel）；　he　also　moulded　the　breast　and　took　out　most　of　the　wrinkles；　much　as　a　shoemaker　might　smooth　leather　upon　a　last；　he　left　a　few；　however；　in　the　region　of　the　belly　and　navel；　as　a　memorial　of　the　primeval　state。　After　the　division　the　two　parts　of　man；　each　desiring　his　other　half；　came　together；　and　throwing　their　arms　about　one　another；　entwined　in　mutual　embraces；　longing　to　grow　into　one；　they　were　on　the　point　of　dying　from　hunger　and
  self…neglect；　because　they　did　not　like　to　do　anything　apart；　and　when　one　of　the　halves　died　and　the　other　survived；　the　survivor　sought　another　mate；　man　or　woman　as　we　call　them；　being　the　sections　of　entire　men　or　women；　and　clung　to　that。　They　were　being　destroyed；　when　Zeus　in　pity　of　them　invented　a　new　plan：　he　turned　the　parts　of　generation　round　to　the　front；　for　this　had　not　been　always　their　position　and　they　sowed　the　seed　no　longer　as　hitherto　like　grasshoppers　in　the　ground；　but　in　one　another；　and　after　the　transposition　the　male　generated　in　the　female　in　order　that　by　the　mutual　embraces　of　man　and　woman　they　might　breed；　and　the　race　might　continue；　or　if　man　came　to　man　they　might　be　satisfied；　and　rest；　and　go　their　ways　to　the　business　of　life：　so　ancient　is　the　desire　of　one　another　which　is　implanted　in　us；　reuniting　our　original　nature；　making　one　of　two；　and　healing　the　state　of　man。　　　Each　of　us　when　separated；　having　one　side　only；　like　a　flat　fish；　is　but　the　indenture　of　a　man；　and　he　is　always　looking　for　his　other　half。　Men　who　are　a　section　of　that　double　nature　which　was　once　called　Androgynous　are　lovers　of　women；　adulterers　are　generally　of　this　breed；　and　also　adulterous　women　who　lust　after　men：　the　women　who　are　a　section　of　the　woman　do　not　care　for　men；　but　have　female　attachments；　the　female　companions　are　of　this　sort。　But　they　who　are　a　section　of　the　male　follow　the　male；　and　while　they　are　young；　being　slices　of　the　original　man；　they　hang　about　men　and　embrace　them；　and　they　are　themselves　the　best　of　boys　and　youths；　because　they　have　the　most　manly　nature。　Some　indeed　assert　that　they　are　shameless；　but　this　is　not　true；　for　they　do　not　act　thus　from　any　want　of　shame；　but　because　they　are　valiant　and　manly；　and　have　a　manly　countenance；　and　they　embrace　that　which　is　like　them。　And　these　when　they　grow　up　become　our　statesmen；　and　these　only；　which　is　a　great　proof　of　the　truth　of　what　I　am　saving。　When　they　reach　manhood　they　are　loves　of　youth；　and　are　not　naturally　inclined　to　marry　or　beget　children；…if　at　all；　they　do　so　only　in　obedience　to　the　law；　but　they　are　satisfied　if　they　may　be　allowed　to　live　with　one　another　unwedded；　and　such　a　nature　is　prone　to　love　and　ready　to　return　love；　always　embracing　that　which　is　akin　to　him。　And　when　one　of　them　meets　with　his　other　half；　the　actual　half　of　himself；　whether　he　be　a　lover　of　youth　or　a　lover　of　another　sort；　the　pair　are　lost　in　an　amazement　of　love　and　friendship　and　intimacy；　and　would　not　be　out　of　the　other's　sight；　as　I　m