[693] Presumably this refers to the grandson of Nicias, the leader of the expedition to Sicily; he must have been sixteen or seventeen years old about that time, since, according to Lysias, Niceratus, the son of the great Nicias, was killed in 405 B.C. and had left a son of tender age behind him, who bore the name of his grandfather. [694] That is, the pale-faced folk in the Assembly already referred to--really the women there present surreptitiously. [695] To eat cuttle-fish was synonymous with enjoying the highest felicity. [696] A common vulgar saying, used among the Athenians, as much as to say, _To the devil with interruptions!_ [697] This stood in the centre of the market-place. [698] It was the custom at Athens to draw lots to decide in which Court each dicast should serve; Praxagora proposes to apply the same system to decide the dining station for each citizen. [699] In Greek [Greek: h_e basileius]([Greek: stoa], understood), the first letter a [Greek: b_eta.] [700] Commencing with a [Greek: Th_eta]. [701] [Greek: Ha alphitop_olis stoa]; why [Greek: kappa], it is hard to say; from some popular nickname probably, which is unknown to us. [702] The pun cannot be kept in English; it is between [Greek: kaptein], to gobble, to cram oneself, and [Greek: kappa], the designating letter. [703] That is, one of the beautiful maidens selected to bear the baskets containing the sacred implements in procession at the Festival of Demeter, Bacchus and Athené. [704] The slave-girl who attended each Canephoros, and sheltered her from the sun's rays. [705] Mentioned a little above for his ugliness; the Scholiast says he was a general. [706] Hydriaphoros; the wives of resident aliens ([Greek: metoikoi]) were allowed to take part in these processions, but in a subordinate position; they carried vessels full of water for the service of the sacrifice. [707] Scaphephoros, bearer of the vases containing the honey required for the sacrifices. The office was assigned to the [Greek: metoikoi] as a recognition of their semi-citizenship. [708] A miser, who, moreover, was obstinately constipated. [709] Presumably a man in extreme poverty. [710] The ancients carried small coins in their mouth; this custom still obtains to-day in the East. [711] This Euripides was the son of the tragic poet. [712] This Smaeus was a notorious debauchee; the phrase contains obscene allusions, implying that he was ready both to ride a woman or to lick her privates--[Greek: kel_etizein] or [Greek: lesbiazein]. [713] Geres, an old fop, who wanted to pass as a young man. [714] According to Greek custom, these were left at the entrance of the banqueting-hall. [715] The names of his slaves. [716] A specimen of the _serenades_ ([Greek: paraklausithura]) of the Greeks. [717] An Attic deme. There is an obscene jest here; the word [Greek: anaphlan] means to masturbate.