They preferred such plays as these;—when the first person had recited a verse, the others were bound to quote the verse following; or if any one had quoted a sentence from some poet, the rest were bound to produce a sentence from some other poet expressing the same sentiments. After that, every one was bound to repeat an iambic. And then, each person was to repeat a line of such and such a number of syllables precisely; and so on with everything that related to any acquaintance with letters and syllables. And in a similar manner they would be bound to repeat the names of all the commanders in the army which attacked Troy, or of all the Trojan leaders: or to tell the name of some city in Asia beginning with a given letter; and then the next person was to tell the name of a city in Europe: and then they were to go through the rest according as they were desired to give the names of Grecian or barbarian cities; so that this sport, not being an inconsiderate one, was a sort of exhibition of the ability and learning of each individual. And the prizes given were a garland and applause, things by which love for one another is especially sweetened." 87. This, then, was what Clearchus said; and the things which he says one ought to propose, are, I imagine, such as these. For one person to quote a line in Homer beginning with Alpha, and ending with the same letter, such as— Ἀγχοῦ δ᾽ ἱσταμένη ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα. Ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε νῦν μάστιγα καὶ ἡνία σιγαλόεντα. Ἀσπίδας εὐκύκλους λαισήαϊ τε πτερόεντα. And, again, they quoted iambics on a similar principle— Ἀγαθὸς ἀνὴρ λέγοιτ᾽ ἄν, ὁ φέρων τ᾽ ἀγαθά. Ἀγαθὸς ἂν εἴη καὶ ὁ φέρων καλῶς κακά. Or lines in Homer beginning and ending with ε, as— Εὗρε λυκάονος υἷον ἀμύμονά τε κρατερόν τε. Ἐν πόλει ὑμετέρῃ ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἔμελλον ἔγωγε. And iambics on the same principle— Εὐκαταφρόνητός ἐστι πενία, δέρκυλε: Ἐπὶ τοῖς παροῦσι τὸν βίον διάπλεκε. And lines of Homer beginning and ending with η, as— Ἠ μὲν ἄπ᾽ ὥς εἰποῦσ᾽ ἀπέβη γλαυκῶπις ᾿αθήνη: Ἠ δ᾽ ἐν γούνασι πίπτε διώνης δῖ ᾿αφροδίτη. And iambics— Ἠ τῶν φίλων σοι πίστις ἔστω κεκριμένη. Lines in Homer beginning and ending with ι, as— Ἰλίου ἐξαπολοίατ᾽ ἀκήδεστοι καὶ ἄφαντοι: Ἰππόλοχος δέ μ᾽ ἔτικτε καὶ ἐκ τοῦ φημὶ γενέσθαι. Beginning and ending with σ, as— Συμπάντων δαναῶν, οὐδ᾽ ἢν ᾿αγαμέμνονα εἴπῃς. And iambics as— Σοφος ἐστιν ὁ φέρων τἀπὸ τῆς τύχης καλῶς. And beginning and ending with ω, as— Ὠς δ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἀπ᾽ οὐλύμπου νέφος ἔρχεται οὐρανὸν εἴσω. And iambics as— Ὠρθωμένην πρὸς ἅπαντα τὴν ψύχην ἔχω. Sometimes too, it is well to propound lines without a sigma, as— Πάντ᾽ ἐθέλω δόμεναι, καὶ ἔτ᾽ οἴκοθεν ἄλλ᾽ ἐπιθεῖναι: and again, to quote lines of Homer, of which the first syllable when connected with the last, will make some name, such as— ἌΙας δ᾽ ἐκ Σαλαμῖνος ἄγεν δύο καὶ δεκα νῆΑΣ: φΥΛείδης ὃν τίκτε Διῒ φίλος ἵπποτα φυλεΥΣ. Ἰητὴρ δ᾽ ἀγαθὸς Ποδαλείριος ἠδὲ ΜάχαΩΝ.