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
38. And Timotheus, who was general of the Athenians, with a very high
reputation, was the son of a courtesan, a Thracian by birth, but,
except that she was a courtesan, of very excellent character; for when
women of this class do behave modestly, they are superior to those who
give themselves airs on account of their virtue. But Timotheus being on
one occasion reproached as being the son of a mother of that character,
said,—"But I am much obliged to her, because it is owing to her that
I am the son of Conon." And Carystius, in his Historic Commentaries,
says that Philetærus the king of Pergamus, and of all that country
which is now called the New Province, was the son of a woman named
Boa, who was a flute-player and a courtesan, a Paphlagonian by birth.
And Aristophon the orator, who in the archonship of Euclides proposed
a law, that every one who was not born of a woman who was a citizen
should be accounted a bastard, was himself, convicted, by Calliades the
comic poet, of having children by a courtesan named Choregis, as the
same Carystius relates in the third book of his Commentaries.
Besides all these men, was not Demetrius Poliorcetes evidently in love
with Lamia the flute-player, by whom he had a daughter named Phila? And
Polemo, in his treatise on the colonnade called Pœcile at Sicyon, says
that Lamia was the daughter of Cleanor an Athenian, and that she built
the before-mentioned colonnade for the people of Sicyon. Demetrius was
also in love with Leæna, and she was also an Athenian courtesan; and
with a great many other women besides.
39. And Machon the comic poet, in his play entitled the Chriæ, speaks
thus:—
But as Leæna was by nature form'd
To give her lovers most exceeding pleasure,
And was besides much favour'd by Demetrius,
They say that Lamia also gratified
The king; and when he praised her grace and quickness,
The damsel answer'd: And besides you can,
If you do wish, subdue a lioness (λέαιναν).
But Lamia was always very witty and prompt in repartee, as also was
Gnathæna, whom we shall mention presently. And again Machon writes thus
about Lamia:—
Demetrius the king was once displaying
Amid his cups a great variety
Of kinds of perfumes to his Lamia:
Now Lamia was a female flute-player,
With whom 'tis always said Demetrius
Was very much in love. But when she scoff'd
At all his perfumes, and, moreover, treated
The monarch with exceeding insolence,
He bade a slave bring some cheap unguent, and
He rubbed himself with that, and smear'd his fingers,
And said, "At least smell this, O Lamia,
And see how much this scent does beat all others."
She laughingly replied: "But know, O king,
That smell does seem to me the worst of all."
"But," said Demetrius, "I swear, by the gods,
That 'tis produced from a right royal nut."
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