Socrates achieved greatness through being invited to salons hosted by Aspasia, the great courtesan and salonnière of Athens during the fifth century BC.
Pericles, who claimed Aspasia as his mistress, also sought her wisdom. He later became the governor of Athens.
Throughout history, the greatest minds have gathered in salons – places where the people invited could be assured of meeting those who were of like mind – and if not of like interests, of sufficiently converging interests to make those meetings invaluable. Good food and good drink, and the salonnière’s hospitality, made sure that guests went home their bellies full and their minds even fuller.
They had connected with the leading minds of their generation – and had made their own mark.
Salons: Essential to Great Cultural Resurgences
When any society or civilization has a huge growth phase, one of the key factors has always been salons. While the luminaries of the time may have been (mostly) men, the women who hosted the salons made the genius of the guests sparkle.
And it is likely that the respect that participants showed to the invited speakers made those spots especially coveted.
If we look at a bit of history, we’ll find that salons were integral to the philosophical evolution during classical Athens, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment periods.
Themesis Salons
The essence of a salon is exclusivity.
The key to a successful salon is that invitations are sent out to a carefully-selected group of guests.
Salons are different from conferences, where anyone who can pay the conference fee can show up.
Themesis Salons – By Invitation Only
Themesis salons are the opportunity to meet with leading thinkers in business, world leadership, and artificial intelligence.
Salons are invitation only.
Those who have “opted-in” with Themesis will be considered. Invitations will be for specific salons, and to ensure that each salon includes only those whose interests and expertise are appropriate, an invitation to one salon does not necessarily mean that invitations to all others will be extended.
From time-to-time, Themesis will send out preliminary “indications of interest” to carefully-crafted lists of potential guests. Your response to those emails will indicate whether or not you receive a salon invitation.
A Little Background
Read a bit about Aspasia in this Brooklyn Museum description of her life, as part of the documentation for Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party.