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
46. And Philip, the father of Alexander, was a man very fond of
drinking, as Theopompus relates in the twenty-sixth book of his
History. And in another part of his History he writes, "Philip was a
man of violent temper and fond of courting dangers, partly by nature,
and partly too from drinking; for he was a very hard drinker, and
very often he would attack the enemy while he was drunk." And in his
fifty-third book, speaking of the things that took place at Chæronea,
and relating how he invited to supper the ambassadors of the Athenians
who were present there, he says, "But Philip, when they had gone away,
immediately sent for some of his companions, and bade the slaves summon
the female flute-players, and Aristonicus the harp-player, and Durion
the flute-player, and all the rest who were accustomed to drink with
him; for Philip always took people of that sort about with him, and
he had also invented for himself many instruments for banquets and
drinking-parties; for being very fond of drinking and a man intemperate
in his manners, he used to keep a good many buffoons and musicians and
professed jesters about him. And when he had spent the whole night
in drinking, and had got very drunk and violent, he then dismissed
all the rest, and when it was day-break proceeded in a riotous manner
to the ambassadors of the Athenians. And Carystius in his Historical
Commentaries says, that Philip, when he intended to get drunk, spoke in
this way: "Now we may drink; for it is quite sufficient if Antipater is
sober." And once, when he was playing at dice, and some one told him
that Antipater was coming, he hesitated a moment, and then thrust the
board under the couch.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account