lime . ▁According ▁to ▁Pl ato , ▁the ▁gods ▁do ▁not ▁love , ▁because ▁they ▁do ▁not ▁experience ▁des ires , ▁in asm uch ▁as ▁their ▁des ires ▁are ▁all ▁satisfied . ▁They ▁can ▁thus ▁only ▁be ▁an ▁object , ▁not ▁a ▁subject ▁of ▁love ▁( Sym pos ium ▁ 2 0 0 - 1 ). ▁For ▁this ▁reason ▁they ▁do ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁direct ▁relationship ▁with ▁man ; ▁it ▁is ▁only ▁the ▁med iation ▁of ▁er os ▁that ▁allows ▁the ▁connecting ▁of ▁a ▁relationship ▁( Sym pos ium ▁ 2 0 3 ). ▁E ros ▁is ▁thus ▁the ▁way ▁that ▁leads ▁man ▁to ▁div inity , ▁but ▁not ▁vice ▁vers a . ▁ ▁[...] ▁Nevertheless , ▁er os ▁remains ▁always , ▁for ▁Pl ato , ▁an ▁eg oc ent ric ▁love : ▁it ▁tends ▁toward ▁conqu ering ▁and ▁possess ing ▁the ▁object ▁that ▁represents ▁a ▁value ▁for ▁man . ▁To ▁love ▁the ▁good ▁sign ifies ▁to ▁desire ▁to ▁possess ▁it ▁forever . ▁Love ▁is ▁therefore ▁always ▁a ▁desire ▁for ▁imm ort ality . ▁ ▁Par ado x ically , ▁for ▁Pl ato , ▁the ▁object ▁of ▁er os ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁phys ically ▁beautiful . ▁This ▁is ▁because ▁the ▁object ▁of ▁er os ▁is ▁beauty , ▁and ▁the ▁greatest ▁beauty ▁is ▁et ernal , ▁whereas ▁physical ▁beauty ▁is ▁in ▁no ▁way ▁et ernal . ▁However , ▁if ▁the ▁lo ver ▁ach ieves ▁possession ▁of ▁the ▁bel oved ' s ▁inner ▁( i . e ., ▁ideal ) ▁beauty , ▁his