The men include the philosopher Socrates, the general and political figure Alcibiades, and the comic playwright Aristophanes. It depicts a friendly contest of extemporaneous speeches given by a group of notable men attending a banquet. The Symposium is a philosophical text by Plato dated c. I believe it should be available to readers now, and for so long as the English language lives.' It is deplorable that this masterpiece has suffered first suppression, then bowdlerization, and finally neglect.

John Lauritsen, editor and publisher of the new edition, has 'In the canon of great books dealing with male love, Shelley's translation of Plato's BANQUET belongs at the head of the list. Pagan Press now offers a new edition, which is complete, authentic and readable. For many years, the Shelley translation has been unobtainable, new or used. THE BANQUET and Shelley's accompanying essay, 'A Discourse on the Manners of the Antient Greeks', were not published in their entirety until 1931, and then in an edition of 100 copies intended 'for private circulation only'. In 19th century Britain, male love - at the heart of the dialogue - was unmentionable.

Amazingly, it was suppressed and then bowdlerized for well over a century. Although a masterpiece in its own right, the Shelley translation is unknown even to most students of English literature. It has been described as conveying 'much of the vivid life, the grace of movement, and the luminous beauty of Plato' - 'the poetry of a philosopher rendered by the prose of a poet'. Witty, sexy and radiantly beautiful, the Shelley translation of Plato's great Dialogue on Love is by far the best in the English language. A new edition of Percy Bysshe Shelley's translation of Plato's dialogue, THE BANQUET (more commonly known as The Symposium).

The banquet plato