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
"But who was it who got rid of the riches of Nicias of Pergasa, or of
Ischomachus? was it not Autoclees and Epiclees, who preferred living
with one another, and who considered everything second to pleasure?
and after they had squandered all this wealth, they drank hemlock
together, and so perished."
53. But, concerning the luxury of Alexander the Great, Ephippus the
Olynthian, in his treatise on the Deaths of Alexander and Hephæstion,
says that "he had in his park a golden throne, and couches with
silver feet, on which he used to sit and transact business with his
companions." But Nicobule says, that "while he was at supper all the
morris dancers and athletes studied to amuse the king; and at his very
last banquet, Alexander, remembering an episode in the Andromeda of
Euripides, recited it in a declamatory manner, and then drank a cup of
unmixed wine with great eagerness, and compelled all the rest to do
so too." And Ephippus tells us that "Alexander used to wear even the
sacred vestments at his entertainments; and sometimes he would wear the
purple robe, and cloven sandals, and horns of Ammon, as if he had been
the god; and sometimes he would imitate Diana, whose dress he often
wore while driving in his chariot; having on also a Persian robe, but
displaying above his shoulders the bow and javelin of the goddess.
Sometimes also he would appear in the guise of Mercury; at other times,
and indeed almost every day, he would wear a purple cloak, and a tunic
shot with white, and a cap which had a royal diadem attached to it. And
when he was in private with his friends he wore the sandals of Mercury,
and the petasus on his head, and held the caduceus in his hand. Often
also he wore a lion's skin, and carried a club, like Hercules."
[Sidenote: ALEXANDER.]
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account