Diotima of Mantinea

Diotima of Mantinea was an ancient Greek philosopher who is said to have lived around 400 BC. Along with studying philosophy, she was a poet and a priestess who appeared in Plato’s Symposium. Plato described her a wise woman who was educated in many things. Her actual existence is heavily debated, as the only evidence we have of her being a real person is the fact that Plato referenced her in his work. She is said to have taught Socrates about Eros, which is defined as sensual or passionate love. This can also be translated as “life energy.” She is most remembered for her concept of how love can entrance a person or create a feeling across cultural boundaries. She is said to have told Socrates that the reason for Eros existing was for people to try and reach a true connection to the divine or the ultimate form of beauty. This is also referred to as the abstract idea of love. Diotima is said to have taught Socrates about the certain steps that a person must take in order to reach this connection to the divine. This is called “Diotima’s Ladder of Love.” These steps are broken down into different aspects of what it feels like to love someone or something. 

The first step is the love for physical beauty, when a person sees something that arouses them by sight or desire. The second step on the ladder is the love for beautiful souls. This is when a person can move past the physical aspect of something and understand that there is more beauty and value in a persons morals and virtues. The third step on the ladder is the love for the beauty of knowledge. At this point, the lover has shifted their attention to different aspects of knowledge, mainly the knowledge that lies in philosophy. The last step on the ladder is the love for beauty itself. A person has come to understand the true nature and being of love. They are now focusing on the divine nature of love. This form of beauty is spiritual, loving love itself, the essence of beauty.

Plato and Diotima had very similar philosophical ideas. Plato’s theories of the Forms or Ideas are somewhat synonymous with Diotima’s teachings. His theory of the Forms is a way to understand reality. He said that what a person sees and experiences in their day-to-day life is just a representation of reality. Plato explained that the physical world was an imitation of the Forms. The physical world is constantly changing and unstable. The Forms however are infinite and stable in their roots. Diotima’s teachings of connection to the divine are very similar to Plato’s teachings of the Forms being the true source for knowledge. 

The topic of her existence is a controversial and heavily discussed subject. Some say that she was a real person because of what Plato credited her with, regarding her as a respected philosopher and teacher. However many people say that Plato may have invented her in order to have his teachings be taken more seriously. People say that their ideas are too similar for her to have been a real individual. While some people argue that Diotima was a fictional character whom Plato invented himself, she still holds a great amount influence and respect among philosophers and rhetoricians.