Diotima (gives honor to Dias/Zeus), priestess at Ancient Mantinea, is the only woman referred to at Plato’s Symposium (or about Eros/Love). All participants in the Symposium are male.

 

In Symposium, each participant presents his view about Eros. Then, Socrates rejects their views about Eros that is an important, wise, virtuous  and beautiful God and introduces the meaning of Eros as it was taught to him by Diotima.

 

As Socrates says, Diotima taught him that that Eros is the desire and the motive for the search of the Beautiful and the Real. Eros is the link for every creation physical and mental.
The Erotic drive starts from the external body attraction and it is integrated with the internal  seek of the soul and knowledge.

 

According to Diotima, Eros designates man’s life. In the beginning, man is attracted by the beauty of the young body. Then, he starts looking for the beauty in all beautiful bodies. At this point, he realizes the value of the soul’s beauty. He goes on seeing the beauty of works, sciences, activities and customs. Finally, he discovers the beauty of the ideas and knowledge. And then he reaches the knowledge of the beautiful.