The Deipnosophists; or, Banquet of the Learned of Athenæus, Vol. 3 (of 3)Athenaeus, of Naucratis
Philosophy
The Deipnosophists; or, Banquet of the Learned of Athenæus, Vol. 3 (of 3)
Athenaeus, of Naucratis
Civilization, Greco-Roman; Dinners and dining -- Greece; Greece -- Social life and customs; Homosexuality -- Greece
80. Alexander the king was also very much in the habit of giving
in to this fashion. Accordingly, Dicæarchus, in his treatise on the
Sacrifice at Troy, says that he was so much under the influence of
Bagoas the eunuch, that he embraced him in the sight of the whole
theatre; and that when the whole theatre shouted in approval of the
action, he repeated it. And Carystius, in his Historic Commentaries,
says,—"Charon the Chalcidian had a boy of great beauty, who was a
great favourite of his: but when Alexander, on one occasion, at a great
entertainment given by Craterus, praised this boy very much, Charon
bade the boy go and salute Alexander: and he said, 'Not so, for he will
not please me so much as he will vex you.' For though the king was of a
very amorous disposition, still he was at all times sufficiently master
of himself to have a due regard to decorum, and to the preservation of
appearances. And in the same spirit, when he had taken as prisoners
the daughters of Darius, and his wife, who was of extraordinary
beauty, he not only abstained from offering them any insult, but he
took care never to let them feel that they were prisoners at all; but
ordered them to be treated in every respect, and to be supplied with
everything, just as if Darius had still been in his palace; on which
account, Darius, when he heard of this conduct, raised his hands to the
Sun and prayed that either he might be king, or Alexander."
But Ibycus states that Talus was a great favourite of Rhadamanthus the
Just. And Diotimus, in his Heraclea, says that Eurystheus was a great
favourite of Hercules, on which account he willingly endured all his
labours for his sake. And it is said that Argynnus was a favourite of
Agamemnon; and that they first became acquainted from Agamemnon seeing
Argynnus bathing in the Cephisus. And afterwards, when he was drowned
in this river, (for he was continually bathing in it,) Agamemnon
buried him, and raised a temple on the spot to Venus Argynnis. But
Licymnius of Chios, in his Dithyrambics, says that it was Hymenæus
of whom Argynnus was a favourite. And Aristocles the harp-player was
a favourite of King Antigonus: and Antigonus the Carystian, in his
Life of Zeno, writes of him in the following terms:—"Antigonus the
king used often to go to sup with Zeno; and once, as he was returning
by daylight from some entertainment, he went to Zeno's house, and
persuaded him to go with him to sup with Aristocles the harp-player,
who was an excessive favourite of the king's."
[Sidenote: LOVE.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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