The Deipnosophists; or, Banquet of the Learned of Athenæus, Vol. 1 (of 3)Athenaeus, of Naucratis
General
The Deipnosophists; or, Banquet of the Learned of Athenæus, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Athenaeus, of Naucratis
Civilization, Greco-Roman; Dinners and dining -- Greece; Greece -- Social life and customs; Homosexuality -- Greece
And indeed the pottery of Attica is deservedly praised. But Eubulus
says, "Cnidian pots, Sicilian platters, and Megarian jars." And
Antiphanes enumerates "mustard, and also scammony juice from Cyprus;
cardamums from Miletus; onions from Samothrace; cabbages, kail, and
assafœtida from Carthage; thyme from Hymettus, and marjoram from
Tenedos."
51. The Persian king used to drink no other wine but that called the
Chalybonian, which Posidonius says is made in Damascus of Syria, from
vines which were planted there by the Persians; and at Issa, which is an
island in the Adriatic, Agatharchides says that wine is made which is
superior to every other wine whatever. The Chian and Thasian wines are
mentioned by Epilycus; who says that "the Chian and the Thasian wine
must be strained." And also,--
For all the ills that men endure,
Thasian is a certain cure;
For any head or stomach ache,
Thasian wine I always take,
And think it, as I home am reeling,
A present from the God of healing.
Clearchus speaks of "Lesbian wine, which Maro himself appears to me to
have been the maker of."
And Alexis says--
All wise men think
The Lesbian is the nicest wine to drink.
And again he says--
His whole thoughts every day incline
To drink what rich and rosy wine
From Thasos and from Lesbos comes,
And dainty cakes and sugarplums.
And again--
Hail, O Bacchus, ever dear,
You who from Lesbos drove dull care
With sparkling rosy wine;
He who would give one glass away,
Too vile on cheerful earth to stay,
Shall be no friend of mine.
And Ephippus sings--
Oh how luscious, oh how fine
Is the Pramnian Lesbian wine!
All who 're brave, and all who 're wise,
Much the wine of Lesbos prize.
And Antiphanes--
There is good meat, and plenteous dainty cheer;
And Thasian wine, perfumes, and garlands here;
Venus loves comfort; but where folks are poor,
The merry goddess ever shuns their door.
And Eubulus--
In Thasian wine or Chian soak your throttle,
Or take of Lesbian an old cobwebb'd bottle.
He speaks too of Psithian wine--
Give me some Psithian nectar, rich and neat,
To cool my thirst, and quench the burning heat.
And Anaxandrides mentions "a jar full of Psithian wine."
52. Thesmophorius of Trœzene entitles the second Θεσμοφοριάζουσαι of
Aristophanes Θεσμοφοριάσασαι. In that play the poet speaks of Peparethian
wine:--
Shun, my boy, the Pramnian cup,
Nor Thasian drink, nor Chian sup;
Nor let your glass with Peparethian brighten--
For bachelors that liquor's too exciting.
Eubulus says--
As sweet as
Wine from Leucas or Miletus.
Archestratus, the author of "The Art of giving a Banquet," says,--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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