batch.motif.greek-plato-symposium-jowett-gutenberg-l1320-l1353
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-plato-symposium-jowett-gutenberg-l1320-l1353
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/symposium-jowett.md
passage_locator:
label: Symposium / SYMPOSIUM / INTRODUCTION. / SYMPOSIUM; lines 1320-1353
start: '1320'
end: '1353'
translation: Symposium
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The speaker argues that Love inspires men and women to die for the beloved,
citing Alcestis, Orpheus, and Achilles. Alcestis willingly dies for her husband
and is rewarded by the gods with return to life. Orpheus seeks his beloved in
Hades without dying and is denied her, receiving only an apparition and later
punishment. Achilles knowingly chooses death to avenge Patroclus and is rewarded
with the Islands of the Blest. The passage concludes that Love is the eldest,
noblest, and mightiest god, giver of virtue in life and happiness after death.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Love is said to make both men and women dare to die for their beloved.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Alcestis, daughter of Pelias, is described as willing to lay down her life
for her husband when no one else would.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The gods and humans judged Alcestis' action noble, and the gods granted her
the privilege of returning alive to earth.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Orpheus, son of Oeagrus and a harper, sought a woman in Hades but was sent
away with only an apparition of her.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: Orpheus is criticized in the passage for not daring to die for love and for
trying to enter Hades alive.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: Orpheus is said to have later suffered death at the hands of women as punishment
for cowardliness.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: Achilles is described as loving Patroclus and knowing from his mother that
he could avoid death by abstaining from killing Hector.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: Achilles chose to give his life to avenge Patroclus after Patroclus was dead.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: The gods honored Achilles above Alcestis and sent him to the Islands of the
Blest.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:10
text: The passage concludes that Love is the eldest, noblest, and mightiest of the
gods and a giver of virtue in life and happiness after death.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Love
description: A divine power described as making people dare death for the beloved
and as the eldest, noblest, and mightiest of the gods.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:10
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Alcestis
description: Daughter of Pelias; willing to die for her husband and granted return
alive to earth.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Alcestis' husband
description: The husband on whose behalf Alcestis lays down her life.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: The gods
description: Divine evaluators who reward Alcestis and Achilles and deny Orpheus
the woman he seeks.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:9
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Orpheus
description: Son of Oeagrus and a harper; enters or seeks to enter Hades alive,
receives only an apparition, and later dies at the hands of women.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Woman sought by Orpheus
description: The woman Orpheus sought; the gods present only her apparition to him
and do not give her up.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Achilles
description: Beloved of Patroclus according to the passage; knowingly chooses death
to avenge Patroclus and is sent to the Islands of the Blest.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Patroclus
description: Described as Achilles' lover and friend, whose death Achilles avenges.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Achilles' mother
description: The mother who told Achilles he could avoid death and return home if
he abstained from slaying Hector.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Hector
description: The person Achilles must abstain from slaying if he is to avoid death
and return home.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: divine inspirer of love and virtue
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Love is said to inspire daring death for the beloved and to be a god who
gives virtue and happiness after death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:10
- id: role:2
label: self-sacrificing beloved or lover
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:7
basis: Alcestis lays down her life for her husband; Achilles gives his life to avenge
Patroclus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
- id: role:3
label: beloved or beneficiary of devotion
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:6
- fig:8
basis: Alcestis acts for her husband; Orpheus seeks a woman; Achilles acts for Patroclus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:8
- id: role:4
label: divine judges and rewarders
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The gods reward Alcestis and Achilles and refuse Orpheus the woman he seeks.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:9
- id: role:5
label: recipient of blessed return or afterlife honor
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:7
basis: Alcestis returns alive to earth; Achilles is sent to the Islands of the Blest.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:9
- id: role:6
label: failed seeker in Hades
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Orpheus seeks a woman in Hades while alive and receives only an apparition.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:7
label: prophetic informant
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Achilles' mother tells him the condition under which he can avoid death and
return home.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:8
label: target whose killing entails Achilles' death
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: Achilles can avoid death if he abstains from slaying Hector.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Hades
literal_form: Underworld place entered or approached by Orpheus while alive.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:2
label: apparition of the sought woman
literal_form: Apparition presented to Orpheus instead of the woman herself.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: return alive to earth
literal_form: Return from death or the underworld condition to earthly life, granted
to Alcestis.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: Islands of the Blest
literal_form: Blessed afterlife destination to which the gods send Achilles.
associated_figures:
- fig:7
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Alcestis dies for her husband and returns
summary: Alcestis offers her life for her husband when others will not, and the
gods reward her noble action by allowing her to return alive to earth.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Orpheus seeks in Hades without dying
summary: Orpheus seeks the woman in Hades while alive, but the gods give him only
an apparition and not the woman herself; he later dies at the hands of women.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:3
label: Achilles chooses death for Patroclus
summary: Achilles knows he can avoid death by not killing Hector, but he chooses
to avenge Patroclus and die; the gods reward him with the Islands of the Blest.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:4
label: Praise of Love
summary: The passage presents Love as the divine source of courageous devotion,
virtue in life, and happiness after death.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: death willingly accepted for the beloved
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
- divine_beloved
basis: The passage states that Love makes people dare to die for the beloved, with
Alcestis and Achilles as examples.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The passage frames these deaths as acts of love rather than ritual sacrifice;
the taxonomy reference to sacrifice is functional and should be reviewed.
- id: motif:2
label: divine reward for self-sacrificial love
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: Alcestis receives return to earth, and Achilles receives the Islands of the
Blest because the gods honor their devotion.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: The exchange is moral and divine rather than a formal bargain.
- id: motif:3
label: return from death or underworld condition
taxonomy_refs:
- death_rebirth
- return
basis: Alcestis is granted the privilege of returning alive to earth after laying
down her life.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not narrate the mechanics of her death or return.
- id: motif:4
label: failed living descent or entry into Hades
taxonomy_refs:
- hero_descent
basis: Orpheus tries to enter Hades alive to recover the woman he seeks, but is
denied her and receives only an apparition.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage gives a compressed evaluative account rather than a full descent
narrative.
- id: motif:5
label: choice between long life and glorious death
taxonomy_refs:
- death_rebirth
basis: Achilles is told he can avoid death and return home to old age if he does
not slay Hector, but he chooses vengeance and death for Patroclus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: medium
cautions: The available taxonomy does not include a specific heroic-choice motif;
death_rebirth is only a partial fit.
- id: motif:6
label: blessed afterlife as divine honor
taxonomy_refs:
- afterlife_journey_map
basis: The gods send Achilles to the Islands of the Blest as a reward for his love
and chosen death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage names the destination but does not describe a journey or geography.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: 'The passage explicitly contrasts Alcestis and Orpheus as two responses to
love: Alcestis dies for love and is restored, while Orpheus tries to recover the
beloved without dying and is denied.'
claim_level: same_function
target: Alcestis and Orpheus as contrasting examples of love tested by death or
Hades
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This is an internal comparison made by the speaker; it does not establish
historical relationship between mythic traditions.
- id: claim:2
claim: The passage compares Achilles with Alcestis as figures honored by the gods
for love, while ranking Achilles' reward above Alcestis' reward.
claim_level: same_function
target: Achilles and Alcestis as rewarded examples of self-sacrificial love
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:8
- ev:9
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: The comparison is evaluative within the argument and does not imply
identical mythic structure.
- id: claim:3
claim: The passage presents Orpheus' Hades episode as a negative counterpart to
the pattern of dying for the beloved, because he seeks recovery of the beloved
while remaining alive.
claim_level: same_motif
target: failed recovery of beloved from Hades contrasted with self-sacrificial beloved-death
motifs
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
counter_evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:9
confidence: medium
limitations: The claim is based on the passage's compressed version of the Orpheus
story and should not be generalized beyond this passage without further evidence.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: 1320-1321
quote_or_summary: "“Love will make men dare to die for their beloved--love alone;
and women as well as men.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/symposium-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; short excerpt used for evidence.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 1321-1325
quote_or_summary: Alcestis, daughter of Pelias, is willing to lay down her life
on behalf of her husband when no one else will.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/symposium-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 1325-1330
quote_or_summary: Gods and humans admire Alcestis' noble action, and the gods grant
her the privilege of returning alive to earth.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/symposium-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 1330-1334
quote_or_summary: Orpheus, son of Oeagrus and a harper, is sent away empty; the
gods show him only an apparition of the woman he sought and do not give her up.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/symposium-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 1334-1336
quote_or_summary: Orpheus is described as lacking spirit because he did not dare
to die for love and contrived to enter Hades alive.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/symposium-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 1336-1338
quote_or_summary: The gods later cause Orpheus to suffer death at the hands of women
as punishment for cowardliness.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/symposium-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 1338-1347
quote_or_summary: Achilles is presented as the beloved of Patroclus; he knows from
his mother that he can avoid death, return home, and live to old age if he abstains
from slaying Hector.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/symposium-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 1347-1349
quote_or_summary: Achilles gives his life to avenge his friend Patroclus after Patroclus
is dead.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/symposium-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: 1349-1351
quote_or_summary: The gods honor Achilles above Alcestis and send him to the Islands
of the Blest.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/symposium-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: quote
locator: 1351-1353
quote_or_summary: Love is affirmed as “the eldest and noblest and mightiest of the
gods” and the giver of virtue in life and happiness after death.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/symposium-jowett.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; short excerpt used for evidence.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The passage directly names and contrasts mythic examples, so figure and scene
extraction is strong. Taxonomy mapping is partly interpretive and should be reviewed.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
All content is drawn from the supplied passage and metadata. No external details, such as the name of Orpheus' beloved, have been added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-plato-symposium-jowett-gutenberg__l1320-l1353
passage_sha256=9066cd3eda2bd57533194725db91e3f65aefa56072fdbd56537a912dc8de0af8