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
60. And Demetrius Phalereus, as Duris says in the sixteenth volume of
his Histories, being possessed of a revenue of twelve hundred talents
a-year, and spending a small portion of it on his soldiers, and on
the necessary expenses of the state, squandered all the rest of it on
gratifying his innate love of debauchery, having splendid banquets
every day, and a great number of guests to feast with him. And in the
prodigality of his expense in his entertainments, he outdid even
the Macedonians, and, at the same time, in the elegance of them, he
surpassed the Cyprians and Phœnicians. And perfumes were sprinkled
over the ground, and many of the floors in the men's apartments were
inlaid with flowers, and were exquisitely wrought in other ways by
the artists. There were also secret meetings with women, and other
scenes more shameful still. And Demetrius, who gave laws to others,
and who regulated the lives of others, exhibited in his own life an
utter contempt of all law. He also paid great attention to his personal
appearance, and dyed the hair of his head with a yellow colour, and
anointed his face with rouge, and smeared himself over with other
unguents also; for he was anxious to appear agreeable and beautiful in
the eyes of all whom he met.
And in the procession of the Dionysia, which he celebrated when he
was archon at Athens, a chorus sang an ode of Siromen the Solensian,
addressed to him, in which he was called, Like the Sun:—
And above all the noble prince
Demetrius, like the sun in face,
Honours you, Bacchus, with a holy worship.
And Carystius of Pergamus, in the third book of his Commentaries,
says—"Demetrius Phalereus, when his brother Himeræus was put to death
by Antipater, was himself staying with Nicanor; and he was accused of
having sacrificed the Epiphaneia in honour of his brother. And after
he became a friend of Cassander, he was very powerful. And at first
his dinner consisted of a kind of pickle, containing olives from all
countries, and cheese from the islands; but when he became rich, he
bought Moschion, the most skilful of all the cooks and confectioners
of that age. And he had such vast quantities of food prepared for
him every day, that, as he gave Moschion what was left each day, he
(Moschion) in two years purchased three detached houses in the city;
and insulted freeborn boys, and some of the wives of the most eminent
of the citizens: and all the boys envied Theognis, with whom he was in
love. And so important an honour was it considered to be allowed to
come near Demetrius, that, as he one day had walked about after dinner
near the Tripods, on all the following days all the most beautiful boys
came together to that place, in the hopes of being seen by him."
[Sidenote: LUCULLUS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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