THE author of the DEIPNOSOPHISTS was an Egyptian, born in Naucratis, a town on the left side of the Canopic Mouth of the Nile. The age in which he lived is somewhat uncertain, but his work, at least the latter portion of it, must have been written after the death of Ulpian the lawyer, which happened A. D. 228. Athenæus appears to have been imbued with a great love of learning, in the pursuit of which he indulged in the most extensive and multifarious reading; and the principal value of his work is, that by its copious quotations it preserves to us large fragments from the ancient poets, which would otherwise have perished. There are also one or two curious and interesting extracts in prose; such, for instance, as the account of the gigantic ship built by Ptolemæus Philopator, extracted from a lost work of Callixenus of Rhodes. The work commences, in imitation of Plato's Phædo, with a dialogue, in which Athenæus and Timocrates supply the place of Phædo and Echecrates. The former relates to his friend the conversation which passed at a banquet given at the house of Laurentius, a noble Roman, between some of the guests, the best known of whom are Galen and Ulpian. The first two books, and portions of the third, eleventh, and fifteenth, exist only in an Epitome, of which both the date and author are unknown. It soon, however, became more common than the original work, and eventually in a great degree superseded it. Indeed Bentley has proved that the only knowledge which, in the time of Eustathius, existed of Athenæus, was through its medium. Athenæus was also the author of a book entitled, “On the Kings of Syria,” of which no portion has come down to us. The text which has been adopted in the present translation is that of Schweighäuser. C. D. Y.The Character of Laurentius Hospitable and Liberal Men Those who have written about Feasts Epicures The Praises of Wine Names of Meals Fashions at Meals Dances Games Baths Partiality of the Greeks for Amusements Dancing and Dancers Use of some Words Exercise Kinds of Food Different kinds of Wine The Produce of various places Different Wines ***The first two Books, and a portion of the third, as is known to the scholar, exist only in Epitome. ATHENAEUS is the author of this book; and in it he is discoursing with Timocrates: and the name of the book is the Deipnosophists. In this work Laurentius is introduced, a Roman, a man of distinguished fortune, giving a banquet in his own house to men of the highest eminence for every kind of learning and accomplishment; and there is no sort of gentlemanly knowledge which he does not mention in the conversation which he attributes to them; for he has put down in his book, fish, and their uses, and the meaning of their names; and he has described divers kinds of vegetables, and animals of all sorts. He has introduced also men who have written histories, and poets, and, in short, clever men of all sorts; and he discusses musical instruments, and quotes ten thousand jokes: he talks of the different kinds of drinking cups, and of the riches of kings, and the size of ships, and numbers of other things which I cannot easily enumerate, and the day would fail me if I endeavoured to go through them separately. And the arrangement of the conversation is an imitation of a sumptuous banquet; and the plan of the book follows the arrangement of the conversation. This, then, is the delicious feast of words which this admirable master of the feast, Athenæus, has prepared for us; and gradually sur- passing himself, like the orator at Athens, as he warms with his subject, he bounds on towards the end of the book in noble strides.And the Deipnosophists who were present at this banquet were, Masyrius, an expounder of the law, and one who had been no superficial student of every sort of learning; Magnus.... [Myrtilus] a poet, a man who in other branches of learning was inferior to no one, and who had devoted himself in no careless manner to the whole circle of arts and learning; for in everything which he discussed, he appeared as if that was the sole thing which he had studied; so great and so various was his learning from his childhood. And he was an iambic poet, inferior to no one who has ever lived since the time of Archilochus. There were present also Plutarchus, and Leonidas of Elis, and Aemilianus the Mauritanian, and Zöilus, all the most admirable of grammarians. And of philosophers there were present Pontianus and Democritus, both of Nicomedia; men superior to all their contemporaries in the extent and variety of their learning; and Philadelphus of Ptolemais, a man who had not only been bred up from his infancy in philosophical speculation, but who was also a man of the highest reputation in every part of his life. Of the Cynics, there was one whom he calls Cynulcus, who had not only two white dogs following him, as they did Telemachus when he went to the assembly, but a more numerous pack than even Actæon had. And of rhetoricians there was a whole troop, in no respect inferior to the Cynics. And these last, as well, indeed, as every one else who ever opened his mouth, were run down by Uppianus the Tyrian, who, on account of the everlasting questions which he keeps putting every hour in the streets, and walks, and booksellers' shops, and baths, has got a name by which he is better known than by his real one, Ceitouceitus. This man had a rule of his own, to eat nothing without saying κεῖται; ἢ οὐ κεῖται; In this way, “Can we say of the word ὥρα that it κεῖται, or is applicable to any part of the day? And is the word μέθυσος, or drunk, applicable to a man? Can the word μήτρα, or paunch, be applied to any eatable food? Is the name σύαγρος a compound word applicable to a boar?”—And of physicians there were present Daphnus the Ephesian, a man holy both in his art and by his manners, a man of no slight insight into the principles of the Academic school; and Galenus of Pergamos, who has published such numbers of philosophical and medical works as to surpass all those who preceded him, and who is inferior to none of the guests in the eloquence of his descriptions. And Rufinus of Mylæa.—And of musicians, Alcides of Alexandria, was present. So that the whole party was so numerous that the catalogue looks rather like a muster-roll of soldiers, than the list of a dinner party.
Ἀθήναιος μὲν ὁ τῆς βίβλου πατήρ· ποιεῖται δὲ τὸν λόγον πρὸς Τιμοκράτην Δειπνοσοφιστὴς δὲ ταύτῃ τὸ ὄνομα. ὑπόκειται δὲ τῷ λόγῳ Λαρήνσιος Ῥωμαῖος, ἀνὴρ τῇ τύχῃ περιφανής, τοὺς κατὰ πᾶσαν παιδείαν ἐμπειροτάτους ἐν τοῖς αὑτοῦ δαιτυμόνας ποιούμενος· ἐν οἷς οὐκ ἔσθ’ οὗτινος τῶν καλλίστων οὐκ ἐμνημόνευσεν. ἰχθῦς τε γὰρ τῇ βίβλῳ ἐνέθετο καὶ τὰς τούτων χρείας καὶ τὰς τῶν ὀνομάτων ἀναπτύξεις, καὶ λαχάνων γένη παντοῖα. καὶ ζῴων παντοδαπῶν, καὶ ἄνδρας ἱστορίας συγγεγραφότας καὶ ποιητὰς καὶ φιλοσόφους, καὶ ὄργανα μουσικὰ καὶ σκωμμάτων εἴδη μυρία· καὶ ἐκπωμάτων διαφορὰς καὶ πλούτους βασιλέων διηγήσατο, καὶ νηῶν μεγέθη, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα οὐδ’ ἂν εὐχερῶς ἀπομνημονεύσαιμι, ἢ ἐπιλίποι ἂν με ἡ ἡμέρα κατ’ εἶδος διεξερχόμενον. καί ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ λόγου οἰκονομία μίμημα τῆς τοῦ δείπνου πολυτελείας, καὶ ἡ τῆς βίβλου διασκευὴ τῆς ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ παρασκευῆς. τοιοῦτον ὁ θαυμαστὸς οὗτος τοῦ λόγου οἰκονόμος Ἀθήναιος ἥδιστον λογόδειπνον εἰσηγεῖται κρείττων τε αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ γινόμενος, ὥσπερ οἱ Ἀθήνησι ῥήτορες, ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν τῷ λέγειν θερμότητος πρὸς τὰ ἑπόμενα τῆς βίβλου βαθμηδὸν ὑπεράλλεται. οἱ δ’ ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ δῆθεν ἐπιδημήσαντες δειπνοσοφισταὶ ἦσαν Μανσούριος, νόμων ἐξηγητὴς καὶ πάσης παιδείας οὐ παρέργως ἐπιμέλειαν ποιούμενος, μόνος ποιητής, ἀνὴρ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἄλλην παιδείαν οὐδενὸς δεύτερος καὶ τὴν ἐγκύκλιον οὐ παρέργως ἐζηλωκώς· ἕκαστον γὰρ ὧν ἐπεδείκνυτο ὡς μόνον τοῦτο ἠσκηκὼς ἐφαίνετο, τοιαύτῃ πολυμαθείᾳ ἐκ παίδων συνετράφη· ἰάμβων δὲ ἦν αποιητὴς οὐδενὸς δεύτερος φησί, τῶν μετ’ Ἀρχίλοχον ποιητῶν. παρῆν δὲ καὶ Πλούταρχος καὶ Λεωνίδης ὁ Ἠλεῖος καὶ Αἰμιλιανὸς ὁ Μαυρούσιος καὶ Ζωίλος, γραμματικῶν οἱ χαριέστατοι. φιλοσόφων δὲ παρῆσαν Ποντιανὸς καὶ Δημόκριτος οἱ Νικομηδεῖς, πολυμαθείᾳ πάντας ὑπερηκοντικότες, Φιλάδελφός τε ὁ Πτολεμαεύς, ἀνὴρ οὐ μόνον ἐν φιλοσόφῳ θεωρίᾳ τεθραμμένος, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἄλλον βίον ἐξητασμένος. τῶν δὲ κυνικῶν εἷς ἦν ὃν Κύνουλκον καλεῖ ᾧ οὐ μόνον δύο κύνες ἀργοὶ εἵποντο, ὡς τῷ Τηλεμάχῳ ἐκκλησιάζοντι, ἀλλὰ τῶν Ἀκταίωνος πολὺ πλείονες. ῥητόρων τε ἦν ἄγυρις τῶν κυνικῶν κατ’ οὐδὲν ἀπολειπομένη· ὧν κατέτρεχε μετὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὅσοι τι ἐφθέγγοντο Οὐλπιανὸς ὁ Τύριος, ὃς διὰ τὰς συνεχεῖς ζητήσεις, ἃς ἀνὰ πᾶσαν ὥραν ποιεῖται ἐν ταῖς ἀγυιαῖς, περιπάτοις, βιβλιοπωλείοις, βαλανείοις ἔσχεν ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου διασημότερον Κειτούκειτος. οὗτος ὁ ἀνὴρ νόμον εἶχεν ἴδιον μηδενὸς ἀποτρώγειν πρὶν εἰπεῖν κεῖται ἢ οὐ κεῖται; οἷον εἰ κεῖται ὥρα ἐπὶ τοῦ τῆς ἡμέρας μορίου, εἰ ὁ μέθυσος ἐπὶ ἀνδρός, εἰ ἡ μήτρα κεῖται ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδωδίμου βρώματος, εἰ σύαγρος κεῖται τὸ σύνθετον ἐπὶ τοῦ συός. ἰατρῶν δὲ παρῆσαν Δάφνος Ἐφέσιος, ἱερὸς τὴν τέχνην καὶ κατὰ τὰ ἤθη, τῶν Ἀκαδημαικῶν λόγων οὐ παρέργως ἁπτόμενος,, Γαληνός τε ὁ Περγαμηνός, ὃς τοσαῦτ’ ἐκδέδωκε συγγράμματα φιλόσοφὰ τε καὶ ἰατρικὰ ὡς πάντας ὑπερβαλεῖν τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν οὐδενὸς ὢν τῶν ἀρχαίων ἀδυνατώτερος, Ῥουφῖνός τε ὁ Νικαεύς. μουσικὸς δὲ παρῆν Ἀλκείδης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, καί. ἦν ὁ κατάλογος οὗτος στρατιωτικός, φησί, μᾶλλον ἢ συμποτικός.
And Athenæus dramatises his dialogue in imitation of the manner of Plato. And thus he begins:— TIMOCRATES. ATHENAEUS. Tim. Were you, Athenæus, yourself present at that delightful party of the men whom they now call Deipnosophists; which has been so much talked of all over the city; or is it only from having heard an account of it from others that you spoke of it to your companions? Ath. I was there myself, Timocrates. Tim. I wish, then, that you would communicate to us also some of that agreeable conversation which you had over your cups;Make your hand perfect by a third attempt,as the bard of Cyrene says somewhere or other; or must we ask some one else?
δραματουργεῖ δὲ τὸν διάλογον ὁ Ἀθήναιος ζήλῳ Πλατωνικῷ· οὕτως γοῦν ἄρχεται·αὐτός, ὦ Ἀθήναιε, μετειληφὼς τῆς καλῆς ἐκείνης συνουσίας τῶν νῦν ἐπικληθέντων δειπνοσοφιστῶν, ἥτις ἀνὰ τὴν πόλιν πολυθρύλητος ἐγένετο, ἢ παρ’ ἄλλου μαθὼν τοῖς ἑταίροις. διεξῄεις, αὐτός, ὦ Τιμόκρατες, μετασχών.ἆρ’ οὖν ἐθελήσεις καὶ ἡμῖν τῶν καλῶν ἐπικυλικίων λόγων μεταδοῦναι τρὶς δὲ ἀπομαξαμένοισι θεοὶ διδόασιν ἄμεινον, ὣς πού φησιν ὁ Κυρηναῖος ποιητήσ—ἢ παρ’ ἄλλου τινὸς ἡμᾶς ἀναπυνθάνεσθαι δεῖ.
Then after a little while he proceeds to the praises of Laurentius, and says that he, being a man of a munificent spirit, and one who collected numbers of learned men about him, feasted them not only with other things, but also with conversation, at one time proposing questions deserving of investigation, and at another asking for information himself; not suggesting subjects without examination, or in any random manner, but as far as was possible with a critical and Socratic discernment; so that every one marvelled at the systematic character of his questions. And he says, too, that he was appointed superintendant of the temples and sacrifices by that best of all sovereigns Marcus; and that he was no less conversant with the literature of the Greeks than with that of his own countrymen. And he calls him a sort of Asteropæus, equally acquainted with both languages. And he says that he was well versed in all the religious ceremonies instituted by Romulus, who gave his name to the city, and by Numa Pompilius; and that he is learned in all the laws of politics; and that he has arrived at all this learning solely from the study of ancient decrees and resolutions; and from the collection of the laws which (as Eupolis, the comic writer, says of the poems of Pindar) are already reduced to silence by the disinclination of the multitude for elegant learning. He had also, says he, such a library of ancient Greek books, as to exceed in that respect all those who are remarkable for such collections; such as Polycrates of Samos, and Pisistratus who was tyrant of Athens, and Euclides who was himself also an Athenian, and Nicorrates the Samian, and even the kings of Pergamos, and Euripides the poet, and Aristotle the philosopher, and Nelius his librarian; from whom they say that our countryman Ptolemæus, surnamed Philadelphus, bought them all, and transported them with all those which he had collected at Athens and at Rhodes to his own beautiful Alexandria. So that a man may fairly quote the verses of Antiphanes and apply them to him:—You court the heav'nly muse with ceaseless zeal,And seek to open all the varied storesOf high philosophy.And as the Theban lyric poet says:—Nor less renown'd his hand essaysTo wake the muse's choicest lays,Such as the social feast aroundFull oft our tuneful band inspire.And when inviting people to his feasts, he causes Rome to be looked upon as the common country of all of them. For who can regret what he has left in his own country, while dwelling with a man who thus opens his house to all his friends. For as Apollodorus the comic poet says:—Whene'er you cross the threshhold of a friend,How welcome you may be needs no long timeTo feel assured of; blithe the porter looks,The house-dog wags his tail, and rubs his noseAgainst your legs; and servants hasten quick,Unbidden all, since their lord's secret wishIs known full well, to place an easy chairTo rest your weary limbs.
εἶτα εἰσβάλλει μετ’ ὀλίγον εἰς τὸν τοῦ Λαρηνσίου ἔπαινον καὶ λέγει· ὃς ὑπὸ φιλοτιμίας πολλοὺς τῶν ἀπὸ παιδείας συναθροίζων οὐ μόνον τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγοις εἱστία, τὰ μὲν προβάλλων τῶν ἀξίων ζητήσεως, τὰ δὲ ἀνευρίσκων, οὐκ ἀβασανίστως οὐδ’ ἐκ τοῦ παρατυχόντος τὰς ζητήσεις ποιούμενος, ἀλλ’ ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα μετὰ κριτικῆς τινος καὶ Σωκρατικῆς ἐπιστήμης, ὡς πάντας θαυμάζειν τῶν ζητήσεων τὴν τήρησιν. λέγει δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ καθεσταμένον ἐπὶ τῶν ἱερῶν εἶναι καὶ θυσιῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ πάντα ἀρίστου βασιλέως Μάρκου καὶ μὴ ἔλαττον τῶν πατρίων τὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων μεταχειρίζεσθαι. καλεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ Ἀστεροπαῖόν τινα ἐπ’ ἴσης ἀμφοτέρων τῶν φωνῶν προιστάμενον. λέγει δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ ἔμπειρον εἶναι ἱερουργιῶν τῶν νομισθεισῶν ὑπό τε τοῦ τῆς πόλεως ἐπωνύμου Ῥωμύλου καὶ Πομπιλίου Νουμᾶ καὶ ἐπιστήμονα νόμων πολιτικῶν. πάντα δὲ ταῦτα μόνον ἐξευρεῖν ἐκ παλαιῶν ψηφισμάτων καὶ δογμάτων τηρήσεως, ἔτι δὲ νόμων συναγωγῆς οὐκέτι διδάσκουσιν, ὡς τὰ Πινδάρου ὁ κωμῳδιοποιὸς Εὔπολίς φησιν, ἤδη κατασεσιγασμένων ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν ἀφιλοκαλίας. ἦν δέ, φησί, καὶ βιβλίων κτῆσις αὐτῷ ἀρχαίων Ἑλληνικῶν τοσαύτη ὡς ὑπερβάλλειν πάντας τοὺς ἐπὶ συναγωγῇ τεθαυμασμένους, Πολυκράτην τε τὸν Σάμιον καὶ Πεισίστρατον τὸν Ἀθηναίων τυραννήσαντα Εὐκλείδην τε τὸν καὶ αὐτὸν Ἀθηναῖον καὶ Νικοκράτην τὸν Κύπριον ἔτι τε τοὺς Περγάμου βασιλέας Εὐριπίδην τε τὸν ποιητὴν Ἀριστοτέλην τε τὸν φιλόσοφον καὶ Θεόφραστον καὶ τὸν τὰ τούτων διατηρήσαντα βιβλία Νηλέα· παρ’ οὗ πάντα φησί, πριάμενος ὁ ἡμεδαπὸς βασιλεὺς Πτολεμαῖος, Φιλάδελφος δὲ ἐπίκλην, μετὰ τῶν Ἀθήνηθεν καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ Ῥόδου εἰς τὴν καλὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν μετήγαγε. διόπερ ἐκεῖνα τῶν Ἀντιφάνους ἐρεῖ τις εἰς αὐτόν· ἀεὶ δὲ πρὸς Μούσαισι καὶ λόγοις πάρει, ὅπου τι σοφίας ἔργον ἐξετάζεται. ἀγλαίζεται δὲ καὶ μουσικᾶς ἐν ἀώτῳ οἷα παίζομεν φίλαν ἄνδρες ἀμφὶ θαμὰ τράπεζαν, κατὰ τὸν Θηβαῖον μελοποιόν. καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς ἑστιάσεις δὲ παρακαλῶν πατρίδα, φησί, τὴν Ῥώμην πᾶσιν ἀποφαίνει. τίς γὰρ τὰ οἴκοι ποθεῖ τούτῳ ξυνὼν ἀναπεπταμένην ἔχοντι τοῖς φίλοις τὴν οἰκίαν; κατὰ γὰρ τὸν κωμῳδιοποιὸν Ἀπολλόδωρον· εἰς οἰκίαν ὅταν τις εἰσίῃ φίλου ἔστιν θεωρεῖν Νικοφῶν, τὴν τοῦ φίλου εὔνοιαν εὐθὺς εἰσιόντα τὰς θύρας. ὁ θυρωρὸς ἱλαρὸς πρῶτόν ἐστιν, ἡ κύων ἔσηνε καὶ προσῆλθ᾽, ὑπαντήσας δέ τις δίφρον εὐθέως ἔθηκε, κἂν μηδεὶς λέγῃ μηδέν.
It would be a good thing if other rich men were like him; since when a man acts in a different manner, people are apt to say to him, “Why are you so mean You tents are full of wine.”Call the elders to the feast,Such a course befits you best.Such as this was the magnanimity of the great Alexander. And Conon, after he had conquered the Lacedæmonians in the sea-fight off Cnidus, and fortified the Piræus, sacrificed a real hecatomb, which deserved the name, and feasted all the Athenians. And Alcibiades, who conquered in the chariot race at the Olympic games, getting the first, and second, and fourth prizes, (for which victories Euripides wrote a triumphal ode,) having sacrificed to Olympian Jupiter, feasted the whole assembly. And Leophron did the same at the Olympic games, Simonides of Ceos writing a triumphal ode for him. And Empedocles of Agrigentum, having gained the victory in the horse race at the Olympic games, as he was himself a Pythagorean, and as such one who abstained from meat, made an image of an ox of myrrh, and frankincense, and the most expensive spices, and distributed it among all who came to that festival. And Ion of Chios, having gained the tragic crown at Athens, gave a pot of Chian wine to every Athenian citizen. For Antiphanes says:—For why should any man wealth desire,'And seek to pile his treasures higher,If it were not to aid his friends in their need,And to gain for himself love's and gratitude's meed?For all can drink and all can eat,And it is not only the richest meat,Or the oldest wine in the well-chased bowlWhich can banish hunger and thirst from the soul.And Xenophanes of Chalcedon, and Speusippus the Academic philosopher, and Aristotle, have all written drinking sons. And in the same manner Gellias of Agrigentum, being a very hospitable man, and very attentive to all his guests, gave a tunic and cloak to every one of five hundred horsemen who once came to him from Gela in the winter season.
τοιούτους ἔδει καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς εἶναι πλουσίους, ὡς τοῖς γε μὴ τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν ἐρεῖ τις τί μικρολόγος εἶ, πλεῖαί τοι οἴνου κλισίαι· δαίνυ δαῖτα γέρουσι θάλειαν· ἔοικέ τοι. τοιοῦτος ἦν τῇ μεγαλοψυχίᾳ ὁ μέγας Ἀλέξανδρος. Κόνων δὲ τῇ περὶ Κνίδον ναυμαχίᾳ νικήσας Λακεδαιμονίους καὶ τειχίσας τὸν Πειραιᾶ ἑκατόμβην τῷ ὄντι θύσας καὶ οὐ ψευδωνύμως, πάντας Ἀθηναίους εἱστίασεν. Ἀλκιβιάδης δὲ Ὀλύμπια νικήσας ἅρματι πρῶτος καὶ δεύτερος καὶ τέταρτος, εἰς ἃς νίκας καὶ Εὐριπίδης ἔγραψεν ἐπινίκιον, θύσας Ὀλυμπίῳ Διὶ τὴν πανήγυριν πᾶσαν εἱστίασε. τὸ αὐτὸ ἐποίησε καὶ Λεώφρων Ὀλυμπίασιν, ἐπινίκιον γράψαντος τοῦ Κείου Σιμωνίδου. Ἐμπεδοκλῆς δ’ ὁ Ἀκραγαντῖνος ἵπποις Ὀλύμπια νικήσας, Πυθαγορικὸς ὢν καὶ ἐμψύχων ἀπεχόμενος, ἐκ σμύρνης καὶ λιβανωτοῦ καὶ τῶν πολυτελεστάτων ἀρωμάτων βοῦν ἀναπλάσας διένειμε τοῖς εἰς τὴν πανήγυριν ἀπαντήσασιν. ὁ δὲ Χῖος Ἴων τραγῳδίαν νικήσας Ἀθήνησιν ἑκάστῳ τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἔδωκε Χίου κεράμιον. τοῦ γάρ τις ἄλλου πρὸς θεῶν ἂν οὕνεκα εὔξαιτο πλουτεῖν εὐπορεῖν τε χρημάτων τοῦ δύνασθαι παραβοηθεῖν τοῖς φίλοις σπείρειν τε καρπὸν Χάριτος, ἡδίστης θεῶν τοῦ μὲν πιεῖν γὰρ καὶ φαγεῖν τὰς ἡδονὰς ἔχομεν ὁμοίας· οὐδὲ τοῖς λαμπροῖσι γὰρ δείπνοις τὸ πεινῆν παύεται, Ἀντιφάνης φησίν. ὅτι Ξενοκράτης ὁ Χαλκηδόνιος καὶ Σπεύσιππος ὁ Ἀκαδημαικὸς καὶ Ἀριστοτέλης βασιλικοὺς νόμους ἔγραψε. ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ ὁ Ἀκραγαντῖνος Τελλίας, φιλόξενος ὢν καὶ πάντας πολυωρῶν, πεντακοσίοις ἱππεῦσιν ἐκ Γέλας ποτὲ καταλύσασιν ὡς αὐτὸν χειμῶνος ὥρᾳ ἔδωκεν ἑκάστῳ χιτῶνα καὶ ἱμάτιον.
The sophist uses the word Dinnerchaser, on which Clearchus says that Charmus the Syracusan adopted some little versicles and proverbs very neatly to whatever was put on the table. As on seeing a fish, he says:—I come from the salt depths of Aegeus' sea.And when he saw some ceryces he said—Hail holy heralds (κήρυκες), messengers of Jove.And on seeing tripe,Crooked ways, and nothing sound.When a well-stuffed cuttlefish is served up,Good morrow, fool.When he saw some pickled char,O charming sight; hence with the vulgar crowd.And on beholding a skinned eel,Beauty when unadorn'd, adorn'd the most. Many such men then as these, he says, were present at Laurentius's supper; bringing books out of their bags, as their contribution to the picnic. And he says also that Charmus, having something ready for everything that was served up, as has been already said, appeared to the Massenians to be a most accomplished man; as also did Calliphanes, who was called the son of Parabrycon, who having copied out the beginnings of many poems and other writings, recollected three or four stanzas of each, aiming at a reputation for extensive learning, And many other men had in their mouths turbots caught in the Sicilian sea, and swimming eels, and the trail of the tunny-fish of Pachynum, and kids from Melos, and mullets from Symæthus. And, of dishes of less repute, there were cockles from Pelorum, anchovies from Lipara, turnips from Mantinea, rape from Thebes, and beetroot from the Ascræans. And Cleanthes the Tarentine, as Clearchus says, said everything while the drinking lasted, in metres. And so did Pamphilus the Sicilian, in this way:—Give me a cup of sack, that partridge leg,Likewise a pot, or else at least a cheesecake.Being, says he, men with fair means, and not forced to earn their dinner with their hands,—Bringing baskets full of votes.
ὁ τρεχέδειπνος, φησί, σοφιστής. Κλέαρχός φησι Χάρμον τὸν Συρακούσιον εὐτρεπίσθαι στιχίδια καὶ παροιμίας εἰς ἕκαστον τῶν ἐν τοῖς δείπνοις παρατιθεμένων εἰς μὲν τὸν ἰχθὺν ἥκω λιπὼν Αἰγαῖον ἁλμυρὸν βάθος, εἰς δὲ τοὺς κήρυκας· χαίρετε, κήρυκες, Διὸς ἄγγελοι εἰς δὲ τὴν χορδὴν ἑλικτὰ κοὐδὲν ὑγιές, εἰς δὲ τὴν ὠνθυλευμένην τευθίδα· σοφή, σοφὴ σύ, εἰς δὲ τὸ ἐν τοῖς ἑψητοῖς ὡραῖον οὐκ ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ σκεδάσεις ὄχλον; εἰς δὲ τὴν ἀποδεδαρμένην ἔγχελυν· οὐ προκαλυπτομένα βοστρυχώδεα. τοιούτους πολλούς φησι τῷ Λαρηνσίου παρεῖναι δείπνῳ, ὥσπερ συμβολὰς κομίζοντας τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν στρωματοδέσμων γράμματα. φησὶ δὲ καὶ ὅτι ὁ Χάρμος εἰς ἕκαστον τῶν παρατιθεμένων ἔχων τι πρόχειρον, ὡς προείρηται, ἐδόκει τοῖς Μεσσηνίοις πεπαιδευμένος εἶναι ὡς καὶ Καλλιφάνης ὁ τοῦ Παραβρύκοντος κληθεὶς ἀρχὰς ποιημάτων πολλῶν καὶ λόγων ἐκγραψάμενος ἀνειλήφει μέχρι τριῶν καὶ τεσσάρων στίχων, πολυμαθείας δόξαν προσποιούμενος. πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι διὰ στόματος εἶχον τὰς ἐν τῷ Σικελικῷ μυραίνας, τὰς πλωτὰς ἐγχέλεις, τῶν Παχυνικῶν θύννων τὰς ἠτριαίας τοὺς ἐν Μήλῳ ἐρίφους, τοὺς ἐν Σκιάθῳ κεστρέας· καὶ τῶν ἀδόξων δὲ τὰς Πελωρίδας κόγχας τὰς ἐκ Λιπάρας μαινίδας, τὴν Μαντινικὴν γογγυλίδα, τὰς ἐκ Θηβῶν βουνιάδας καὶ τὰ παρ’ Ἀσκραίοις τεῦτλα. Κλεάνθης δὲ ὁ Ταραντῖνος, ὥς φησι Κλέαρχος, πάντα παρὰ τοὺς πότους ἔμμετρα ἔλεγε, καὶ Πάμφιλος δὲ ὁ Σικελός, ὡς ταῦτα· ἔγχει πιεῖν μοι καὶ τὸ πέρδικος σκέλος. ἀμίδα δότω τις ἢ πλακοῦντά τις δότω. τὸν βίον, φησίν, εὐσταθεῖς, οὐκ ἐγχειρογάστορες. γυργάθους ψηφισμάτων φέροντες, Ἀριστοφάνης φησίν.
Archestratus the Syracusan or Geloan, in his work to which Chrysippus gives the title of Gastronomy, but Lynceus and Callimachus of Hedypathy, that is Pleasure, and which Clearchus calls Deipnology, and others Cookery, (but it is an epic poem, beginning,Here to all Greece I open wisdom's store;)says,A numerous party may sit round a table,But not more than three, four, or five on one sofa;For else it would be a disorderly Babel,Like the hireling piratical band of a rover.But he does not know that at the feast recorded by Plato there were eight and twenty guests present.How keenly they watch for a feast in the town,And, asked or not, they are sure to go down;says Antiphanes; and he adds—Such are the men the state at public costShould gladly feed;and alwaysTreat them like flies at the Olympic gamesAnd hang them up an ox to feast upon.
ὅτι Ἀρχέστρατος ὁ Συρακούσιος ἢ Γελῷος ἐν τῇ ὡς Χρύσιππος ἐπιγράφει Γαστρονομίᾳ, ὡς δὲ Λυγκεὺς καὶ Καλλίμαχος Ἡδυπαθείᾳ, ὡς δὲ Κλέαρχος Δειπνολογίᾳ, ὡς δὲ ἄλλοι Ὅψοποιίᾳ— ἐπικὸν δὲ τὸ ποίημα, οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἱστορίης ἐπίδειγμα ποιούμενος, Ἑλλάδι πάσῃ φησί· πρὸς δὲ μιᾷ πάντας δειπνεῖν ἁβρόδαιτι τραπέζῃ. ἔστωσαν δὲ ἢ τρεῖς ἢ τέσσαρες οἱ ξυνάπαντες ἢ τῶν πέντε γε μὴ πλείους· ἤδη γὰρ ἂν εἴη μισθοφόρων ἁρπαξιβίων σκηνὴ στρατιωτῶν. ἀγνοεῖ δ’ ὅτι οἱ ἐν τῷ Πλάτωνος συσσιτίῳ ὀκτὼ καί, εἴκοσι ἦσαν. οὗτοι δὲ πρὸς τὰ δεῖπνα τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἀφορῶσιν ἀεὶ καὶ πέτονται δεξιῶς ἐπὶ ταῦτ’ ἄκλητοι, Ἀντιφάνης φησί, καὶ ἐπάγει· οὓς ἔδει τὸν δῆμον ἐκ κοινοῦ τρέφειν, ἀεί θ’ ὅπερ Ὀλυμπίασί φασι ταῖς μυίαις ποιεῖν, βοῦν τοῖς ἀκλήτοις προκατακόπτειν πανταχοῦ.
Winter produces this, that summer bears;says the bard of Syracuse. So that it is not easy to put all sorts of things on the table at one time; but it is easy to talk of all kinds of subjects at any time. Other men have written descriptions of feasts; and Tinachidas of Rhodes has done so in an epic poem of eleven books or more; and Numenius the Heraclean, the pupil of Dieuchas the physician; and Metreas of Pitane, the man who wrote parodies; and Hegemon of Thasos, surnamed Phacè, whom some men reckon among the writers of the Old Comedy. And Artemidorus, the false Aristophanes, collected a number of sayings relating to cookery. And Plato, the comic writer, mentions in his Phaon the banquet of Philoxenus the Leucadian.A. But I have sought this tranquil solitude,To ponder deeply on this wondrous book.B. I pray you, what's the nature of its treasuresA. “Sauce for the million,” by Philoxenus.B. Oh, let me taste this wisdom. A. Listen then;I start with onions, and with tunnies end."B. With tunnies? Surely, then, he keeps the bestAnd choicest of his dishes for the last.A. Listen. In ashes first your onions roastTill they are brown as toast,Then with sauce and gravy cover;Eat them, you'll be strong all over.So much for earth; now list to me,While I speak of the sons of the sea. And presently he says:—A good large flat dish is not bad,But a pan is better when 'tis to be had. And presently again:—Never cut up a sardineOr mackarel of silv'ry sheen,Lest the gods should scorn a sinner—Such as you, and spoil your dinner;But dress them whole and serve them up,And so you shall most richly sup.Good sized polypus in seasonShould be boil'd,—to roast them's treason;But if early and not big,Roast them; boil'd ain't worth a fig.Mullets, though the taste is good,Are by far too weakening food;And the ills it brings to masterYou will need a scorpion plaster.
τὰ μὲν θέρεος, τὰ δὲ γίνεται ἐν χειμῶνι, φησὶν ὁ Συρακούσιος ποιητής· οὐχ ἅμα μὲν οὖν πάντα παρασκευάζεσθαι δυνατόν, λέγεσθαι δὲ ῥᾴδιον. ὅτι δείπνων ἀναγραφὰς πεποίηνται ἄλλοι τε καὶ Τιμαχίδας ὁ Ῥόδιος δι’ ἐπῶν ἐν ἕνδεκα βιβλίοις ἢ καὶ πλείοσι καὶ Νουμήνιος ὁ Ἡρακλεώτης, ὁ Διεύχους τοῦ ἰατροῦ μαθητής, καὶ Ματρέας ὁ Πιταναῖος ὁ παρῳδὸς καὶ Ἡγήμων ὁ Θάσιος ὁ ἐπικληθεὶς Φακῆ, ὃν τῇ ἀρχαίᾳ κωμῳδίᾳ τινὲς ἐντάττουσιν. ὅτι Ἀρτεμίδωρος ὁ Ψευδαριστοφάνειος ὀψαρτυτικὰς λέξεις συνήγαγε. τοῦ Φιλοξένου δὲ τοῦ Λευκαδίου Δείπνου Πλάτων ὁ κωμῳδιοποιὸς μέμνηται·α. ἐγὼ δ’ ἐνθάδ’ ἐν τῇ ἐρημίᾳ τουτὶ διελθεῖν βούλομαι τὸ βιβλίον πρὸς ἐμαυτόν. β. ἐστὶ δ᾽, ἀντιβολῶ σε, τοῦτο τί; α. Φιλοξένου καινή τις ὀψαρτυσία. β. ἐπίδειξον αὐτὴν ἥτις ἔστ᾽. α. ἄκουε δή. ἄρξομαι ἐκ βολβοῖο, τελευτήσω δ’ ἐπὶ θύννον. β. ἐπὶ θύννον; οὐκοῦν τῆς τελευτῆς πολὺ κράτιστον ἐνταυθὶ τετάχθαι τάξεως. α. βολβοὺς μὲν σποδιᾷ δαμάσας καταχύσματι δεύσας ὡς πλείστους διάτρωγε· τὸ γὰρ δέμας ἀνέρος ὀρθοῖ. καὶ τάδε μὲν δὴ ταῦτα· θαλάσσης δ’ ἐς τέκν’ ἄνειμι.εἶτα μετὰ μικρὸν οὐδὲ λοπὰς κακόν ἐστιν ἀτὰρ τὸ τάγηνον ἄμεινον, οἶμαι. καὶ μετ’ ὀλίγα· ὀρφὼν αἰολίαν συνόδοντά τε καρχαρίαν τε μὴ τέμνειν, μή σοι νέμεσις θεόθεν καταπνεύσῃ, ἀλλ’ ὅλον ὀπτήσας παράθες· πολλὸν γὰρ ἄμεινον. πουλύποδος πλεκτὴ δ᾽, ἂν πιλήσῃς κατὰ καιρόν, ἑφθὴ τῆς ὀπτῆς, ἢν ᾖ μείζων, πολὺ κρείττων· ἢν ὀπταὶ δὲ δύ’ ὦσ᾽, ἑφθῇ κλαίειν ἀγορεύω. τρίγλη δ’ οὐκ ἐθέλει νεύρων ἐπιήρανος εἶναι· παρθένου Ἀρτέμιδος γὰρ ἔφυ καὶ στύματα μισεῖ. σκορπίος αὖ — β. παίσειὲ γέ σου τὸν πρωκτὸν ὑπελθών.
And it is from this Philoxenus that the Philoxenean cheesecakes are named; and Chrysippus says of him, "I know an epicure, who carried his disregard of his neighbours to such an extent, that he would at the bath openly put in his hand to accustom it to the warm water, and who would rinse out his mouth with warm water, in order to be less affected by heat. And they said that he used to gain over the cooks to set very hot dishes before him, so that he might have them all to himself, as no one else could keep up with him. And they tell the same story about Philoxenus of Cythera, and about Archytas, and many more, one of whom is represented by Cromylus, the comic writer, as saying:I've fingers Idæan to take up hot meat,And a throat to devour it too;Curries and devils are my sweetest treat,Not more like a man than a flue.But Clearchus says that Philoxenus would, after he had bathed, both when in his own country and in other cities, go round to men's houses, with his slaves following him, carrying oil, and wine, and pickle juice, and vinegar, and other condiments; and that so, going into other persons' houses he would season what was dressed for them, putting in whatever was requisite; and then, when he had finished his labours, he would join the banquet. He, having sailed to Ephesus, finding the market empty, asked the reason; and learning that everything had been bought up for a wedding feast, bathed, and without any invitation went to the bridegroom's house, and then after the banquet he sang a wedding song, which began—O Marriage, greatest of the gods,in such a manner as to delight every one, for he was a dithyrambic poet. And the bridegroom said, “Philoxenus, are you going to dine here to-morrow?” “Certainly,” said he, “if no one sells any meat in the market.”
ἀπὸ τούτου τοῦ Φιλοξένου καὶ Φιλοξένειοί τινες πλακοῦντες ὠνομάσθησαν. περὶ τούτου Χρύσιππὸς φησιν ἐγὼ κατέχω τινὰ ὀψοφάγον ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐκπεπτωκότα τοῦ μὴ ἐντρέπεσθαι τοὺς πλησίον ἐπὶ τοῖς γινομένοις, ὥστε φανερῶς ἐν τοῖς βαλανείοις τήν τε χεῖρα συνεθίζειν πρὸς τὰ θερμὰ καθιέντα εἰς ὕδωρ θερμὸν καὶ τὸ στόμα ἀναγαργαριζόμενον θερμῷ, ὅπως δηλονότι ἐν τοῖς θερμοῖς δυσκίνητος ᾖ. ἔφασαν γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς ὀψοποιοῦντας ὑποποιεῖσθαι ἵνα θερμότατα παρατιθῶσι καὶ μόνος καταναλίσκῃ αὐτὸς τῶν λοιπῶν συνακολουθεῖν μὴ δυναμένων. τὰ δ’ αὐτὰ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Κυθηρίου Φιλοξένου ἱστοροῦσι καὶ Ἀρχύτου καὶ ἄλλων πλειόνων, ὧν τις παρὰ Κρωβύλῳ τῷ κωμικῷ φησιν· α. ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς τὰ θερμὰ ταῦθ’ ὑπερβολῇ τοὺς δακτύλους δήπουθεν Ἰδαίους ἔχω καὶ τὸν λάρυγγ’ ἥδιστα πυριῶ τεμαχίοις. β. κάμινος, οὐκ ἄνθρωπος. Κλέαρχος δέ φησι Φιλόξενον προλουόμενον ἐν τῇ πατρίδι κἀν ἄλλαις πόλεσι περιέρχεσθαι τὰς οἰκίας, ἀκολουθούντων αὐτῷ παίδων καὶ φερόντων ἔλαιον οἶνον γάρον ὄξος καὶ ἄλλα ἡδύσματα· ἔπειτα εἰσιόντα εἰς τὰς ἀλλοτρίας οἰκίας τὰ ἑψόμενα τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀρτύειν, ἐμβάλλοντα ὧν ἐστι χρεία κἆθ’ οὕτως εἰς ἑαυτὸν κύψαντα εὐωχεῖσθαι. οὗτος εἰς Ἔφεσον καταπλεύσας εὑρὼν τὴν ὀψοπώλιδα κενὴν ἐπύθετο τὴν αἰτίαν καὶ μαθὼν ὅτι πᾶν εἰς γάμους συνηγόρασται, λουσάμενος παρῆν ἄκλητος ὡς τὸν νυμφίον. καὶ μετὰ τὸ δεῖπνον ᾅσας ὑμέναιον, οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ Γάμε θεῶν λαμπρότατε, πάντας ἐψυχαγώγησεν· ἦν δὲ διθυραμβοποιός. καὶ ὁ νυμφίος Φιλόξενε, εἶπε, καὶ αὔριον ὧδε δειπνήσεις; καὶ ὁ Φιλόξενος ἂν ὄψον, ἔφη, μὴ πωλῇ τις.
But Theophilus says:—"We should not act like Philoxenus, the son of Eryxis; for he, blaming, as it seems, the niggardliness of nature, wished to have the neck of a crane for the purposes of enjoyment. But it would be better still to wish to be altogether a horse, or an ox, or a camel, or an elephant; for in the case of those animals the desires and pleasures are greater and more vehement; for they limit their enjoyments only by their power. And Clearchus says that Melanthius did pray in this way, saying, “Melanthius seems to have been wiser than Tithonus; for this last, having desired immortality, is hung up in a basket; being deprived of every sort of pleasure by old age. But Melanthius, being devoted to pleasure, prayed to have the neck of an ostrich, in order to dwell as long as possible on sweet things.” The same Clearchus says that Pithyllus, who was called Tenthes, not only had a covering to his tongue made o skin, but that he also wrapped up his tongue for the sake of luxury, and then that he rubbed it clean again with the skin of a fish. And he is the first of the epicures who is said to have eaten his meat with fingerstalls on, in order to convey it to his mouth as warm as possible. And others call Philoxenus Philicthus; but Aristotle simply calls him Philodeipnus, writing in this way:—“Those who make harangues to the multitude, spend the whole day in looking at jugglers and mountebanks, and men who arrive from the Phasis or the Borysthenes; having never read a book in their lives except The Banquet of Philoxenus, and not all of that.”
Θεόφιλος δέ φησιν οὐχ ὥσπερ Φιλόξενον τὸν Ἐρύξιδος· ἐκεῖνος γάρ ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐπιμεμφόμενος τὴν φύσιν εἰς τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν ηὔξατό ποτε γεράνου τὴν φάρυγγα σχεῖν ἀλλὰ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἵππον ὅλως ἢ βοῦν ἢ κάμηλον ἢ ἐλέφαντα δεῖ σπουδάζειν γενέσθαι. οὕτω γὰρ καὶ αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι καὶ αἱ ἡδοναὶ πολλῷ μείζους καὶ σφοδρότεραι· πρὸς γὰρ τὰς δυνάμεις ποιοῦνται τὰς ἀπολαύσεις. Κλέαρχος δὲ Μελάνθιόν φησι τοῦτ’ εὔξασθαι λέγων· Τιθωνοῦ Μελάνθιος ἔοικε βουλεύσασθαι βέλτιον. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀθανασίας ἐπιθυμήσας ἐν θαλάμῳ κρέμαται πάντων ὑπὸ γήρως ἐστερημένος τῶν ἡδέων· Μελάνθιος δὲ τῶν ἀπολαύσεων ἐρῶν, ηὔξατο τῆς μακραύχενος ὄρνιθος τὸν τράχηλον ἔχειν, ἵν’ ὅτι πλεῖστον τοῖς ἡδέσιν ἐνδιατρίβῃ. ὁ αὐτός φησι Πίθυλλον τὸν Τένθην καλούμενον οὐ περιγλωττίδα μόνον ὑμενίνην φορεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσελυτροῦν τὴν γλῶσσαν πρὸς τὰς ἀπολαύσεις. καὶ τέλος ἰχθύαν τρίβων ἀπεκάθαιρεν αὐτήν· μόνος δ’ οὗτος τῶν ἀπολαυστικῶν καὶ δακτυλήθρας ἔχων ἐσθίειν λέγεται τὸ ὄψον, ἵν’ ὡς θερμότατον ὁ τρισάθλιος ἀναδιδῷ τῇ γλώττῃ. ἄλλοι δὲ φίλιχθυν τὸν Φιλόξενόν φασιν Ἀριστοτέλης δὲ φιλόδειπνον ἁπλῶς, ὃς καὶ γράφει που ταῦτα· δημηγοροῦντες ἐν τοῖς ὄχλοις κατατρίβουσιν ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐν τοῖς θαύμασι, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ Φάσιδος ἢ Βορυσθένους καταπλέοντας, ἀνεγνωκότες οὐδὲν πλὴν εἰ τὸ Φιλοξένου Δεῖπνον οὐχ ὅλον.
But Phanias says that Philoxenus of Cythera, a poet, being exceedingly fond of eating, once when he was supping with Dionysius, and saw a large mullet put before him and a small one before himself, took his up in his hands and put it to his ear; and, when Dionysius asked him why he did so, Philoxenus said that he was writing Galatea, and so he wished to ask the fish some of the news in the kingdom of Nereus; and that the fish which he was asking said that he knew nothing about it, as he had been caught young; but that the one which was set before Dionysius was older, and was well acquainted with everything which he wished to know. On which Dionysius laughed, and sent him the mullet which had been set before himself. And Dionysius was very fond of drinking with Philoxenus, but when he detected him in trying to seduce Galatea, whom he himself was in love with, he threw him into the stone quarries; and while there he wrote the Cyclops, constructing the fable with reference to what had happened to himself; representing Dionysius as the Cyclops, and the flute-player as Galatea, and himself as Ulysses.
Φαινίας δέ φησιν ὅτι Φιλόξενος ὁ Κυθήριος ποιητής, περιπαθὴς ὢν τοῖς ὄψοις, δειπνῶν ποτε παρὰ Διονυσίῳ ὡς εἶδεν ἐκείνῳ μὲν μεγάλην τρῖγλαν παρατεθεῖσαν, ἑαυτῷ δὲ μικράν, ἀναλαβών αὐτὴν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας πρὸς τὸ οὖς προσήνεγκε. πυθομένου δὲ τοῦ Διονυσίου τίνος ἕνεκεν τοῦτο ποιεῖ, εἶπεν ὁ Φιλόξενος ὅτι γράφων τὴν Γαλάτειαν βούλοιτὸ τινα παρ’ ἐκείνης τῶν κατὰ Νηρέα πυθέσθαι· τὴν δὲ ἠρωτημένην ἀποκεκρίσθαι διότι νεωτέρα ἁλοίη· διὸ μὴ παρακολουθεῖν· τὴν δὲ τῷ Διονυσίῳ παρατεθεῖσαν πρεσβυτέραν οὖσαν εἰδέναι πάντα σαφῶς ἃ βούλεται μαθεῖν. τὸν οὖν Διονύσιον γελάσαντα ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτῷ τὴν τρῖγλαν τὴν παρακειμένην αὐτῷ. συνεμέθυε δὲ τῷ Φιλοξένῳ ἡδέως ὁ Διονύσιος. ἐπεὶ δὲ τὴν ἐρωμένην Γαλάτειαν ἐφωράθη διαφθείρων, εἰς τὰς λατομίας ἐνεβλήθη· ἐν αἷς ποιῶν τὸν Κύκλωπα συνέθηκε τὸν μῦθον εἰς τὸ περὶ αὑτὸν γενόμενον πάθος, τὸν μὲν Διονύσιον Κύκλωπα ὑποστησάμενος, τὴν δ’ αὐλητρίδα Γαλάτειαν, ἑαυτὸν δ’ Ὀδυσσέα.
About the time of Tiberius there lived a man named Apicius; very rich and luxurious; from whom several kinds of cheesecakes are called Apician. He spent myriads of drachms on his belly, living chiefly at Minturnæ, a city of Campania, eating very expensive crawfish, which are found in that place superior in size to those of Smyrna, or even to the crabs of Alexandria. Hearing too that they were very large in Africa, he sailed thither, without waiting a single day, and suffered exceedingly on his voyage. But when he came near the place, before he disembarked from the ship, (for his arrival made a great noise among the Africans,) the fishermen came alongside in their boats and brought him some very fine crawfish; and he, when he saw them, asked if they had any finer; and when they said that there were none finer than those which they brought, he, recollecting those at Minturnæ, ordered the master of the ship to sail back the same way into Italy, without going near the land. But Aristoxenus, the philosopher of Cyrene, a real devotee of the philosophy of his country, (from whom, hams cured in particular way are called Aristoxeni,) out of his prodigious luxury used to syringe the lettuces which grew in his garden with mead in the evening, and then, when he picked them in the morning, he would say that he was eating green cheesecakes, which were sent up to him by the Earth. When the emperor Trajan was in Parthia, at a distance of many days' journey from the sea, Apicius sent him fresh oysters, which he had kept so by a clever contrivance of his own; real oysters, not like the sham anchovies which the cook of Nicomedes, king of the Bithynians, made in imitation of the real fish, and set before the king, when he expressed a wish for anchovies, (and he too at the time was a long way from the sea.) And in Euphron, the comic writer a cook says:—A. I am a pupil of Soterides,Who, when his king was distant from the seaFull twelve days' journey, and in winter's depth,Fed him with rich anchovies to his wish,And made the guests to marvel.B. How was that?A. He took a female turnip, shred it fineInto the figure of the delicate fish;Then did he pour on oil and savoury saltWith careful hand in due proportion.On that he strew'd twelve grains of poppy seed,Food which the Scythians love; then boil'd it all.And when the turnip touch'd the royal lips,Thus spake the king to the admiring guests:"A cook is quite as useful as a poet,And quite as wise, and these anchovies show it."
ἐγένετο δὲ κατὰ τοὺς Τιβερίου χρόνους ἀνήρ τις Ἀπίκιος, πλουσιώτατος τρυφητής, ἀφ’ οὗ πλακούντων γένη πολλὰ Ἀπίκια ὀνομάζεται. οὗτος ἱκανὰς μυριάδας καταναλώσας εἰς τὴν γαστέρα ἐν Μιντούρναις （πόλις δὲ Καμπανίασ） διέτριβε τὰ πλεῖστα καρίδας ἐσθίων πολυτελεῖς, αἳ γίνονται αὐτόθι ὑπέρ γε τὰς ἐν Σμύρνῃ μεγίστας καὶ τοὺς ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ ἀστακούς. ἀκούσας οὖν καὶ κατὰ Λιβύην γίνεσθαι ὑπερμεγέθεις ἐξέπλευσεν οὐδ’ ἀναμείνας μίαν ἡμέραν καὶ πολλὰ κακοπαθήσας κατὰ τὸν πλοῦν ὡς πλησίον ἧκε τῶν τόπων πρὶν ἐξορμῆσαι τῆς νεὼς πολλὴ δ’ ἐγεγόνει παρὰ Λίβυσι φήμη τῆς ἀφίξεως αὐτοῦ, προσπλεύσαντες ἁλιεῖς προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ τὰς καλλίστας καρίδας. ὁ δ’ ἰδὼν ἐπύθετο εἰ μείζους ἔχουσιν· εἰπόντων δὲ μὴ γίνεσθαι ὧν ἤνεγκαν, ὑπομνησθεὶς τῶν ἐν Μιντούρναις ἐκέλευσε τῷ κυβερνήτῃ τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν ἐπὶ Ἰταλίαν ἀναπλεῖν μηδὲ προσπελάσαντι τῇ γῇ. Ἀριστόξενος δ’ ὁ Κυρηναῖος φιλόσοφος, ὁ ὄντως μετελθὼν τὴν πάτριον φιλοσοφίαν, ἀφ’ οὗ καὶ κωλήν τις καλεῖται Ἀριστόξενος ἰδίως σκευαζόμενος, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνυπερβλήτου τρυφῆς καὶ τὰς ἐν τῷ κήπῳ γινομένας θριδακίνας οἰνομέλιτι ἐπότιζεν ἑσπέρας, καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω λαμβάνων, χλωροὺς ἔχειν ἔλεγε πλακοῦντας ὑπὸ τῆς γῆς ἀναπεμπομένους αὐτῷ. Τραιανῷ δὲ τῷ αὐτοκράτορι ἐν Παρθίᾳ ὄντι καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης ἀπέχοντι ἡμερῶν παμπόλλων ὁδόν, Ἀπίκιος ὄστρεα νεαρὰ διεπέμψατο ὑπὸ σοφίας αὐτοῦ τεθησαυρισμένα· καὶ οὐχ ὡς Νικομήδει τῷ Βιθυνῶν βασιλεῖ ἐπιθυμήσαντι ἀφύης μακρὰν δὲ καὶ οὗτος ἦν τῆς θαλάσσης μάγειρός τις μιμησάμενος τὸ ἰχθύδιον παρέθηκεν ὡς ἀφύας. ὁ γοῦν παρ’ Εὔφρονι τῷ κωμικῷ μάγειρὸς φησιν· α. ἐγὼ μαθητὴς ἐγενόμην Σωτηρίδου ὃς ἀπὸ θαλάσσης Νικομήδει δώδεκα ὁδὸν ἀπέχοντι πρῶτος ἡμερῶν ποτε ἀφύης ἐπιθυμήσαντι χειμῶνος μέσου; παρέθηκε νὴ Δί᾽, ὥστε πάντας ἀνακραγεῖν β. πῶς δὲ δυνατὸν τοῦτ’ ἐστι; α. θήλειαν λαβών γογγυλίδα ταύτην ἔτεμε λεπτὰ καὶ μακρά, τὴν ὄψιν αὐτῆς τῆς ἀφύης μιμούμενος ἀποζέσας, ἔλαιον ἐπιχέας, ἅλας δοὺς μουσικῶς, μήκωνος ἐπιπάσας ἄνω ακόκκους μελαίνης τετταράκοντα τὸν ἀριθμόν, περὶ τὴν Σκυθίαν ἔπαυσε τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν. καὶ Νικομήδης γογγυλίδα μασώμενος ἀφύης τότ’ ἔλεγε τοῖς φίλοις ἐγκώμιον. οὐδὲν ὁ μάγειρος τοῦ ποιητοῦ διαφέρει· ὁ νοῦς γάρ ἐστιν ἐκατέρῳ τούτων τέχνη.
Archilochus, the Parian poet, says of Pericles, that he would often come to a banquet without being invited, after the fashion of the Myconians. But it seems to me that the Myconians are calumniated as sordid and covetous because of their poverty, and because they live in a barren island. At all events Cratinus calls Ischomachus of Myconos sordid.A. But how can you be generous, if the sonOf old Ischomachus of Myconos?B. I, a good man, may banquet with the good,For friends should have all their delights in common.Archilochus says:—You come and drink full cups of Chian wine,And yet give no return for them, nor waitTo be invited, as a friend would do.Your belly is your god, and thus misleadsYour better sense to acts of shamelessness.And Eũbulus, the comic writer, says somewhere:—We have invited two unequaled men,Philocrates and eke Philocrates.For that one man I always count as two,I don't know that I might not e'en say three.They say that once when he was ask'd to dinner,To come when first the dial gave a shadeOf twenty feet, he with the lark uprose,Measuring the shadow of the morning sun,Which gave a shade of twenty feet and two.Off to his host he went, and pardon begg'dFor having been detain'd by business;A man who came at daybreak to his dinner!Amphis, the comic writer, says:—A man who comes late to a feast,At which he has nothing to pay,Will be sure if in battle he's press'd,To run like a coward away.And Chrysippus says:—Never shun a banquet gay,Where the cost on others falls;Let them, if they like it, payFor your breakfasts, dinners, balls.And Antiphanes says:—More blest than all the gods is he,Whom every one is glad to see,Who from all care and cost is free.And again:—Happy am I, who never have causeTo be anxious for meat to put in my jaws.I prepared all these quotations beforehand, and so came to the dinner, having studied beforehand in order to be able to pay my host a rent, as it were, for my entertainment.For bards make offerings which give no smoke. The ancients had a word, μονοφαγεῖν, applied to those who eat alone. And so Antiphanes says:—But if you sulk, μονοφαγῶν,Why must I, too, eat alone? And Ameipsias says:—And if she's a μονοφάγος, plague take her,I'd guard against her as a base housebreaker. Dioscorides, with respect to the laws praised in Homer, says, "The poet, seeing that temperance was the most desirable virtue for young men, and also the first of all virtues, and one which was becoming to every one; and that which, as it were, was the guide to all other virtues, wishing to implant it from the very beginning in every one, in order that men might devote their leisure to and expend their energies on honourable pursuits, and might become inclined to do good to, and to share their good things with others; appointed a simple and independent mode of life to every one; considering that those desires and pleasures which had reference to eating and drinking were those of the greater power, and of the highest estimation, and moreover innate in all men; and that those men who continued orderly and temperate in respect of them, would also be temperate and well regulated in other matters. Accordingly, he laid down a simple mode of life for every one, and enjoined the same system indifferently to kings and private individuals, and young men and old, saying—The tables in fair order spread,They heap the glittering canisters with bread,Viands of simple kinds allure the taste,Of wholesome sort, a plentiful repast.Their meat being all roasted, and chiefly beef; and he never sets before his heroes anything except such dishes as these, either at a sacred festival, or at a marriage feast, or at any other sort of convivial meeting. And this, too, though he often represents Agamemnon as feasting the chiefs. And Menelaus makes a feast on the occasion of the marriage of his daughter Hermione; and again on the occasion of the marriage of his son; and also when Telemachus comes to him—The table groan'd beneath a chine of beef,With which the hungry heroes quell'd their grief.For Homer never puts rissoles, or forcemeat, or cheeseakes, or omelettes before his princes, but meat such as was calculated to make them vigorous in body and mind. And so too Agamemnon feasted Ajax after his single combat with Hector, on a rumpsteak; and in the same way he gives Nestor, who was now of advanced age, and Phœnix too, a roast sirloin of beef. And Homer describes Alcinous, who was a man of a very luxurious way of life, as having the same dinner; wishing by these descriptions to turn us away from intemperate indulgence of our appetites. And when Nestor, who was also a king and had many subjects, sacrificed to Neptune on the sea-shore, on behalf of his own dearest and most valued friends, it was beef that he offered him. For that is the holiest and most acceptable sacrifice to the gods, which is offered to them by religious and well-disposed men. And Alcinous, when feasting the luxurious Phæacians, and when entertaining Ulysses, and displaying to him all the arrangements of his house and garden, and showing him the general tenor of his life, gives him just the same dinner. And in the same way the poet represents the suitors, though the most insolent of men and wholly devoted to luxury, neither eating fish, nor game, nor cheesecakes; but embracing as far as he could all culinary artifices, and all the most stimulating food, as Menander calls it, and especially such as are called amatory dishes, (as Chrysippus says in his Treatise on Honour and Pleasure,) the preparation of which is something laborious.
ὅτι περὶ Περικλέους φησὶν Ἀρχίλοχος ὁ Πάριος, ποιητὴς ὡς ἀκλήτου ἐπεισπαίοντος εἰς τὰ συμπόσια Μυκονίων δίκην. δοκοῦσι δ’ οἱ Μυκόνιοι διὰ τὸ πένεσθαι καὶ λυπρὰν νῆσον οἰκεῖν ἐπὶ γλισχρότητι καὶ πλεονεξίᾳ διαβάλλεσθαι· τὸν γοῦν γλίσχρον Ἰσχόμαχον Κρατῖνος Μυκόνιον καλεῖ·πῶς ἂν σύγ᾽ Ἰσχομάχου γεγονὼς τοῦ Μυκονίου φιλόδωρος ἂν εἴης; ἀγαθὸς πρὸς ἀγαθοὺς ἄνδρας ἑστιασόμενος ἧκον· κοινὰ γάρ τὰ τῶν φίλων. … πολλὸν δὲ πίνων καὶ χαλίκρητον μέθυ, οὔτε τῖμον εἰσενέγκας οὔτε …, οὐδὲ μὲν κληθεὶς … ἦλθες, οἷα δὴ φίλος· ἀλλὰ σ’ ἡ γαστὴρ νόον τε καὶ φρένας παρήγαγεν εἰς ἀναιδείην, Ἀρχίλοχος φησίν. Εὔβουλος ὁ κωμικὸς φησί που· εἰσὶν ἡμῖν τῶν κεκλημένων δύο ἐπὶ δεῖπνον ἄμαχοι, Φιλοκράτης καὶ Φιλοκράτης. ἕνα γὰρ ἐκεῖνον ὄντα δύο λογίζομαι, μεγάλους.... μᾶλλον δὲ τρεῖς. ὅν φασί ποτε κληθέντ’ ἐπὶ δεῖπνον πρὸς τινος, εἰπόντος αὐτῷ τοῦ φίλου, ὁπηνίκ’ ἂν εἴκοσι ποδῶν μετροῦντι τὸ στοιχεῖον ᾖ, ἥκειν, ἕωθεν αὐτὸν εὐθὺς ἡλίου μετρεῖν ἀνέχοντος μακροτέρας δ’ οὔσης ἔτι πλεῖν ἢ δυοῖν ποδοῖν παρεῖναι τῆς σκιᾶς· ἔπειτα φάναι μικρὸν ὀψιαίτερον δι’ ἀσχολίαν ἥκειν, παρόνθ’ ἅμ’ ἡμέρᾳ. ἀσυμβόλου δείπνου γὰρ ὅστις ὑστερεῖ, τοῦτον ταχέως νόμιζε κἂν τάξιν λιπεῖν, Ἄμφις φησὶν ὁ κωμικός. Χρύσιππος δὲ φησιν· ἀσύμβολον κώθωνα μὴ παραλίμπανε. κώθων δ’ οὐ παραλειπτὸς ἀσύμβολος, ἀλλὰ διωκτός. Ἀντιφάνης δέ φησι βίος θεῶν γάρ ἐστιν, ὅταν ἔχῃς ποθὲν τἀλλότρια δειπνεῖν, μὴ προσέχων λογίσμασι. καὶ πάλιν· μακάριος ὁ βίος· δεῖ μ’ ἀεὶ καινὸν πόρον εὑρεῖν ὅπως μάσημα ταῖς γνάθοις ἔχω. ταῦτα οἴκοθεν ἔχων εἰς τὸ συμπόσιον ἦλθον καὶ προμελετήσας, ἵνα κἀγὼ τὸ στεγανόμιον κομίζων παραγένωμαι. ἄκαπνα γὰρ αἰὲν ἀοιδοὶ θύομεν. ὅτι τὸ μονοφαγεῖν ἐστιν ἐν χρήσει τοῖς παλαιοῖς.Ἀντιφάνης·.. μονοφαγεῖς, ἤδη τι καὶ βλάπτεις ἐμέ. Ἀμειψίας· ἔρρ’ ἐς κόρακας, μονοφάγε καὶ τοιχωρύχε. περὶ τοῦ τῶν ἡρώων καθ’ Ὅμηρον βίου ὅτι Ὅμηρος ὁρῶν τὴν σωφροσύνην οἰκειοτάτην ἀρετὴν οὖσαν τοῖς νέοις καὶ πρώτην, ἔτι δὲ ἁρμόττουσαν καὶ πάντων τῶν καλῶν χορηγὸν οὖσαν, βουλόμενος ἐμφῦσαι πάλιν αὐτὴν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐφεξῆς ἵνα τὴν σχολὴν καὶ τὸν ζῆλον ἐν τοῖς καλοῖς ἔργοις ἀναλίσκωσι καὶ ὦσιν εὐεργετικοὶ καὶ κοινωνικοὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους, εὐτελῆ κατεσκεύασε πᾶσι τὸν βίον καὶ αὐτάρκη, λογιζόμενος τὰς ἐπιθυμίας καὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς ἰσχυροτάτας γίνεσθαι καὶ πρώτας ἔτι τε καὶ ἐμφύτους τὰς περὶ ἐδωδὴν καὶ πόσιν, τοὺς δὲ διαμεμενηκότας ἐν εὐτελείᾳ εὐτάκτους καὶ περὶ τὸν ἄλλον βίον γίνεσθαι ἐγκρατεῖς. ἁπλῆν οὖν ἀποδέδωκε τὴν δίαιταν πᾶσι καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ὁμοίως βασιλεῦσιν ἰδιώταις, νέοις πρεσβύταις, λέγων· παρὰ δὲ ξεστὴν ἐτάνυσσε τράπεζαν, σῖτον δ’ αἰδοίη ταμίη παρέθηκε φέρουσα. δαιτρὸς δὲ κρειῶν πίνακας παρέθηκεν ἀείρας, καὶ τούτων ὀπτῶν καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ βοείων· παρὰ δὲ ταῦτα οὔτε ἐν ἑορταῖς οὔτ’ ἐν γάμοις οὔτ’ ἐν ἄλλῃ συνόδῳ παρατίθησιν οὐδέν, καίτοι πολλάκις τὸν Ἀγαμέμνονα ποιήσας δειπνίζοντα τοὺς ἀρίστους· καὶ οὐ θρῖα καὶ κάνδυλον καὶ ἄμητας μελίπηκτά τε τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἐξαίρετα παρατίθησιν Ὅμηρος, ἀλλ’ ἀφ’ ὧν εὖ ἕξειν ἔμελλον τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὴν ψυχήν. Αἴαντα οὖν μετὰ τὴν μονομαχίαν νώτοισι βοῶν γέραιρεν ὁ Ἀγαμέμνων· καὶ Νέστορι δ’ ἤδη ὄντι γηραιῷ καὶ Φοίνικι δὲ κρέας ὀπτὸν δίδωσι ἀφιστῶν ἡμᾶς τῶν ἀτάκτων ἐπιθυμιῶν. καὶ Ἀλκίνους δὲ ὁ τὸν τρυφερὸν ᾑρημένος βίον τοὺς τρυφερωτάτους ἑστιῶν Φαίακας καὶ τὸν Ὀδυσσέα ξενίζων, ἐπιδεικνύμενος αὐτῷ τὴν τοῦ κήπου κατασκευὴν καὶ τῆς οἰκίας καὶ τὸν αὑτοῦ βίον, τοιαύτας παρατίθεται τραπέζας. καὶ Μενέλαος δὲ τοὺς τῶν παίδων γάμους ποιούμενος καὶ τοῦ Τηλεμάχου πρὸς αὐτὸν παραγενομένου νῶτα βοὸς παρέθηκεν ὄπτ’ ἐν χερσὶν ἑλών, τά ῥά οἱ γέρα πάρθεσαν αὐτῷ. καὶ Νέστωρ δὲ βόας θύει Ποσειδῶνι παρὰ θαλάσσῃ διὰ τῶν φιλτάτων καὶ οἰκειοτάτων τέκνων, βασιλεὺς ὢν καὶ πολλοὺς ἔχων ὑπηκόους, τάδε παρακελευόμενος· ἀλλ’ ἄγ᾽, ὁ μὲν πεδίονδ’ ἐπὶ βοῦν ἴτω καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· ὁσιωτέρα γὰρ αὕτη ἡ θυσία θεοῖς καὶ προσφιλεστέρα ἡ διὰ τῶν οἰκείων καὶ εὐνουστάτων ἀνδρῶν. καὶ τοὺς μνηστῆρας δὲ ὑβριστὰς ὄντας καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὰς ἀνειμένους οὔτε ἰχθῦς ἐσθίοντας ποιεῖ οὔτε ὄρνιθας οὔτε μελίπηκτα, περιελὼν παντὶ σθένει. τὰς μαγειρικὰς μαγγανείας, καὶ τά, ὡς ὁ Μένανδρός φησιν, ὑποβινητιῶντα βρώματα καὶ τὸ παρὰ πολλοῖς λασταυροκάκαβον καλούμενον βρῶμα, ὥς φησι Χρύσιππος ἐν τῷ περὶ καλοῦ καὶ ἡδονῆς, οὗ ἡ κατασκευὴ περιεργοτέρα.
Priam also, as the poet represents him, reproaches his sons for looking for unusual delicacies; and calls themThe wholesale murderers of lambs and kids.Philochorus, too, relates that a prohibition was issued at Athens against any one tasting lamb which had not been shorn, on an occasion when the breed of sheep appeared to be failing. And Homer, though he speaks of the Hellespont as abounding in fish, and though he represents the Phæacians as especially addicted to navigation, and though he knew of many harbours in Ithaca, and many islands close to it, in which there were large flocks of fishes and of wild birds; and though he enumerates among the riches of the deep the fact of its producing fish, still never once represents either fish or game as being put on the table to eat. And in the same way he never represents fruit as set before any one, although there was abundance of it; and although he is fond of speaking of it, and although he speaks of it as being supplied without end. For he says, “Pears upon pears,” and so on. Moreover, he does not represent his heroes as crowned, or anointed, or using perfumes; but he portrays even his kings as scorning all such things, and devoting themselves to the maintenance of freedom and independence. In the same way he allots to the gods a very simple way of life, and plain food, namely, nectar and ambrsia; and he represents men as paying them honour with the materials of their feasts; making no mention of frankincens, or myrrh, or garlands, or luxury of this sort. And he does not describe them as indulging in even this plain food to an immoderate extent; but like the most skilful physicians he abhors satiety.But when their thirst and hunger were appeased;then, having satisfied their desires, they went forth to athletic exercises; amusing themselves with quoits and throwing of javelins, practising in their sport such arts as were capable of useful application. And they listened to harp players who celebrated the exploits of bygone heroes with poetry and song.
Πρίαμος δὲ παρὰ τῷ ποιητῇ καὶ ὀνειδίζει τοῖς υἱοῖς ἀναλίσκουσι τὰ μὴ νενομισμένα· ἀρνῶν ἠδ’ ἐρίφων ἐπιδήμιοι ἁρπακτῆρες. Φιλόχορος δὲ ἱστορεῖ καὶ κεκωλῦσθαι Ἀθήνησιν ἀπέκτου ἀρνὸς μηδένα γεύεσθαι, ἐπιλιπούσης ποτὲ τῆς τῶν ζῴων τούτων γενέσεως. Ἑλλήσποντον δὲ Ὅμηρος ἰχθυόεντα προσαγορεύων καὶ τοὺς Φαίακας πλωτικωτάτους ποιῶν καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἰθάκῃ εἰδὼς λιμένας πλείους καὶ νήσους προσεχεῖς πολλάς, ἐν αἷς ἰχθύων ἐγίνετο πλῆθος καὶ ἀγρίων ὀρνίθων, καὶ εἰς εὐδαιμονίαν δὲ καταριθμῶν τὸ τὴν θάλασσαν ἰχθῦς παρέχειν, ὅμως τούτων οὐδὲν οὐδένα ποιεῖ προσφερόμενον καὶ μὴν οὐδ’ ὀπώραν παρατίθησί τινι καίπερ οὖσαν πολλὴν καὶ ἥδιστα ταύτης μνημονεύων καὶ πάντα χρόνον παρασκευάζων ἀθάνατον· ὄγχνη γάρ, φησίν, ἐπ’ ὄγχνῃ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ στεφανουμένους οὐδὲ μυρουμένους ποιεῖ ὥσπερ οὐδὲ θυμιῶντας, ἀλλὰ πάντων τούτων ἀπολυομένους τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς ἐλευθερίαν καὶ αὐτάρκειαν ἐξαιρεῖται τοὺς πρώτους. καὶ θεοῖς δὲ ἁπλῆν ἀποδίδωσι δίαιταν νέκταρ καὶ ἀμβροσίαν. καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους δὲ ποιεῖ τιμῶντας αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς διαίτης, ἀφελὼν λιβανωτὸν καὶ σμύρναν καὶ στεφάνους καὶ τὴν περὶ ταῦτα τρυφήν. καὶ τῆς ἁπλῆς δὲ ταύτης διαίτης οὐκ ἀπλήστως ἀπολαύοντας παρίστησιν, ἀλλ’ ὡς οἱ κράτιστοι τῶν ἰατρῶν ἀφαιρεῖ τὰς πλησμονάς, αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ πόσιος καὶ ἐδητύος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο· καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν πληρώσαντες καὶ ἐξώρμων ἐπὶ; μελέτην ἀθλητικὴν δίσκοισι τερπόμενοι καὶ αἰγανέαις τῇ παιδιᾷ τὰ πρὸς σπουδὴν ἐκμελετῶντες· οἱ δὲ κιθαρῳδῶν ἠκροῶντο τὰς ἡρωικὰς πράξεις ἐν μέλει καὶ ῥυθμῷ ποιούντων.