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 among the Greeks, the mother of Phœnix does not tolerate the
concubine of Amyntor. And Medea, although well acquainted with the
fashion, as one well established among the barbarians, refuses to
tolerate the marriage of Glauce, having been forsooth already initiated
in better and Greek habits. And Clytæmnestra, being exceedingly
indignant at a similar provocation, slays Cassandra with Agamemnon
himself, whom the monarch brought with him into Greece, having given
in to the fashion of barbarian marriages. "And a man may wonder,"
says Aristotle, "that Homer has nowhere in the Iliad represented any
concubine as living with Menelaus, though he has given wives to every
one else. And accordingly, in Homer, even old men sleep with women,
such as Nestor and Phœnix. For these men were not worn out or disabled
in the time of their youth, either by intoxication, or by too much
indulgence in love; or by any weakness of digestion engendered by
gluttony; so that it was natural for them to be still vigorous in old
age. The king of Sparta, then, appears to have too much respect for
his wedded wife Helena, on whose account he collected all the Grecian
army; and on this account he keeps aloof from any other connexion. But
Agamemnon is reproached by Thersites, as a man with many wives—
'Tis thine, whate'er the warrior's breast inflames, The golden spoil,
and thine the lovely dames; With all the wealth our wars and blood
bestow, Thy tents are crowded and thy chests o'erflow.[14]
"But it is not natural," says Aristotle, "to suppose that all that
multitude of female slaves were given to him as concubines, but only
as prizes; since he also provided himself with a great quantity of
wine,—but not for the purpose of getting drunk himself."
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account