Listed 4 sub titles with search on: Biographies for destination: "MANTINIA Ancient city ARCADIA".
Diotima, a priestess of Mantineia, and the reputed instructor of Socrates. Plato, in his Symposium, introduces her opinions on the nature, origin, and objects of life, which in fact form the nucleus of that dialogue. Some critics believe, that the whole story of Diotima is a mere fiction of Plato's, while others are inclined to see in it at least some historical foundation, and to regard her as an historical personage. Later Greek writers call her a priestess of the Lycaean Zeus, and state, that she was a Pythagorean philosopher who resided for some time at Athens. (Lucian, Eunuch. 7, Imag. 18; Max. Tyr. Dissert. 8 ; comp. Hermann, Gesch. u. System. d. Plat. Philos. i.; Ast, Leben u. Schriften Platos)
This text is from: A dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, 1873 (ed. William Smith). Cited Oct 2005 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
470 - 410
Diotima was likely a legendary character although she may have been
modeled on Aspasia of Miletus. In Plato’s Symposium Socrates refers
to Diotima in his speech on the nature and origin of love: [...]
Lastheneia, a native of Mantineia, in Arcadia, mentioned by Iamblichus (Vit. Pyth. 36) as a follower of Pythagoras. Diogenes Laertius (iii. 46, iv. 2), on the other hand, speaks of her as a disciple of the Platonic philosophy, which is confirmed by other authorities. (Clemens Alex. Strom. iv.; Athen. xii., vii.)
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