As I understand it, the Greek symposiums provided a place to exchange ideas and concepts, and be generally social with fellow thinkers. All the reading I've done talks about philosophers, artists, writers, etc. as the most common guests at a symposium, but what of the average citizen?
What kept the average citizen from attending these parties and how did they view them? Was it a matter of wealth or status?
Some of my reading discussed that anyone was welcome at a symposium, so long as they are male and provide good conversation.
Thoughts?
Since the symposium was essentially a private space for men of wealth and status to converse, primarily aristocrats, and all of our sources both on the symposium and generally from Ancient Greece are aristocratic men it would be very difficult to identify how people saw it. Arguably one observable feature would have been the group traveling away from their host's house, where it was recorded to often be a drunken and according to our sources comedic journey back to their homes. This took place in public and could be the only accessible part of the symposium for the general population, and it's recorded forms in poetry or in artwork.