Plato's Symposium as Dionysian Festival David Sider In Einsicht und Leidenschaft, Frankfurt 1939, pp. 82-92, Ge rhard Kr?ger entitles a chapter 'Das Symposion als dionysisches Fest'. "Wie der Sieg Agathons dionysisch war, so soll es in einem bestimm ten Sinne auch dieses Siegesfest sein, an dem der Agon zwischen So krates und Agathon stattfindet, denn Dionysos soll im Streit um die Weisheit Schiedsrichter sein (175e), und es wird sich noch zeigen, wie sehr der Verlauf des Symposions der Auff?hrung von Trag?die und Satyrspiel entspricht" (88 f.). As this quotation suggests, Kr?ger develops this notion from the dramatic victory that is the excuse for Agathon's dinner, and from the contest ? soon seen to be dramatic in another way ? in which Socrates and Agathon engage. This paper, conceived of and largely written before I became acquainted with Kr?ger's work, confirms the points made by Kr?ger and adds to them. In brief, this paper attempts to prove that 1) the speechmakers of the Symposium are engaged in a contest, in which only Socrates could be declared the victor ? as in effect he is by Alcibiades; 2) Plato has set the scene of the dialogue at the City Dionysia (where historically it does not belong) in order a) to enhance the historical importance of a famous symposium, and b) to provide a more suitable setting for his particular telling of the tale, in which Socrates also wins as satyr over the representatives of tragedy and comedy (there being no satyr plays at the Lenaia); and 3) Plato has not merely set the scene at the City Dionysia, he has set the scene as a City Dionysia by incorporating into the dialogue representatives of a) the Asclepiaia, which ceremonies were (to an unknown extent) associated with those of the Dionysia, b) the dithyramb, examples of which were performed at the City Dionysia (but not at the Lenaia), and c) the archon respons ible for the operation of the festival. This content downloaded from 128.122.149.154 on Fri, 29 May 2015 08:57:24 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Quaderni Urbinati di Cultura Classica 4 (1980) 41-56