Symposium - AIC

Introduction
EROS SOTER: How Can Love Save Us?
Aikaterini Lefka
In the Symposium, Agathon calls Eros, among other attributes, soter (197 e 1). Some commentators of
the dialogue accorded to this term a short note. However, the qualification soter was largely neglected
and, in my opinion, unjustly underestimated. To my knowledge, up to now there has been no study
dedicated to its entirely original link with Love. In my paper, I shall try to defend the idea that soter is
an attribute that can offer us considerable help for a better understanding of Eros as presented in the
Symposium.
In fact, soter / soteira is an epithet given by Plato’s contemporaries to some particular
divinities, to heroes and to men who, under certain circumstances, offered crucial help to someone or
to a group of persons. I shall first expose which were the divinities who usually received such an
epithet and for which particular reasons, in order to make evident the most interesting elements
attached to the divine “saviours”’ action.
Then, I shall give a short account of Plato’s use of this attribute. In the dialogues we may see
that Plato follows slightly the religious tradition and innovates most of the times.
In the third part of my paper, I shall try to point out that every speech of the Symposium,
where figures the hapax “Eros soter”, offers a different aspect of the multiple functions of Love
saving humanity in a complex structure that progressively leads to the most radical Platonic positions.
I. Divinities currently qualified by the epithet soter
Soter (masculine form) or soteira (feminine form) is “from the Homeric hymns (Hom. H. 22,5; 33, 6)
onwards the epithet of very diverse Greek deities in the role of helper in time of need”. The general
terms “god” or “the gods” could receive this qualification. Finally, it is “also an epithet for humans
based on crucial actions (of help)” 1 .
We may make more or less evident suppositions concerning the reasons for which some
particular divinities were currently considered as “saviours”.
Zeus 2 receives the epithet soter first as a just king of the universe, contributing to its harmonious
function by the application of the divine law. The divinities Themis and Eunomia, who also supervise
the respect of the divine justice are called soteirai 3 .
In Athens, where Zeus is one of the official protectors of the city (polieus; poliouchos), like
Athena 4 , they both may be considered as “saviours” of the polis and its inhabitants from any danger,
during times of peace or at war 5 .
Zeus tritos soter is also invoked during the three ritual libations, where the first is dedicated to
Zeus Olympios, the second to a hero and the third to Zeus soter, in order to obtain his protection.
Apollo 6 and his son Asclepius 7 were divinities attached to the exercise of medicine; they “saved”
people from illness and death. Apollo was supposed to send also diseases that were in fact divine
punishments for some hybris committed by humans and to stop them when the tribute was considered
satisfactory.
Artemis 8 was one of the divinities supervising births, a perilous experience for mothers and
children, whom she was asked to preserve. Rhea 9 soteira should also be included, I think, to the same
domain of mothers’ and children’s protection, as she is the mother of Zeus and saved him when he
1 K. Zimmermann, 2008, p. 666.
2 For the various aspects of Zeus, see for example A. B. Cook, 1925 ; H. Schwabl et al., 1972, pp. 253-376 and 1978, pp.
993-1481.
3 For Themis, the first wife of Zeus, see, for example, J. Jank, 2000, pp. 5-31 ; L. Käppel, 2002, pp. 301-302 ; E. Stafford,
2007, pp. 71-85. For Eunomia, one of the three Horai, daughters of Zeus and Themis (the other two being Dike and Eirene),
see P. Stengel, 1913, pp. 2300-2313 ; Th. Heinze, 1998, pp. 716-717 ; O. Waser, 1907, pp. 1130-1131 ; R. Bloch, 1998, p.
255.
4 See, for exemple, S. Deacy and A. Villing (eds.), 2001 ; F. Dümmler, 1896, pp. 1942- 2020 ; R. Ganszyniec, 1959, pp. 199-
204 ; F. Graf, 1997, pp. 160-166 ; C. J. Herington,1955; I. Kasper-Butz, 1990 ; K. Kérenyi, 1952 ; R. Parker, 2000, p. 198.
5 For the gods poliouchoi of Athens, see, for example, S. Deacy, 2007, pp. 219-235 and R. Parker, 2005.
6 See, for exemple, K. Wernicke, 1896, pp. 1-111 ; F. Graf, 1996, pp. 863-868.
7 See, for example, E. J. and L. Edelstein, 1945 ; F. Graf, 1997, pp. 94-99 ; E. Thraemer, 1896, pp.1642-1697 .
8 See, for example, K. Wernicke, 1896, pp. 1336-1440 ; F. Graf, 1997, pp. 53-58 . .
9 See, for example, J. Heckenbach, « Ῥέα » (1914), pp. 339-341 ; L. Käppel, « Rheia » (2001), p. 950.