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
However, as he gives no answer whatever to all these things which have
been said, I order him (as it is said in the Twins of Alexis) to be
carried out of the party, crowned with χύδαιοι garlands. But the comic
poet, alluding to χύδαιοι garlands, says—
These garlands all promiscuously (χύδην) woven.
But, after this, I will not carry on this conversation any further
to-day; but will leave the discussion about perfumes to those who
choose to continue it: and only desire the boy, on account of this
lecture of mine about garlands, as Antiphanes....
To bring now hither two good garlands,
And a good lamp, with good fire brightly burning;
for then I shall wind up my speech like the conclusion of a play.
And not many days after this, as if he had been prophesying a silence
for himself [which should be eternal], he died, happily, without
suffering under any long illness, to the great affliction of us his
companions.
[Sidenote: DYES.]
34. And while the slaves were bringing round perfumes in alabaster
boxes, and in other vessels made of gold, some one, seeing Cynulcus,
anointed his face with a great deal of ointment. But he, being awakened
by it, when he recollected himself, said;—What is this? O Hercules,
will not some one come with a sponge and wipe my face, which is
thus polluted with a lot of dirt? And do not you all know that that
exquisite writer Xenophon, in his Banquet, represents Socrates as
speaking thus:—"'By Jupiter! O Callias, you entertain us superbly;
for you have not only given us a most faultless feast, but you have
furnished us also with delicious food for our eyes and ears.'—'Well,
then,' said he, 'suppose any one were to bring us perfumes, in order
that we might also banquet on sweet smells?'—'By no means,' said
Socrates; 'for as there is one sort of dress fit for women and another
for men, so there is one kind of smell fit for women and another for
men. And no man is ever anointed with perfume for the sake of men; and
as to women, especially when they are brides,—as, for instance, the
bride of this Niceratus here, and the bride of Critobulus,—how can they
want perfumes in their husbands, when they themselves are redolent of
it? But the smell of the oil in the gymnasia, when it is present, is
sweeter than perfume to women; and when it is absent, they long more
for it. For if a slave and a freeman be anointed with perfume, they
both smell alike in a moment; but those smells which are derived from
free labours, require both virtuous habits and a good deal of time if
they are to be agreeable and in character with a freeman.'" And
that admirable writer Chrysippus says that perfumes (μύρα) derive their
name from being prepared with great toil (μόρος) and useless labour.
The Lacedæmonians even expel from Sparta those who make perfumes, as
being wasters of oil; and those who dye wool, as being destroyers of
the whiteness of the wool. And Solon the philosopher, in his laws,
forbade men to be sellers of perfumes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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