Diotima of Mantinea

E74294

Diotima of Mantinea is a possibly fictional female philosopher and priestess in Plato’s Symposium who teaches Socrates about the nature of love and the ascent to the Form of Beauty.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Diotima 3
Diotima of Mantinea canonical 3

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Platonic character
ancient Greek figure
philosopher
priestess
associatedWith Mantinea
Mantinea in Arcadia
linked to: Mantineia
conceptAssociated Form of Beauty
linked to: the Form of Beauty

Ladder of Love
philosophical midwifery of souls
spiritual procreation
culturalContext Classical Greece
describedAs a priestess
a seer
wise
fieldOfActivity philosophy of love
religious practice
gender female
historicity possibly fictional
influenced Platonic philosophy of love
later philosophical discussions of eros
interpretedBy classical philologists
feminist philosophers
historians of philosophy
languageContext Ancient Greek literature
legacy central figure in interpretations of Platonic eros
symbol of female wisdom in ancient philosophy
mentionedIn Plato's Symposium
narrativeFunction female authority on love surpassing Socrates
philosophicalMethod mythic and religious discourse to explain philosophical ideas
philosophicalTheme beauty
contemplation of Forms
erotic love
immortality through procreation and creation
portrayedAs having delayed a plague at Athens through sacrifices (in Symposium)
primaryWorkContext Symposium (dialogue)
linked to: Plato's Symposium
relationshipToPlato character used by Plato to articulate his doctrine of love
religiousRole priestess involved in rites concerning love and fertility (as portrayed by Plato)
roleInSymposium expounder of the Ladder of Love
source of Socrates' speech on love
scholarlyDebate whether she was a historical person or a literary creation
sourceOfAccount Socrates (as reported by Plato)
linked to: Socrates
teacherOf Socrates
teachesAbout love (Eros)
the ascent to the Form of Beauty
textualStatus known only from Plato's writings
timePeriod 5th century BCE (dramatic setting)

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Plato's Symposium featuresCharacter Diotima of Mantinea
Plato's Symposium doctrineExplainedBy Diotima
linked to: Diotima of Mantinea
Συμπόσιον featuresCharacter Diotima
linked to: Diotima of Mantinea
Symposium (Plato) featuresCharacter Diotima
linked to: Diotima of Mantinea
Ladder of Love presentedBy Diotima of Mantinea
Mantinea associatedWith Diotima of Mantinea