The Republic is the only one of Plato's dialogues I had read, and it was one of the first original writings in philosophy I read, perhaps six years ago. I am re-reading the Republic now, but I felt the urge to read some other dialogue as well. I got the second part of "writings" on my library and have now read Phaedrus as the first.
Homophobia does not seem to have been too widespread in old Athens. Phaedrus is on the surface a discussion on whether a younger man should accept an older man as a partner if the older really loves or not. Phaedrus, a young, apparently handsome young man and Socrates sits under a tree outside Athens on a hot day, and discusses a speech on the subject by Lykias.
Phaedros eagerly reads out the speech. a speech that roughly promotes that a young man should take a lover who does not love Him. Roughly because the one who loves is going to be jealous. And urges Socrates to agree that it is a good speech.
Socrates disagrees, and makes a speech of his own which in short says that a relationship can be quite magical with a partner who loves you.
However, it is not this with love or not love is Socrates main thing. There is more - how are you going to make a good speech? And to have a speech written down is pretty much not what the doctor prescribes, according to Socrates. The thing is, when you are going to convince - you need to understand what the subject is all about, even if you want to over-exaggerate, or bend the truth a little. To, well, lie a little, you must have grip on what is really right.
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All to true, on meetings you have attended, classes you took at university. One part of being a successful lobbyist, you got to do your homework. But well, no big eye openers in this dialogue, apart from a rather interesting glance into doings in Athens at the time.
