How the beloved is won
SocratesZeus’ followers seek a beloved whose soul is divine. They look for one who is a philosopher and a leader by nature. When they find and love him, they do everything to help him become so. If they have not practised this before, they now begin, learning from anyone they can and pursuing it themselves. As they search within themselves, they can discover the nature of their god, because they are compelled to keep their eyes fixed on him. Touching him in memory, they are inspired and take from him his character and ways of life, as far as a human being can share in a god. They see the beloved as the cause of this change and love him all the more. Drawing from Zeus as the Bacchants draw from their god, they pour what they have drawn into the beloved’s soul, making him as like their god as they can.
Those who followed Hera seek a royal nature and, finding one, do likewise. So followers of Apollo and every other god seek a youth whose nature suits their god. Once they have found him, they imitate that god themselves and persuade and shape the youth, leading him towards their god’s ways and character as far as each can. They feel neither envy nor ungenerous malice towards him; they try with all their power to bring him into the closest possible likeness to themselves and to the god they honour. If genuine lovers attain what they seek, the care and initiation of a friend maddened by love become a beautiful and happy gift to the beloved if he is won over. This is how he is won.