say　something　in　answer　to　the　allusion　which　Socrates　had　made　to　his　own　speech；　when　suddenly　there　was　a　great　knocking　at　the　door　of　the　house；　as　of　revellers；　and　the　sound　of　a　flute…girl　was　heard。　Agathon　told　the　attendants　to　go　and　see　who　were　the　intruders。　〃If　they　are　friends　of　ours；〃　he　said；　〃invite　them　in；　but　if　not；　say　that　the　drinking　is　over。〃　A　little　while　afterwards　they　heard　the　voice　of　Alcibiades　resounding　in　the　court；　he　was　in　a　great　state　of　intoxication　and　kept　roaring　and　shouting　〃Where　is　Agathon？　Lead　me　to　Agathon；〃　and　at　length；　supported　by　the　flute…girl　and　some　of　his　attendants；　he　found　his　way　to　them。　〃Hail；　friends；〃　he　said；　appearing…at　the　door　crown；　with　a　massive　garland　of　ivy　and　violets；　his　head　flowing　with　ribands。　〃Will　you　have　a　very　drunken　man　as　a　companion　of　your　revels？　Or　shall　I　crown　Agathon；　which　was　my　intention　in　coming；　and　go　away？　For　I　was　unable　to　come　yesterday；　and　therefore　I　am　here　to…day；　carrying　on　my　head　these　ribands；　that　taking　them　from　my　own　head；　I　may　crown　the　head　of　this　fairest　and　wisest　of　men；　as　I　may　be　allowed　to　call　him。　Will　you　laugh　at　me　because　I　am　drunk？　Yet　I　know　very　well　that　I　am　speaking　the　truth；　although　you　may　laugh。　But　first　tell　me；　if　I　come　in　shall　we　have　the　understanding　of　which　I　spoke？　Will　you　drink　with　me　or　not？〃　　　The　company　were　vociferous　in　begging　that　he　would　take　his　place　among　them；　and　Agathon　specially　invited　him。　Thereupon　he　was　led　in　by　the　people　who　were　with　him；　and　as　he　was　being　led；　intending　to　crown　Agathon；　he　took　the　ribands　from　his　own　head　and　held　them　in　front　of　his　eyes；　he　was　thus　prevented　from　seeing　Socrates；　who　made　way　for　him；　and　Alcibiades　took　the　vacant　place　between　Agathon　and　Socrates；　and　in　taking　the　place　he　embraced　Agathon　and　crowned　him。　Take　off　his　sandals；　said　Agathon；　and　let　him　make　a　third　on　the　same　couch。　　　By　all　means；　but　who　makes　the　third　partner　in　our　revels？　said　Alcibiades；　turning　round　and　starting　up　as　he　caught　sight　of　Socrates。　By　Heracles；　he　said；　what　is　this？　here　is　Socrates　always　lying　in　wait　for　me；　and　always；　as　his　way　is；　coming　out　at　all　sorts　of　unsuspected　places：　and　now；　what　have　you　to　say　for　yourself；　and　why　are　you　lying　here；　where　I　perceive　that　you　have　contrived　to　find　a　place；　not　by　a　joker　or　lover　of　jokes；　like　Aristophanes；　but　by　the　fairest　of　the　company？　　　Socrates　turned　to　Agathon　and　said：　I　must　ask　you　to　protect　me；　Agathon；　for　the　passion　of　this　man　has　grown　quite　a　serious　matter　to　me。　Since　I　became　his　admirer　I　have　never　been　allowed　to　speak　to　any　other　fair　one；　or　so　much　as　to　look　at　them。　If　I　do；　he　goes　wild　with　envy　and　jealousy；　and　not　only　abuses　me　but　can　hardly　keep　his　hands　off　me；　and　at　this　moment　he　may　do　me　some　harm。　Please　to　see　to　this；　and　either　reconcile　me　to　him；　or；　if　he　attempts　violence；　protect　me；　as　I　am　in　bodily　fear　of　his　mad　and　passionate　attempts。　　　There　can　never　be　reconciliation　between　you　and　me；　said　Alcibiades；　but　for　the　present　I　will　defer　your　chastisement。　And　I　must　beg　you；　Agathoron；　to　give　me　back　some　of　the　ribands　that　I　may　crown　the　marvellous　head　of　this　universal　despot…I　would　not　have　him　complain　of　me　for　crowning　you；　and　neglecting　him；　who　in　conversation　is　the　conqueror　of　all　mankind；　and　this　not　only　once；　as　you　were　the　day　before　yesterday；　but　always。　Whereupon；　taking　some　of　the　ribands；　he　crowned　Socrates；　and　again　reclined。　　　Then　he　said：　You　seem；　my　friends；　to　be　sober；　which　is　a　thing　not　to　be　endured；　you　must　drink…for　that　was　the　agreement　under　which　I　was　admitted…and　I　elect　myself　master　of　the　feast　until　you　are　well　drunk。　Let　us　have　a　large　goblet；　Agathon；　or　rather；　he　said；　addressing　the　attendant；　bring　me　that　wine…cooler。　The　wine…cooler　which　had　caught　his　eye　was　a　vessel　holding　more　than　two　quarts…this　he　filled　and　emptied；　and　bade　the　attendant　fill　it　again　for　Socrates。　Observe；　my　friends；　said　Alcibiades；　that　this　ingenious　trick　of　mine　will　have　no　effect　on　Socrates；　for　he　can　drink　any　quantity　of　wine　and　not　be　at　all　nearer　being　drunk。　Socrates　drank　the　cup　which　the　attendant　filled　for　him。　　　Eryximachus　said！　What　is　this　Alcibiades？　Are　we　to　have　neither　conversation　nor　singing　over　our　cups；　but　simply　to　drink　as　if　we　were　thirsty？　　　Alcibiades　replied：　Hail；　worthy　son　of　a　most　wise　and　worthy　sire！　　　The　same　to　you；　said　Eryximachus；　but　what　shall　we　do？　　　That　I　leave　to　you；　said　Alcibiades。
  The　wise　physician　skilled　our　wounds　to　heal
  shall　prescribe　and　we　will　obey。　What　do　you　want？　　　Well；　said　Eryximachus；　before　you　appeared　we　had　passed　a　resolution　that　each　one　of　us　in　turn　should　make　a　speech　in　praise　of　love；　and　as　good　a　one　as　he　could：　the　turn　was　passed　round　from　left　to　right；　and　as　all　of　us　have　spoken；　and　you　have　not　spoken　but　have　well　drunken；　you　ought　to　speak；　and　then　impose　upon　Socrates　any　task　which　you　please；　and　he　on　his　right　hand　neighbour；　and　so　on。　　　That　is　good；　Eryximachus；　said　Alcibiades；　and　yet　the　comparison；　of　a　drunken　man's　speech　with　those　of　sober　men　is　hardly　fair；　and　I　should　like　to　know；　sweet　friend；　whether　you　really　believe…what　Socrates　was　just　now　saying；　for　I　can　assure　you　that　the　very　reverse　is　the　fact；　and　that　if　I　praise　any　one　but　himself　in　his　presence；　whether　God　or　man；　he　will　hardly　keep　his　hands　off　me。　　　For　shame；　said　Socrates。　　　Hold　your　tongue；　said　Alcibiades；　for　by　Poseidon；　there　is　no　one　else　whom　I　will　praise　when　you　are…of　the　company。　　　Well　then；　said　Eryximachus；　if　you　like　praise　Socrates。　　　What　do　you　think；　Eryximachus…？　said　Alcibiades：　shall　I　attack　him：　and　inflict　the　punishment　before　you　all？　　　What　are　you　about？　said　Socrates；　are　you　going　to　raise　a　laugh　at　my　expense？　Is　that　the　meaning　of　your　praise？　　　I　am　going　to　speak　the　truth；　if　you　will　permit　me。　　　I　not　only　permit；　but　exhort　you　to　speak　the　truth。　　　Then　I　will　begin　at　once；　said　Alcibiades；　and　if　I　say　anything　which　is　not　true；　you　may　interrupt　me　if　you　will；　and　say　〃that　is　a　lie；〃　though　my　intention　is　to　speak　the　truth。　But　you　must　not　wonder　if　I　speak　any　how　as　things　come　into　my　mind；　for　the　fluent　and　orderly　enumeration　of　all　your　singularities　is　not　a　task　which　is　easy　to　a　man　in　my　condition。　　　And　now；　my　boys；　I　shall　praise　Socrates　in　a　figure　which　will　appear　to　him　to　be　a　caricature；　and　yet　I　speak；　not　to　make　fun　of　him；　but　only　for　the　truth's　sake。　I　say；　that　he　is　exactly　like　the　busts　of　Silenus；　which　are　set　up　in　the　statuaries；　shops；　holding　pipes　and　flutes　in　their　mouths；　and　they　are　made　to　open　in　the　middle；　and　have　images　of　gods　inside　them。　I　say　also　that　hit　is　like　Marsyas　the　satyr。　You　yourself　will　not　deny；　Socrates；　that　your　face　is　like　that　of　a　satyr。　Aye；　and　there　is　a　resemblance　in　other　points　too。　For　example；　you　are　a　bully；　as　I　can　prove　by　witnesses；　if　you　will　not　confess。　And　are　you　not　a　flute…player？　That　you　are；　and　a　performer　far　more　wonderful　than　Marsyas。　He　indeed　with　instruments　used　to　charm　the　souls　of　men　by　the　powers　of　his　breath；　and　the　players　of　his　music　do　so　still：　for　the　melodies　of　Olympus　are　derived　from　Marsyas　who　taught　them；　and　these；　whether　they　are　played　by　a　great　master　or　by　a　miserable　flute…girl；　have　a　power　which　no　others　have；　they　alone　possess　the　soul　and　reveal　the　wants　of　those　who　have　need　of　gods　and　mysteries；　because　they　are　divine。　But　you　produce　the　same　effect　with　your　words　only；　and　do　not　require　the　flute；　that　is　the　difference　between　you　and　him。　When　we　hear　any　other　speaker；　even　very　good　one；　he　produces　absolutely　no　effect　upon　us；　or　not　much；　whereas　the　mere　fragments　of　you　and　your　words；　even　at　second…hand；　and　however　imperfectly　repeated；　amaze　and　possess　the　souls　of　every　man；　woman；　and　child　who　comes　within　hearing　of　them。　And　if　I　were　not；　afraid　that　you　would　think　me　hopelessly　drunk；　I　would　have　sworn　as　well　as　spoken　to　the　influence　which　they　have　always　had　and　still　have　over　me。　For　my　heart　leaps　within　me　more　than　that　of　any　Corybantian　reveller；　and　my　eyes　rain　tears　when　I　hear　them。　And　I　observe　that　many　others　are　affected　in　the　same　manner。　I　have　heard　Pericles　and　other　great　orators；　and　I　thought　that　they　spoke　well；　but　I　never　had　any　similar　feeling；　my　soul　was　not　stirred　by　them；　nor　was　I　angry　at　the　thought　of　my　own　slavish　state。　But　this　Marsyas　has　often　brought　me　to　such　pass；　that　I　have　felt　as　if　I　could　hardly　endure　the　life　which　I　am　leading　（this；　Socrates；　you　will　admit）；　and　I　am　conscious　that　if　I　did　not　shut　my　ears　against　him；　and　fly　as　from　the　voice　of　the　siren；　my　fate　would　be　like　that　of　others；…he　would　transfix　me；　and　I　should　grow　old　sitting　at　his　feet。　For　he　makes　me　confess　that　I　ought　not　to　live　as　I　do；　neglecting　the　wants　of　my　own　soul；　and　busying　myself　with　the　concerns　of　the　Athenians；　therefore　I　hold　my　ears　and　tear　myself　away　from　him。　And　he　is　the　only　person　who　ever　made　me　ashamed；　wh