Part 5, line 196a to 202a Summary

Agathon disagrees with Phaedrus that Love comes from the oldest god and instead says that Love is the youngest of all the gods. Everything about Love is soft and tender. Agathon quotes a passage from the poet Homer "but her feet are sensitive, to the ground, she never draws close, but walks on the heads of men." Notice Agathon changes the gender of Love to male. Love also tends to go to the soft and tender parts of the body. Love is associated with the bloom of youth, springtime, and the blossoming of flowers. Since Love is young and gentle, it always wins by persuasion, and it is never forced. Paradoxically, though Love is young, he is also a master. He masters all desires. Love is the strongest of all the desires. Even though Love...