Eryximachus's description of love is, by far, my favorite and the most familiar to me. Of the perspectives on love offered in the Symposium thus far, Eryximachus's description seems to most closely resemble the Christian perspective on love. More specifically, there are several parallels between 1st Corinthians chapter 13 and his exposition on the nature of love. Here are just a few similarities I noticed.
First, let's address all this hoop-la about love being the root of other virtues (excellence, wisdom, goodness, etc.), and the claim that love is a prerequisite to these other virtues. If indeed love inspires the other virtues, so much so that the gods could not become the masters of their individual fields without love, then there is a distinct parallel between the importance of love in this description and the following passage from 1 Corinthians chapter 13:
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."
----http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+13&version=NIV
In both cases, all other accomplishments mean little in the absence of love.
Further, Eryximachus claims that love is just precisely because it is not forceful, and suggests that all the virtues for which love is a prerequisite are characteristics of love itself. This follows along nicely with 1 Corinthians chapter 13:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
----same source as previous quotation
Granted, not all of the "virtues" mentioned in this passage from Corinthians correspond with the virtues Eryximachus associates with love. In fact, there is some debate as to whether or not some of the virtues associated with love by Christians would be considered virtues at all to the Greeks (hope, for example). However, the point still stands that, in both accounts, many virtues are listed as being distinct characteristics of love, suggesting (perhaps more strongly than one should be comfortable with, in all cases) that possessing the virtue of love is not just a prerequisite to all the other virtues: it's a prerequisite to the path of the good life. Can one even set forth on the path to the good life without love? Good question. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the matter.
P.S. Ironically, Socrates believes that all the previous dialogues (including Eryximachus's) don't touch on the truth of love. While Eryximachus provided a worthy praise of love, one must wonder whether the parallels between Christian love and his exposition result (from a Greek perspective) from a romanticized conception of the thing.
Wow, this is very impressive. Would make a very good paper!
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