The Deipnosophists; or, Banquet of the Learned of Athenæus, Vol. 2 (of 3)Athenaeus, of Naucratis
Philosophy
The Deipnosophists; or, Banquet of the Learned of Athenæus, Vol. 2 (of 3)
Athenaeus, of Naucratis
Civilization, Greco-Roman; Dinners and dining -- Greece; Greece -- Social life and customs; Homosexuality -- Greece
And Plato, in his Sophist, and Epicrates of Ambracia (and this last is
a poet of the middle comedy), in his Amazons, says—
For these men seem to me to have had their supper (δεδειπνάναι)
In capital season.
And, on the same principle, Aristophanes has given us the form
ἠρίσταμεν, in his Men Frying—
We've drank our fill, my men, and well have dined (ἠπίσταμεν).
And Hermippus, in his Soldiers, says—
To dine (ἀριστάναι), and come to this man's house.
And Theopompus, in his Callæschrus, says—
We've dined (ἠρίσταμεν);—for I must this discourse cut short.
But, in his Politician, Antipho has used the word καταριστᾶν, saying—
When any one has all consumed in dinners (κατηρίστηκεν)
His own estate, and that of all his family.
And Amphis has used the word παραδεδειπνημένος, in his Vagabond, saying—
The boys who long ago have lost their dinner (παραδεδειπνημένοι).
21. "Let us, then, now," as Plato says in his Philebus, "pray to the
gods, and pour libations to them, whether it be Bacchus, or Vulcan, or
whoever else of the gods it may be, who has had the honour of having
our cups mixed for his sake. For there are two fountains by us, as
if we were cupbearers to mix the wine: and a person might compare a
fountain of pleasure to honey; but the fountain of wisdom, which is a
sober and wine-eschewing spring, to that of some hard but wholesome
water, which we must be very earnest to mix as well as possible." It
is, then, time for us now to drink wine; and let some one of the slaves
bring us goblets from the sideboard, for I see here a great variety of
beautiful and variously-ornamented drinking-cups. Accordingly, when a
large cup had been given to him, he said,—But, O boy, draw out and pour
into my cup a liquor with not quite so much water in it; not like the
man in the comic poet Antiphanes, who, in the Twins, says—
[Sidenote: MIXING WINE.]
He took and brought me an enormous cup,
And I pour'd into it unmixed wine,
Not to the honour of a boy, but all
My cups, and they were numberless, I quaff'd
To all the gods and goddesses of heaven.
Then, after them, I drank twice as much more
To the great goddess and the noble king.
So do you now, O boy, pour me out something stronger; for I do not
prescribe to you the exact number of cyathi.[44] But I will show you
that the words κύαθος and ἀκρατέστερον (wine with less water in it) are
both used: and then, too, I will give you a lecture about cupbearers.
22. But, first of all, I will speak about the habit of drinking strong
drinks, with reference to which we find the word ζωρότερον. Antiphanes,
in his Milanion, says—
I think this man does drink the cup of health,
Making his cupbearer shun too much water (ζωροτέρῳ χρώμενον οἰνοχόῳ).
And in his Lampon he says—
My friend Iapyx, mix it somewhat stronger (εὐζωρέστερον).
And Ephippus, in his Ephebi, says—
He gave him in each hand a brimming flagon,
Mixing in strong wine (ζωρότερον), in Homer's fashion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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