Plato’s dialogue “Symposium” was always in the focus of attention as a philosophical masterwork, nevertheless it has recently attracted a special interest because of its intricate dramatic structure. Meanwhile another disciple produced a composition with the same title – it was Xenophon. Xenophon the Socratic always remained in the shadow of the main pupil of Socrates, and his Opera Socratica were read not for their own sake but as a source of information on Socrates. Xenophon’s “Symposium” appeared as a sort of reaction on Plato’s one. What did Xenophon mean? We are going to offer an answer to this question.

Xenophon, Plato, dialogue, Socratics