Diotima of Mantinea

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/diotima-of-mantinea

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is Diotima of Mantinea known for?The conceptual foundation for 'Platonic love'
2. What is the primary source?Plato's dialogue 'Symposium'
3. What is the historical context?Ancient Greece, circa 440 BC; possibly a priestess or wise woman
4. Who was Diotima of Mantinea?Diotima was a wise woman from ancient Greece who taught Socrates about love and beauty.
5. What is the Ladder of Love?It is a story Diotima used to show how love can help us grow, starting with liking one beautiful person and ending with understanding the most beautiful idea.

Eros: The ancient Greek concept of passionate love, desire, and attraction, viewed as a philosophical drive.
Form of Beauty: In Platonic philosophy, the ultimate, perfect, and unchanging essence of beauty itself.
Dialectic: A method of philosophical argument involving a discussion of opposing viewpoints to arrive at truth.