Donald Robertson

If you go to Athens today, there's a famous statue of Socrates, a modern statue of him outside the university where he's incredibly buff. Like, I mean, he definitely looks like he's been lifting weights, but that's a modern representation of him. The ancient sculptures we have of him are this little pot-bellied old man,

You know, that's more of a kind of, was seen as a bit of a, presented as more of a comedy character almost. So yeah, he makes fun of it. In Xenophon Symposium, Socrates jokes and he says, I think if we had a beauty contest, I would win it. And everyone kind of rolls about laughing at this. It seems ridiculous to them. But then it leads into him having a conversation about how they define beauty.

You know, that's more of a kind of, was seen as a bit of a, presented as more of a comedy character almost. So yeah, he makes fun of it. In Xenophon Symposium, Socrates jokes and he says, I think if we had a beauty contest, I would win it. And everyone kind of rolls about laughing at this. It seems ridiculous to them. But then it leads into him having a conversation about how they define beauty.

You know, that's more of a kind of, was seen as a bit of a, presented as more of a comedy character almost. So yeah, he makes fun of it. In Xenophon Symposium, Socrates jokes and he says, I think if we had a beauty contest, I would win it. And everyone kind of rolls about laughing at this. It seems ridiculous to them. But then it leads into him having a conversation about how they define beauty.

And he starts to question whether beauty is actually something that comes from a person's character. And he says he's confident that he would win on those terms. But his friends still think it's a bit ridiculous of him. Xenophon, to his credit, says, you know, you learn more about wise men by seeing them at their leisure. I believe that's how he begins the symposium. It's a drinking party.

And he starts to question whether beauty is actually something that comes from a person's character. And he says he's confident that he would win on those terms. But his friends still think it's a bit ridiculous of him. Xenophon, to his credit, says, you know, you learn more about wise men by seeing them at their leisure. I believe that's how he begins the symposium. It's a drinking party.

And he starts to question whether beauty is actually something that comes from a person's character. And he says he's confident that he would win on those terms. But his friends still think it's a bit ridiculous of him. Xenophon, to his credit, says, you know, you learn more about wise men by seeing them at their leisure. I believe that's how he begins the symposium. It's a drinking party.

And he presents Socrates as this guy who's quite witty and humorous, right? So he says things where he... Socrates was the type of guy that would say something to you and you'd think... Is he joking? Is he serious? And the answer is yes and no. He's kind of both joking and serious at the same time, often, I feel.

And he presents Socrates as this guy who's quite witty and humorous, right? So he says things where he... Socrates was the type of guy that would say something to you and you'd think... Is he joking? Is he serious? And the answer is yes and no. He's kind of both joking and serious at the same time, often, I feel.

And he presents Socrates as this guy who's quite witty and humorous, right? So he says things where he... Socrates was the type of guy that would say something to you and you'd think... Is he joking? Is he serious? And the answer is yes and no. He's kind of both joking and serious at the same time, often, I feel.

Yeah, I think that's in Xenophon's symposium. Or it might be in Plato's symposium. In one of the symposiums, he says, and they do it, he asks them to bring out smaller cups. And he says, if we use smaller cups, we could moderate our drinking.

Yeah, I think that's in Xenophon's symposium. Or it might be in Plato's symposium. In one of the symposiums, he says, and they do it, he asks them to bring out smaller cups. And he says, if we use smaller cups, we could moderate our drinking.

Yeah, I think that's in Xenophon's symposium. Or it might be in Plato's symposium. In one of the symposiums, he says, and they do it, he asks them to bring out smaller cups. And he says, if we use smaller cups, we could moderate our drinking.

He says alcohol, I think this is in Xenophon Symposium, he says alcohol is like watering a plant. He goes, if you don't give it enough, then it kind of shrivels up and dies. But if you give it too much, then it wilts. And he goes, this is the effect that I think wine has on conversation at a dinner party. You've got to find just the right level so that people loosen up.

He says alcohol, I think this is in Xenophon Symposium, he says alcohol is like watering a plant. He goes, if you don't give it enough, then it kind of shrivels up and dies. But if you give it too much, then it wilts. And he goes, this is the effect that I think wine has on conversation at a dinner party. You've got to find just the right level so that people loosen up.

He says alcohol, I think this is in Xenophon Symposium, he says alcohol is like watering a plant. He goes, if you don't give it enough, then it kind of shrivels up and dies. But if you give it too much, then it wilts. And he goes, this is the effect that I think wine has on conversation at a dinner party. You've got to find just the right level so that people loosen up.

So he wasn't completely in favor of abstinence. He thought the right amount of wine was conducive to a good philosophical conversation at a dinner party.

So he wasn't completely in favor of abstinence. He thought the right amount of wine was conducive to a good philosophical conversation at a dinner party.

So he wasn't completely in favor of abstinence. He thought the right amount of wine was conducive to a good philosophical conversation at a dinner party.

No, not normally. No. I know I do. But no, he stood for 24 hours. We're told from sunrise one day to sunrise the next day in Potidaea in the middle of a battle. No, we're not in the battle. While they were besieging the city way in the north of Greece, we're told that he just froze and