AGATON. Agaton (c. 448-c. 402 B.C.) was the Greek tragic poet for whom the banquet is held in Plato's Symposium, to celebrate his first dramatic victory at the Lenaea in 416 B.C. (Symposium 172A). His tragedy, Antheus, departed from the custom of taking characters and plot from legend.

Chaucer credits Agaton with the saying that Jove placed Alceste among the stars because of her goodness, LGW F 521-526, LGW G 511-514.

Agaton suggests derivation from Dante's Agatone, Purg XXII.107.