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
Raise the loud shout to Pan, Arcadia's king;
Praise to the Nymphs' loved comrade sing!
Come, O Pan, and raise with me
The song in joyful ecstasy.
V.
We have conquer'd as we would,
The gods reward us as they should,
And victory bring from Pandrosos[138] to Pallas.
VI.
Oh, would the gods such grace bestow,
That opening each man's breast,
One might survey his heart, and know
How true the friendship that could stand that test.
VII.
Health's the best gift to mortal given;
Beauty is next; the third great prize
Is to grow rich, free both from sin and vice;
The fourth, to pass one's youth with friends beloved by heaven.
And when this had been sung, and everybody had been delighted with it;
and when it had been mentioned that even the incomparable Plato had
spoken of this scolium as one most admirably written, Myrtilus said,
that Anaxandrides the comic poet had turned it into ridicule in his
Treasure, speaking thus of it—
The man who wrote this song, whoe'er he was,
When he call'd health the best of all possessions,
Spoke well enough. But when the second place
He gave to beauty, and the third to riches,
He certainly was downright mad; for surely
Riches must be the next best thing to health,
For who would care to be a starving beauty?
After that, these other scolia were sung—
VIII.
'Tis well to stand upon the shore,
And look on others on the sea;
But when you once have dipp'd your oar,
By the present wind you must guided be.
IX.
A crab caught a snake in his claw,
And thus he triumphantly spake,—
"My friends must be guided by law,
Nor love crooked counsels to take."
[Sidenote: SCOLIA.]
X.
I'll wreathe my sword in myrtle-bough,
The sword that laid the tyrant low,
When patriots, burning to be free,
To Athens gave equality.[139]
XI.
Harmodius, hail! though reft of breath,
Thou ne'er shalt feel the stroke of death.
The happy heroes' isles shall be
The bright abode allotted thee.
XII.
I'll wreathe the sword in myrtle-bough,
The sword that laid Hipparchus low,
When at Minerva's adverse fane
He knelt, and never rose again.
XIII.
While Freedom's name is understood,
You shall delight the wise and good;
You dared to set your country free,
And gave her laws equality.
XIV.
Learn, my friend, from Admetus' story,
All worthy friends and brave to cherish;
But cowards shun when danger comes,
For they will leave you alone to perish,
XV.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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