Plato's Symposium: The Myth of the Split Human

A critical examination of Plato's myth of the split human as a metaphor for love, identity and the human condition.

A painting of Plato's Symposium by Anselm Feuerbach, completed in 1869.

According to a philosophical myth told by Aristophanes in Plato’s Symposium, humans were originally round-shaped beings with four hands and four feet, one head with two faces, which faced in opposite directions, four ears and two private areas. There are three types of human beings, and these are male-male, female-female and male-female. These beings were so powerful and proud that they began to challenge and threaten the gods with their strength and arrogance. Alarmed by this, Zeus split them in half to weaken and humble them. Since then, everyone has been in constant search of their other half to become whole once again.

In Symposium (189e-190d) it says:

(189e) The form of each person was round all over, with back and sides encompassing it every way; each had four arms and legs to match these, and two faces perfectly alike 

(190a) on a cylindrical neck. There was one head to the two faces, which looked opposite ways; there were four ears, two privy members and all the other parts, as may be imagined, in proportion. The creature walked upright as now, in either direction as it pleased and whenever it started running fast, it went like our acrobats, whirling over and over with legs stuck out straight; only then they had eight limbs to support and speed them

(190b) swiftly round and round. The number and features of these three sexes were owing to the fact that the male was originally the offspring of the sun, and the female of the earth; while that which partook of both sexes was born of the moon, for the moon also partakes of both. They were globular in their shape as in their progress, since they took after their parents. Now, they were of surprising strength and vigor, and so lofty in their notions that they even conspired against the gods; and the same story is told of them as Homer relates of

(190c) Ephialtes and Otus, that scheming to assault the gods in fight they essayed to mount high heaven.

“Thereat Zeus and the other gods debated what they should do, and were perplexed: for they felt they could not slay them like the Giants, whom they had abolished root and branch with strokes of thunder—it would be only abolishing the honors and observances they had from men; nor yet could they endure such sinful rioting. Then Zeus, putting all his wits together, spoke at length and said: ‘Methinks I can contrive that men, without ceasing to exist, shall give over their iniquity through a lessening of their strength.

[190d] I propose now to slice every one of them in two, so that while making them weaker we shall find them more useful by reason of their multiplication; and they shall walk erect upon two legs. If they continue turbulent and do not choose to keep quiet, I will do it again,’ said he; ‘I will slice every person in two, and then they must go their ways on one leg, hopping.’ So saying, he sliced each human being in two, just as they slice sorb-apples to make a dry preserve, or eggs with hairs;

Symposium 190d makes it crystal clear that it is the body, not the soul, that was split by Zeus.

Notice that Aristophanes clearly describes the original human beings in 189e–190a as physically double-bodied, with four arms, four legs, two faces and so on. Then in 190d, humans began to attack or rise up against the gods, which were believed to be humans trying to dwell in the heavens, that is why Zeus decided to split them in half so that each would walk on two legs to weaken them. He even warns that if humans continue to be arrogant, he will divide them again, making them walk on one leg. This detailed anatomical description leaves no room for interpreting the split as merely symbolic or spiritual. So, based on both the text itself and common sense, it’s accurate to say that it was the human body that was split in half. 

Additionally, in Symposium 191a, during Aristophanes’ speech, it says:

[191a] For the rest, he smoothed away most of the puckers and figured out the breast with some such instrument as shoemakers use in smoothing the wrinkles of leather on the last; though he left there a few which we have just about the belly and navel, to remind us of our early fall. Now when our first form had been cut in two, each half in longing for its fellow would come to it again; and then would they fling their arms about each other and in mutual embraces

Aristophanes uses the phrase “our first form had been cut into two” but he never says “soul.” Therefore, the “halves” refer to bodies that were physically split by Zeus.

Reference: 

1. Perseus Digital Library

2. The Creation of Human Beings As Told By Aristophanes in Plato's Symposium