The Phagesia Fish Epicures Cooks Sharks Fish Glaucus Eels The Tunny fish Fish Pike-Fish The Polypus AND when the Banquet was now finished, the cynics, thinking that the festival of the Phagesia was being celebrated, were delighted above all things, and Cynulcus said, —While we are supping, O Ulpian, since it is on words that you are feasting us, I propose to you this question,—In what author do you find any mention of the festivals called Phagesia, and Phagesiposia? And he, hesitating, and bidding the slaves desist from carrying the dishes round, though it was now evening, said,—I do not recollect, you very wise man, so that you may tell us yourself, in order that you may sup more abundantly and more pleasantly. And he rejoined, —If you will promise to thank me when I have told you, I will tell you. And as he agreed to thank him, he continued; —Clearchus, the pupil of Aristotle, but a Solensian by birth, in the first book of his treatise on Pictures, (for I recollect his very expressions, because I took a great fancy to them,) speaks as follows:—“Phagesia—but some call the festival Phagesiposia—but this festival has ceased, as also has that of the Rhapsodists, which they celebrated about the time of the Dionysiac festival, in which every one as they passed by sang a hymn to the god by way of doing him honour.” This is what Clearchus wrote. And if you doubt it, my friend, I, who have got the book, will not mind lending it to you. And you may learn a good deal from it, and get a great many questions to ask us out of it. For he relates that Calias the Athenian composed a Grammatical Tragedy, from which Euripides in his Medea, and Sophocles in his Œdipus derived their choruses and the arrangement of their plot.
Επιτελουμένου δὲ ἥδη τοῦ δείπνου τῶν Φαγη σίων ἑορτὴν συντελεῖσθαι νομίσαντες οἱ κυνικοὶ πάντων μᾶλλον ηὐφραίνοντο. καὶ ὁ Κύνουλκος ἔφη· ἕως ἡμεῖς δειπνοῦμεν, ὦ Οὐλπιανὲ λόγοις γὰρ ἑστιᾷ, προβάλλω σοι παρὰ τίνι εἴρηται Φαγήσια ἑορτὴ καὶ Φαγησιπόσια. καὶ ὃς ἀπορηθεὶς ἐπισχεῖν τε κελεύσας τοὺς παῖδας τὴν περιφορὰν καίτοι ἤδη οὔσης ἑσπέρας· οὐ συμπεριφέρομαι, ὦ σοφώτατε ὥστε λέγειν σοὶ καιρός, ἵνα μᾶλλον καὶ δειπνήσῃς ἥδιον. καὶ ὃς εἰ χάριν ὁμολογήσεις μαθών, λέξω. ὁμολογήσαντος δ’ ἔφη·Κλέαρχος Ἀριστοτέλους μαθητής, Σολεὺς δὲ τὸ γένος, ἐν τῷ προτέρῳ περὶ γρίφων· κρατῶ γάρ καὶ τῆς λέξεως διὰ τὸ σφόδρα μοι εἶναι προσφιλῆ οὑτωσί πως εἴρηκε· φαγήσια, οἱ δὲ φαγησιπόσια προσαγορεύουσι τὴν ἑορτήν ἐξέλιπε δὲ αὕτη, καθάπερ ἡ τῶν ῥαψῳδῶν ἣν ἦγον … καὶ τὴν τῶν Διονυσίων ἐν ᾗ παριόντες ἑκάστῳ τῶν θεῶν οἷον τιμὴν ἐπετέλουν τὴν ῥαψῳδίαν. ταῦτ’ εἶπεν ὁ Κλέαρχος, εἰ δ’ ἀπιστεῖς, ὦ ἑταῖρε, καὶ τὸ βιβλίον κεκτημένος οὐ φθονήσω σοι· ἀφ’ οὗ πολλὰ ἐκμαθὼν εὐπορήσεις προβλημάτων καὶ γὰρ Καλλίαν ἱστορεῖ τὸν Ἀθηναῖον γραμματικὴν συνθεῖναι τραγῳδίαν ἀφ’ ἧς ποιῆσαι τὰ μέλη καὶ τὴν διάθεσιν Εὐριπίδην ἐν Μηδείᾳ καὶ Σοφοκλέα τὸν Οἰδίπουν.
And when all the guests marvelled at the literary accomplishments of Cynulcus, Plutarch said,—In like manner there used to be celebrated in my own Alexandria a Flagon-bearing festival, which is mentioned by Eratosthenes in his treatise entitled Arsinoe. And he speaks as follows:— “When Ptolemy was instituting a festival and all kinds of sacrifices, and especially those which relate to Bacchus, Arsinoe asked the man who bore the branches, what day he was celebrating now, and what festival it was. And when he replied, 'It is called the Lagynophoria; and the guests lie down on beds and so eat all that they have brought with them, and every one drinks out of his own flagon which he has brought from home;' and when he had departed, she, looking towards us, said, 'It seems a very dirty kind of party; for it is quite evident that it must be an assembly of a mixed multitude, all putting down stale food and such as is altogether unseasonable and unbecoming.' But if the kind of feast had pleased her, then the queen would not have objected to preparing the very same things herself, as is done at the festival called Choes. For there every one feasts separately, and the inviter only supplies the materials for the feast.”
θαυμασάντων δὲ πάντων τὸ εὐπαίδευτον τοῦ Κυνούλκου ὁ Πλούταρχοςκατὰ τὸ ὅμοιον, ἔφη, καὶ ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ τῇ ἐμῇ Λαγυνοφόρια ἑορτή τις ἤγετο, περὶ ἧς ἱστορεῖ Ἐρατοσθένης ἐν τῷ ἐπιγραφομένῳ συγγράμματι Ἀρσινόη, λέγει δὲ οὕτωςτοῦ Πτολεμαίου κτίζοντος ἑορτῶν καὶ θυσιῶν παντοδαπῶν γένη καὶ μάλιστα περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον, ἠρώτησεν Ἀρσινόη τὸν φέροντα τοὺς θαλλοὺς τίνα νῦν ἡμέραν ἄγει καὶ τίς ἐστὶν ἑορτή, τοῦ δ’ εἰπόντος καλεῖται μὲν Λαγυνοφόρια, καὶ τὰ κομισθέντα αὑτοῖς δειπνοῦσι κατακλιθέντες ἐπὶ στιβάδων καὶ ἐξ ἰδίας ἕκαστος λαγύνου παρ’ αὑτῶν φέροντες πίνουσιν. ὡς δ᾽ οὗτος ἀπεχώρησεν, ἐμβλέψασα πρὸς ἡμᾶς συνοίκιά γ᾽, ἔφη, ταῦτα ῥυπαρά. ἀνάγκη γὰρ τὴν σύνοδον γίνεσθαι παμμιγοῦς ὄχλου, θοίνην ἕωλον καὶ οὐδαμῶς εὐπρεπῆ παρατιθεμένων. εἰ δὲ τὸ γένος τῆς ἑορτῆς ἤρεσκεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκοπίασε δήπου τὰ αὐτὰ ταῦτα παρασκευάζουσα ἡ βασίλεια καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς Χουσὶν εὐωχοῦνται μὲν γὰρ κατ᾽ ἰδίαν, παρέχει δὲ ταῦτα ὁ καλέσας ἐπὶ τὴν ἑστίασιν.
But one of the Grammarians who were present, looking on the preparation of the feast, said,—In the next place, how shall we ever be able to eat so large a supper? Perhaps we are to go on “during the night,” as that witty writer Aristophanes says in his Aeolosicon, where however his expression is “during the whole night.” And, indeed, Homer uses the preposition διὰ in the same way, for he says—He lay within the cave stretch'd o'er the sheep (διὰ μήλων);where διὰ μήλων means “over all the sheep,” indicating the size of the giant. And Daphnus the physician answered him; Meals taken late at night, my friend, are more advantageous for everybody. For the influence of the moon is well adapted to promote the digestion of food, since the moon has putrefying properties; and digestion depends upon putrefaction. Accordingly victims slain at night are more digestible; and wood which is cut down by moonlight decays more rapidly. And also the greater proportion of fruits ripen by moonlight.
τῶν δὲ παρόντων γραμματικῶν τις ἀποβλέψας εἰς τὴν τοῦ δείπνου παρασκευὴν ἔφη·εἶτα πῶς δειπνήσομεν τοσαῦτα δεῖπνα; ἴσως διὰ νυκτός, ὡς ὁ χαρίεις Ἀριστοφάνης ἐν Αἰολοσίκωνι εἶπεν οὕτως λέγων οἱονεὶ δι’ ὅλης νυκτός· ὡς καὶ τὸ Ὁμηρικὸν ἔχει· κεῖτ’ ἔντοσθ’ ἄντροιο τανυσσάμενος διὰ μήλων, ἀντὶ τοῦ διὰ πάντων τῶν μήλων, τὸ μέγεθος αὐτοῦ ἐμφανίζων.πρὸς ὃν ὁ ἰατρὸς ἔφη Δάφνος ὠφελιμώτερά ἐστι, φίλτατοι, παντὶ σώματι τὰ νυκτερινὰ δεῖπνα· τὸ γὰρ τῆς σελήνης ἄστρον πρὸς τὰς τῆς τροφῆς ἁρμόττει πέψεις σηπτικὸν ὑπάρχον κατὰ σῆψιν δ’ ἡ πέψις. εὐσηπτότερα γοῦν τὰ νύκτωρ θυόμενα τῶν ἱερείων καὶ τῶν ξύλων τὰ πρὸς τὸ σελήνιον κοπτόμενα, καὶ τῶν καρπῶν δὲ οἱ πλεῖστοι πρὸς τὸ σελήνιον πεπαίνονται.
But since there were great many sorts of fish, and those very different both as to size and beauty, which had been served up and which were still being constantly served up for the guests, Myrtilus said,—Although all the different dishes which we eat, besides the regular meal, are properly called by one generic name, ὄψον, still it is very deservedly that on account of its delicious taste fish has prevailed over everything else, and has appropriated the name to itself; because men are so exceedingly enamoured of this kind of food. Accordingly we speak of men as ὀψοφάγοι, not meaning people who eat beef (such as Hercules was, who ate beef and green figs mixed together); nor do we mean by such a term a man who is fond of figs; as was Plato the philosopher, according to the account given of him by Phanocritus in his treatise on the Glorious: and he tells us in the same book that Arcesilas was fond of grapes: but we mean by the term only those people who haunt the fish-market. And Philip of Macedon was fond of apples, and so was his son Alexander, as Dorotheus tells us in the sixth book of his history of the Life and Actions of Alexander. But Chares of Mitylene relates that Alexander, having found the finest apples which he had ever seen in the country around Babylon, filled boats with them, and had a battle of apples from the vessels, so as to present a most beautiful spectacle. And I am not ignorant that, properly speaking, whatever is prepared for being eaten by the agency of fire is called ὄψον. For indeed the word is either identical with ἐψὸν, or else perhaps it is derived from ὀπτάω, to roast.
πολλῶν δὲ ὄντων καὶ διαφόρων τῶν παρεσκευασμένων καὶ αἰεὶ παρασκευαζομένων ἰχθύων μεγέθει τε καὶ ποικιλίᾳ ὁ Μυρτίλος ἔφη·εἰκότως, ἄνδρες φίλοι, πάντων τῶν προσοψημάτων ὄψων καλουμένων ἐξενίκησεν ὁ ἰχθὺς διὰ τὴν ἐξαίρετον ἐδωδὴν μόνος οὕτως καλεῖσθαι διὰ τοὺς ἐπιμανῶς ἐσχηκότας πρὸς ταύτην τὴν ἐδωδήν. λέγομεν γοῦν ὀψοφάγους οὐ τοὺς βόεια ἐσθίοντας, οἷος ἦν Ἡρακλῆς, ὃς τοῖς βοείοις κρέασιν ἐπήσθιε σῦκα χλωρά, οὐδὲ τὸν φιλόσυκον, οἷος ἦν Πλάτων ὁ φιλόσοφος, ὡς ἱστορεῖ Φανόκριτος ἐν τῷ περὶ Εὐδόξου· ἱστορεῖ δ’ ὅτι καὶ Ἀρκεσίλας φιλόβοτρυς ἦν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς περὶ τὴν ἰχθυοπωλίαν ἀναστρεφομένους, φιλόμηλοι δ’ ἦσαν Φίλιππός τε ὁ Μακεδὼν καὶ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ Ἀλέξανδρος, ὡς Δωρόθεός φησιν τῇ ἕκτῃ τῶν περὶ Ἀλέξανδρον ἱστοριῶν. Χάρης δὲ ὁ Μυτιληναῖος ἱστορεῖ ὡς κάλλιστα μῆλα εὑρὼν ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος περὶ τὴν Βαβυλωνίαν χώραν τούτων τε πληρώσας τὰ σκάφη μηλομαχίαν ἀπὸ τῶν νεῶν ἐποιήσατο, ὡς τὴν θέαν ἡδίστην γενέσθαι, οὐκ ἀγνοῶ δὲ ὅτι ὄψον κυρίως καλεῖται πᾶν τὸ πυρὶ κατασκευαζόμενον εἰς ἐδωδὴν ἤτοι γὰρ ἕψον ἐστὶν ἢ παρὰ τὸ ὠπτῆσθαι ὠνόμασται.
Since then there are a great many different kinds of fish which we eat at different seasons, my most admirable Timocrates, (for, as Sophocles says—A chorus too of voiceless fish rush'd on,Making a noise with their quick moving tails.The tails not fawning on their mistress, but beating against the dish. And as Achæus says in his Fates—There was a mighty mass of the sea-born herd—A spectacle which fill'd the wat'ry waste,Breaking the silence with their rapid tails;)I will now recapitulate to you what the Deipnosophists said about each: for each of them brought to the discussion of the subject some contribution of quotation from books; though I will not mention the names of all who took part in the conversation, they were so numerous. Amphis says in his Leucas—Whoever buys some ὄψον for his supper,And, when he might get real genuine fish,Contents himself with radishes, is mad.And that you may find it easy to remember what was said, I will arrange the names in alphabetical order For as Sophocles, in his Ajax Mastigophorus, called fish ἐλλοὶ, saying—He gave him to the ἐλλοὶ ἰχθύες to eat;one of the company asked whether any one before Sophocles ever used this word; to whom Zoilus replied,—But I, who am not a person ὀψοφαγίστατος [exceedingly fond of fish], (for that is a word which Xenophon has used in his Memorabilia, where he writes, “He is ὀψοφαγίστατος and the greatest fool possible,”) am well aware that the man who wrote the poem Titanomachia [or the Battle of the Giants], whether he be Eumelus the Corinthian, or Arctinus, or whatever else his name may chance to have been, in the second book of his poem speaks thus—In it did swim the gold-faced ἐλλοὶ ἰχθύες,And sported in the sea's ambrosial depths.And Sophocles was very fond of the Epic Cycle, so that he composed even entire plays in which he has followed the stories told in their fables.
πολλῶν οὖν ὄντων τῶν ἰχθύων, οὓς κατὰ τὰς ἑκάστας ὥρας ἐδαινύμεθα, ὦ θαυμασιώτατε Τιμόκρατες, κατὰ γὰρ τὸν Σοφοκλέα χορὸς δ’ ἀναύδων ἰχθύων ἐπερρόθει, σαίνοντες οὐραίοισι οὐ τὴν κεκτημένην, ἀλλὰ τὰς λοπάδας· καὶ κατὰ τὰς Ἀχαιοῦ δὲ Μοίρας· πολὺς γὰρ ὅμιλος ποντίου κύκλου σοβῶν … ἐνάλιος θεωρία, χραίνοντες οὐραίοισιν εὐδίαν ἁλός, ἀπομνημονεύσω δέ σοι ἃ περὶ ἑκάστου ἔλεξαν οἱ δειπνοσοφισταί. πάντες γὰρ συνεισήνεγκαν εἰς αὐτοὺς τὰς ἐκ βιβλίων συμβολάς, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα διὰ τὸ πλῆθος παραλείψω. ὅστις ἀγοράζων ὄψον … ἐξὸν ἀπολαύειν ἰχθύων ἀληθινῶν ῥαφανῖδας ἐπιθυμεῖ πρίασθαι, μαίνεται· φησὶν Ἄμφις ἐν Λευκάδι ἵνα δὲ εὐμνημόνευτά σοι γένηται τὰ λεχθέντα, κατὰ στοιχεῖον τάξω τὰ ὀνόματα, καὶ γὰρ Σοφοκλέους εἰπόντος ἐν Αἴαντι μαστιγοφόρῳ τοὺς ἰχθῦς ἑλλοὺς ἐφῆκεν ἑλλοῖς ἰχθύσιν διαφθοράν, ἐζήτησέν τις εἰ καὶ τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ τις τῷ ὀνόματι κέχρηται. πρὸς ὃν ὁ Ζωίλος ἔφη·ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ὢν ὀψοφαγίστατός ʽ οὕτω γὰρ Ξενοφῶν ὠνόμασεν ἐν Ἀπομνημονεύμασι γράφων οὕτως· ὀψοφαγίστατός τε καὶ βλακίστατός ἐστιν ʼ οἶδα ὅτι ὁ τὴν Τιτανομαχίαν ποιήσας, εἴτ’ Εὔμηλός ἐστιν ὁ Κορίνθιος ἢ Ἀρκτῖνος ἢ ὅστις δήποτε χαίρει ὀνομαζόμενος, ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ οὕτως εἴρηκεν ἐν δ’ αὐτῇ πλωτοὶ χρυσώπιδες ἰχθύες ἑλλοὶ νήχοντες παίζουσι δι’ ὕδατος ἀμβροσίοιο. ἔχαιρε δὲ Σοφοκλῆς τῷ ἐπικῷ κύκλῳ, ὡς καὶ ὅλα δράματα ποιῆσαι κατακολουθῶν τῇ ἐν τούτῳ μυθοποιίᾳ.
Presently when the tunnies called Amiæ were put on the table, some one said,—Aristotle speaks of this fish, and says that they have gills out of sight, and that they have very sharp teeth, and that they belong to the gregarious and carnivorous class of fishes: and that they have a gall of equal extent with their whole intestines, and a spleen of corresponding proportions. It is said also that when they are hooked, they leap up towards the fisherman, and bite through the line and so escape. And Archippus mentions them in his play entitled the Fishes, where he says—But when you were eating the fat amiæ.And Epicharmus in his Sirens says—A. In the morning early, at the break of day,We roasted plump anchovies,Cutlets of well-fed pork, and polypi;And then we drank sweet wine.B. Alack! alack! my silly wife detain'd me,Chattering near the monument.A. I'm sorry for you. Then, too, there were mulletsAnd large plump amiæ—A noble pair i' the middle of the table,And eke a pair of pigeons,A scorpion and a lobster.And Aristotle, inquiring into the etymology of the name, says that they were called amiæ, παρὰ τὸ ἅμα ἰέναι ταῖς παρα- πλησίαις (from their going in shoals with their companions of the same kind). But Icesius, in his treatise on the Materials of Food, says that they are full of a wholesome juice, and tender, but only of moderate excellency as far as their digestible properties go, and not very nutritious. But Archestratus,—that writer so curious in all that relates to cookery,—in his Gastrology (for that is the title of the book as it is given by Lycophron, in his treatise on Comedy, just as the work of Cleostratus of Tenedos is called Astrology), speaks thus of the amia:—But towards the end of autumn, when the PleiadHas hidden its light, then dress the amiæWhatever way you please. Why need I teach you?For then you cannot spoil it, if you wish.But if you should desire, Moschus my friend,To know by what recipe you best may dress it;Take the green leaves of fig-trees, and some marjoram,But not too much; no cheese or other nonsense,But merely wrap it up in the fig leaves,And tie it round with a small piece of string,Then bury it beneath the glowing ashes,Judging by instinct of the time it takesTo be completely done without being burnt.And if you wish to have the best o' their kind,Take care to get them from Byzantium;Or if they come from any sea near thatThey'll not be bad: but if you go down lower,And pass the straits into the Aegæan sea,They're quite a different thing, in flavour worseAs well as size, and merit far less praise.
παρατεθεισῶν οὖν ἀμιῶν ἔφη τις· ταύτας Ἀριστοτέλης ἱστορεῖ τὰ μὲν βράγχια ἔχειν καλυπτά, εἶναι καρχαρόδοντας καὶ τῶν συναγελαζομένων καὶ σαρκοφάγων χολήν τε ἔχειν ἰσομήκη τῷ ἐντέρῳ καὶ σπλῆνα ὁμοίως, λέγεται δὲ ὡς θηρευθεῖσαι προσανάλλονται καὶ ἀποτρώγουσαι τὴν ὁρμιὰν ἐκφεύγουσιν. μνημονεύει δ’ αὐτῶν Ἄρχιππος ἐν Ἰχθύσι λέγων οὕτως· ὅτε δ’ ἦσθες ἀμίας παχείας. καὶ Ἐπίχαρμος δ’ ἐν Σειρῆσιν πρωὶ μὲν γ’ ἀτενὲς ἀπ’ ἀοῦς ἀφύας ἀπεπυρίζομες στρογγύλας καὶ δελφακίνας ὀπτὰ κρέα καὶ πωλύπους, καὶ γλυκὺν γ’ ἐπ’ ὦν ἐπίομες οἶνον. β. οἰβοιβοῖ τάλας. α. περὶ γα μὰν αἴκλου τί κὰ τις καὶ λέγοι. β. φοῦ τῶν κακῶν. α. ὅκα παρῇ τρίγλα τε μία παχῆα κἀμίαι δύο διατετμαμέναι μέσαι φάσσαι τε τοσσαῦται παρῆν σκορπίοι τε. Ἀριστοτέλης δὲ παρετυμολογῶν αὐτῆς τοὔνομά φησιν ὠνομάσθαι παρὰ τὸ ἅμα ἰέναι ταῖς παραπλησίαις ἐστὶ γὰρ συναγελαστική. Ἱκέσιος δ’ ἐν τοῖς περὶ ὕλης εὐχύλους μὲν αὐτὰς εἶναι καὶ ἁπαλάς, πρὸς δὲ τὰς ἐκκρίσεις μέσας, ἧσσον δὲ τροφίμους, ὁ δὲ ὀψοδαίδαλος Ἀρχέστρατος ἐν τῇ Γαστρολογίᾳ οὕτως γὰρ ἐπιγράφεσθαί φησι Λυκόφρων ἐν τοῖς περὶ κωμῳδίας ὡς τὴν Κλεοστράτου τοῦ Τενεδίου Ἀστρολογίαν’ περὶ τῆς ἀμίας φησὶν οὕτως τὴν δ’ ἀμίαν φθινοπώρου, ὅταν πλειὰς καταδύνῃ, πάντα τρόπον σκεύαζε, τί σοι τάδε μυθολογεύω; οὐ γὰρ μὴ σὺ διαφθείρῃς οὐδ’ ἂν ἐπιθυμῇς. εἰ δ’ ἐθέλεις καὶ τοῦτο δαήμεναι, ὦ φίλε Μόσχε, ὅντινα χρή σε τρόπον κείνην διαθεῖναι ἄριστα, ἐν συκῆς φύλλοις καὶ ὀριγάνῳ οὐ μάλα πολλῇ· μὴ τυρόν, μὴ λῆρον· ἁπλῶς δ’ οὕτως θεραπεύσας ἐν συκῆς φύλλοις σχοίνῳ κατάδησον ἄνωθεν, εἶθ’ ὑπὸ θερμὴν ὦσον ἔσω σποδόν, ἐν φρεσὶ καιρὸν γιγνώσκων ὁπότ’ ἔστ’ ὀπτή, καὶ μὴ κατακαύσῃς. ἔστω δ’ αὕτη σοι Βυζαντίου ἐξ ἐρατεινοῦ, εἴπερ ἔχειν ἀγαθὴν ἐθέλεις, κἂν ἐγγὺς ἁλῷ που τοῦδε τόπου, κεδνὴν λήψει· τηλοῦ δὲ θαλάσσης Ἑλλησποντιάδος χείρων, κἂν κλεινόν· ἀμείψῃς Αἰγαίου πελάγους ἔναλον πόρον, οὐκ ἔθ’ ὁμοία γίγνεται, ἀλλὰ καταισχύνει τὸν πρόσθεν ἔπαινον.
But this Archestratus was so devoted to luxury, that he travelled over every country and every sea, with great diligence, wishing, as it seems to me, to seek out very carefully whatever related to his stomach; and, as men do who write Itineraries and Books of Voyages, so he wishes to relate everything with the greatest accuracy, and to tell where every kind of eatable is to be got in the greatest perfection; for this is what he professes himself, in the preface to his admirable Book of Precepts, which he addresses to his companions, Moschus and Cleander; enjoining them, as the Pythian priestess says, to seekA horse from Thessaly, a wife from Sparta,And men who drink at Arethusa's fount.And Chrysippus, a man who was a genuine philosopher, and a thorough man at all points, says that he was the teacher of Epicurus, and of all those who follow his rules, in everything which belongs to pleasure, which is the ruin of everything. For Epicurus says, without any concealment, but speaking with a loud voice, as it were, “For I am not able to distinguish what is good if you once take away the pleasure arising from sweet flavours, and if you also take away amatory pleasures.” For this wise man thinks that even the life of the intemperate man is an unimpeachable one, if he enjoys an immunity from fear, and also mirth. On which account also the comic poets, running down the Epicureans, attack them as mere servants and ministers of pleasure and intemperance.
οὗτος ὁ Ἀρχέστρατος ὑπὸ φιληδονίας γῆν πᾶσαν καὶ θάλασσαν περιῆλθεν ἀκριβῶς, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, τὰ πρὸς γαστέρα ἐπιμελῶς ἐξετάσαι βουληθείς· καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ τὰς Περιηγήσεις καὶ τοὺς Περίπλους ποιησάμενοι μετ’ ἀκριβείας ἐθέλει πάντα ἐκτίθεσθαι ὅπου ἐστὶν ἕκαστον κάλλιστον βρωτόν τε ποτόν τε. τοῦτο γάρ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ προοιμίῳ ἐπαγγέλλεται τῶν καλῶν τούτων ὑποθηκῶν ὧν πρὸς τοὺς ἑταίρους ποιεῖται Μόσχον τε καὶ Κλέανδρον, ὥσπερ ὑποτιθέμενος αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὴν Πυθίαν ζητεῖν ἵππον Θεσσαλικὴν Λακεδαιμονίην τε γυναῖκα, ἄνδρας δ’ οἳ πίνουσιν ὕδωρ καλῆς Ἀρεθούσης. Χρύσιππος δ’ αὐτὸν ὁ ὄντως φιλόσοφος καὶ περὶ πάντα ἀνήρ ἀρχηγὸν Ἐπικούρῳ φησὶ γενέσθαι καὶ τοῖς τὰ τούτου ἐπισταμένοις τῆς πάντα διαλυμηναμένης ἡδονῆς· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἐγκαλυπτόμενος ὁ Ἐπίκουρος λέγει, ἀλλὰ μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ· οὐ γὰρ ἔγωγε δύναμαι νοῆσαι τἀγαθὸν ἀφελὼν μὲν τὴν διὰ χυλῶν, ἀφελὼν δὲ τὴν δι’ ἀφροδισίων ἡδονήν. οἴεται γὰρ οὕτως ὁ σοφὸς καὶ τὸν ἀσώτων βίον ἀνεπίληπτον εἶναι, εἴπερ αὐτῷ προσγένοιτο τὸ ἀδεὲς καὶ ἵλεων διὸ καὶ οἱ τῆς κωμῳδίας ποιηταὶ κατατρέχοντές που τῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ ἀκρασίας ἐπικούρους καὶ βοηθοὺς βοῶσιν.
Plato, in his Joint Deceiver, representing a father as indignant with his son's tutor, makes him say—A. You've taken this my son, and ruin'd him,You scoundrel; you've persuaded him to chooseA mode of life quite foreign to his natureAnd disposition; taught by your example,He drinks i' the morning, which he ne'er was used to do.B. Do you blame me, master, that your sonHas learnt to live?A. But do you call that living?B. Wise men do call it so. And EpicurusTells us that pleasure is the only good.A. Indeed; I never heard that rule before.Does pleasure come then from no other source?Is not a virtuous life a pleasure now?Will you not grant me that?—Tell me, I pray you,Did you e'er see a grave philosopherDrunk, or devoted to these joys you speak of?B. Yes; all of them.-All those who raise their brows,Who walk about the streets for wise men seeking,As if they had escaped their eyes and hid:Still when a turbot once is set before them,Know how to help themselves the daintiest bits.They seek the head and most substantial parts,As if they were an argument dissecting,So that men marvel at their nicety.And in his play entitled the Homicide, the same Plato, laughing at one of those gentle philosophers, says—The man who has a chance to pay his courtTo a fair woman, and at eve to drinkTwo bottles full of richest Lesbian wine,Must be a wise man; these are real goods.These things I speak of are what EpicurusTells us are real joys; and if the worldAll lived the happy life I live myself,There would not be one wicked man on earth.And Hegesippus, in his Philetairi, says—That wisest Epicurus, when a manOnce ask'd him what was the most perfect goodWhich men should constantly be seeking for,Said pleasure is that good. Wisest and bestOf mortal men, full truly didst thou speak:For there is nothing better than a dinner,And every good consists in every pleasure.
Βάτων μὲν ἐν Συνεξαπατῶντι δυσχεραίνοντα ποιήσας πατέρα τῷ τοῦ υἱοῦ παιδαγωγῷ καὶ λέγοντα· ἀπολώλεκας τὸ μειράκιόν μου παραλαβών, ἀκάθαρτε, καὶ πέπεικας ἐλθεῖν ἐς βίον ἀλλότριον αὑτοῦ· καὶ πότους ἑωθινοὺς πίνει διὰ σὲ νῦν, πρότερον οὐκ εἰθισμένος. β. εἶτ’ εἰ μεμάθηκε, δέσποτα, ζῆν, ἐγκαλεῖς; α. ζῆν δ’ ἐστὶ τὸ τοιοῦθ᾽; β. ὡς λέγουσιν οἱ σοφοί· ὁ γοῦν Ἐπίκουρός φησιν εἶναι τἀγαθὸν τὴν ἡδονὴν δήπουθεν οὐκ ἔστιν δὲ ἔχειν ταύτην ἑτέρωθεν, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ ζῆν δὴ καλῶς εὖ ζῶσ’ ἅπαντες, ἦ τυχὸν δώσεις ἐμοί; α. ἑόρακας οὖν φιλόσοφον, εἰπέ μοι, τινὰ μεθύοντ’ ἐπὶ τούτοις θ’ οἷς λέγεις κηλούμενον; β. ἅπαντας· οἱ γὰρ τὰς ὀφρῦς ἐπηρκότες καὶ τὸν φρόνιμον ζητοῦντες ἐν τοῖς περιπάτοις καὶ ταῖς διατριβαῖς ὥσπερ ἀποδεδρακότα οὕτως, ἐπὰν γλαυκίσκος αὐτοῖς παρατεθῇ, ἴσασιν οὗ δεῖ πρῶτον ἅψασθαι τόπου καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ζητοῦσιν ὥσπερ πράγματος, ὥστ’ ἐκπεπλῆχθαι πάντας. καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἀνδροφόνῳ δὲ ἐπιγραφομένῳ ὁ αὐτὸς Βάτων διαπαίξας τινὰ τῶν ἐπιεικῶν φιλοσόφων ἐπιφέρειἐξὸν γυναῖκ’ ἔχοντα κατακεῖσθαι καλὴν καὶ Λεσβίου χυτρῖδε λαμβάνειν δύο· ὁ φρόνιμος οὗτός· ἐστι, τοῦτο τἀγαθόν. Ἐπίκουρος ἔλεγε ταῦθ’ ἃ νῦν ἐγὼ λέγω. εἰ τοῦτον ἔζων πάντες ὃν ἐγὼ ζῶ βίον, Ἡγήσιππος δ’ ἐν Φιλεταίροις· Ἐπίκουρος ὁ σοφὸς ἀξιώσαντός τινος εἰπεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι ποτ’ ἐστὶ τἀγαθὸν ὃ διὰ τέλους ζητοῦσιν, εἶπεν ἡδονήν. β. εὖ γ᾽, ὦ κράτιστ’ ἄνθρωπε καὶ σοφώτατε· τοῦ γὰρ μασᾶσθαι κρεῖττον οὐκ ἔστ’ οὐδὲ ἓν ἀγαθὸν α. πρόσεστιν ἡδονῇ γὰρ τἀγαθόν.
But the Epicureans are not the only men who are addicted to pleasure; but those philosophers are so too who belong to what are called the Cyrenaic and the Mnesistratean sects; for these men delight to live luxuriously, as Posidonius tells us. And Speusippus did not much differ from them, though he was a pupil and a relation of Plato's. At all events, Dionysius the tyrant, in his letters to him, enumerating all the instances of his devotion to pleasure, and also of his covetousness, and reproaching him with having levied contributions on numbers of people, attacks him also on account of his love for Lasthenea, the Arcadian courtesan. And, at the end of all, he says this—“Whom do you charge with covetousness, when you yourself omit no opportunity of amassing base gain? For what is there that you have been ashamed to do? Are you not now attempting to collect contributions, after having paid yourself for Hermeas all that he owed?”
ἀσπάζονται δὲ οὐ μόνον οἱ Ἐπικούρειοι τὴν ἡδονήν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ Κυρηναικοὶ καὶ οἱ Θάσιοι, Μνησιστράτειοι δὲ καλούμενοι· καὶ γὰρ οὗτοι ζῆν μὲν ἡδέως … χαίρουσιν, ὥς φησι Ποσειδώνιος. οὐ μακρὰν δὲ τούτων ἦν καὶ Σπεύσιππος ὁ Πλάτωνος ἀκουστὴς καὶ συγγενής· Διονύσιος γοῦν ὁ τύραννος ἐν ταῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπιστολαῖς καὶ τὰ τῆς φιληδονίας αὐτοῦ διεξερχόμενος ἔτι τε τῆς φιλαργυρίας ἐρανίζεσθαί τε παρὰ πολλῶν αὐτὸν διελέγχων ὀνειδίζει καὶ τὸν Λασθενείας τῆς Ἀρκαδικῆς ἑταίρας ἔρωτα ἐπὶ πᾶσίν τε λέγει τάδε· σύ τισι φιλαργυρίαν ὀνειδίζεις αὐτὸς μηδὲν ἐλλελοιπὼς αἰσχροκερδείας; τί γὰρ οὐ πεποίηκας; οὐχ ὑπὲρ ὧν Ἑρμείας ὤφειλεν αὐτὸς ἐκτετικὼς ἔρανον συνάγειν ἐπιχειρεῖς;
And about Epicurus, Timon, in the third book of his Silli, speaks as follows:—Seeking at all times to indulge his stomach,Than which there's no more greedy thing on earth.For, on account of his stomach, and of the rest of his sensual pleasures, the man was always flattering Idomeneus and Metrodorus. And Metrodorus himself, not at all disguising this admirable principle of his, says, somewhere or other, “The fact is, Timocrates, my natural philosopher, that every investigation which is guided by principles of nature, fixes its ultimate aim entirely on gratifying the stomach.” For Epicurus was the tutor of all these men; who said, shouting it out, as I may say, “The fountain and root of every good is the pleasure of the stomach: and all wise rules, and all superfluous rules, are measured alike by this standard.” And in his treatise on the Chief Good, he speaks nearly as follows: “For I am not able to understand what is good, if I leave out of consideration the pleasures which arise from delicately-flavoured food, and if I also leave out the pleasures which arise from amatory indulgences; and if I also omit those which arise from music, and those, too, which are derived from the contemplation of beauty and the gratification of the eyesight.” And, proceeding a little further, he says, "All that is beautiful is naturally to be honoured; and so is virtue, and everything of that sort, if it assists in producing or causing pleasure. But if it does not contribute to that end, then it may be disregarded.
περὶ δὲ τοῦ Ἐπικούρου Τίμων ἐν γ’ σίλλων φησί· γαστρὶ χαριζόμενος, τῆς οὐ λαμυρώτερον οὐδέν. ταύτης γὰρ ἕνεκεν ὁ ἀνήρ καὶ τῆς ἄλλης τῆς κατὰ σάρκα ἡδονῆς ἐκολάκευεν καὶ Ἰδομενέα καὶ Μητρόδωρον. καὶ αὐτὸς δέ που ὁ Μητρόδωρος οὐκ ἀποκρυπτόμενος τὰς καλὰς ταύτας θέσεις φησίν περὶ γαστέρα γάρ, ὦ φυσιολόγε Τιμόκρατες, περὶ γαστέρα ὁ κατὰ φύσιν βαδίζων λόγος τὴν ἅπασαν ἔχει σπουδήν. Ἐπίκουρος γὰρ ἦν ὁ τούτων διδάσκαλος, ὃς καὶ βοῶν ἔλεγεν· ἀρχὴ καὶ ῥίζα παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ ἡ τῆς γαστρὸς ἡδονή, καὶ τὰ σοφὰ καὶ τὰ περιττὰ εἰς ταύτην ἔχει τὴν ἀναφοράν. κἀν τῷ περὶ τέλους δέ φησιν οὕτω πως· οὐ γὰρ ἔγωγε δύναμαι νοῆσαι τἀγαθὸν ἀφαιρῶν μὲν τὰς διὰ χυλῶν ἡδονάς, ἀφαιρῶν δὲ τὰς δι’ ἀφροδισίων, ἀφαιρῶν δὲ τὰς δι’ ἀκροαμάτων, ἀφαιρῶν δὲ τὰς διὰ μορφῆς κατ’ ὄψιν ἡδείας κινήσεις. καὶ προελθών ʽ φησἰ λέγει, τιμητέον τὸ καλὸν καὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς καὶ τὰ τοιουτότροπα, ἐὰν ἡδονὴν παρασκευάζῃ· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ παρασκευάζῃ, χαίρειν ἐατέον.
And before Epicurus, Sophocles, the tragic poet, in his Antigone, had uttered these sentiments respecting pleasure—For when a man contemns and ceases thusTo seek for pleasure, I do not esteemThat such an one doth live; I only deem himA breathing corpse:—he may, indeed, perhapsHave store of wealth within his joyless house;He may keep up a kingly pomp and state;But if these things be not with joy attended,They are mere smoke and shadow, and contribute,No, not one jot, to make life enviable.And Philetærus says, in his Huntress,—For what, I pray you, should a mortal do,But seek for all appliances and means.To make his life from day to day pass happily?This should be all our object and our aim,Reflecting on the chance of human life.And never let us think about to-morrow,Whether it will arrive at all or not.It is a foolish trouble to lay upMoney which may become stale and useless.And the same poet says, in his Œnopion,—But every man who lives but sparingly,Having sufficient means, I call and thinkOf all men the most truly miserable.For when you're dead, you cannot then eat eels;No wedding feasts are cook'd in Pluto's realms.
πρότερος δὲ τοῦ Ἐπικούρου Σοφοκλῆς ὁ τραγῳδιοποιὸς ἐν Ἀντιγόνῃ περὶ τῆς ἡδονῆς τοιαῦτα εἴρηκεν τὰς γὰρ ἡδονὰς ὅταν προδῶσιν ἄνδρες, οὐ τίθημ’ ἐγὼ ζῆν τοῦτον, ἀλλ’ ἔμψυχον ἡγοῦμαι νεκρόν. πλούτει τε γὰρ κατ’ οἶκον, εἰ βούλει, μέγα καὶ ζῆ τύραννον σχῆμ’ ἔχων ἐὰν δ’ ἀπῇ τούτων τὸ χαίρειν, τἄλλ’ ἐγὼ καπνοῦ σκιᾶς οὐκ ἂν πριαίμην ἀνδρὶ πρὸς τὴν ἡδονήν. Φιλέταιρος Κυναγίδι· τί δεῖ γὰρ ὄντα θνητόν, ἱκετεύω, ποιεῖν πλὴν ἡδέως ζῆν τὸν βίον καθ’ ἡμέραν, ἐὰν ἔχῃ τις ὁπόθεν; ἀλλὰ δεῖ σκοπεῖν τοῦτ’ αὐτὸ τἀνθρώπει’ ὁρῶντα πράγματα, εἰς αὔριον δὲ μηδὲ φροντίζειν ὅ τι ἔσται· περίεργόν ἐστιν ἀποκεῖσθαι πάνυ ἕωλον ἔνδον τἀργύριον. καὶ ἐν Οἰνοπίωνι δὲ ὁ αὐτός φησιν θνητῶν δ’ ὅσοι ζῶσιν κακῶς ἔχοντες ἄφθονον βίον, ἐγὼ μὲν αὐτοὺς ἀθλίους εἶναι λέγω. οὐ γὰρ θανών γ’ ἄνθρωποι ἔγχελυν φάγοις οὐδ’ ἐν νεκροῖσι πέττεται γαμήλιος.
And Apollodorus the Carystian, in his Stirrer-up of Law-suits, says—O men, whoe'er you are, why do you nowScorn pleasant living, and turn all your thoughtsTo do each other mischief in fierce war?In God's name, tell me, does some odious fate,Rude and unlettered, destitute of allThat can be knowledge call'd, or education,Ignorant of what is bad and what is good,Guide all your destiny?—a fate which settlesAll your affairs at random by mere chance?I think it must be so: for else, what deityWho bears a Grecian heart, would ever chooseTo see Greeks by each other thus despoil'd,And falling dead in ghastly heaps of corpses,When she might see them sportive, gay, and jesting,Drinking full cups, and singing to the flute?Tell me, my friend, I pray, and put to shameThis most unpolish'd clownish fortune.And, presently afterwards, he says—Does not a life like this deserve the nameOf godlike?—Think how far more pleasant allAffairs would be in all the towns of GreeceThan now they are, if we were but to changeOur fashions, and our habits, and our principlesOne little bit. Why should we not proclaim,"Whoe'er is more than thirty years of age,Let him come forth and drink. Let all the cavalryGo to a feast at Corinth, for ten days,Crown'd with chaplets, and perfumed most sweetly.Let all who radishes have got to sellCome in the morning here from Megara.Bid all th' allies now hasten to the bath,And mix in cups the rich Eubœan wine? "—Sure this is real luxury and life,But we are slaves to a most clownish fortune.
Ἀπολλόδωρος δ’ ὁ Καρύστιος ἐν Γραμματειδιοποιῷ· ὦ πάντες ἄνθρωποι, τί τὸ ζῆν ἡδέως παρέντες ἐπιμελεῖσθε τοῦ κακῶς ποιεῖν πολεμοῦντες ἀλλήλους; πότερα πρὸς τῶν θεῶν ἐπιστατεῖ τις τοῦ βίου νυνὶ τύχη ἄγροικος ἡμῶν οὔτε παιδείαν ὅλως εἰδυῖα, τί τὸ κακὸν ποτ᾽· ἢ τί τἀγαθὸν ἔστ’ ἀγνοοῦσα παντελῶς, εἰκῆ τέ πως ἡμᾶς κυλίνδουσ’ ὅντιν’ ἂν τύχῃ τρόπον; οἶμαί γε. τίς γὰρ μᾶλλον ἂν προείλετο Ἕλλην ἀληθῶς οὖσα λεπομένους ὁρᾶν αὐτοὺς ὑφ’ αὑτῶν καὶ καταπίπτοντας νεκρούς, ἐξὸν ἱλαρούς, παίζοντας, ὑποπεπωκότας, αὐλουμένους ὡς δεῖ; λέγ’ αὐτή, γλυκυτάτη, ἔλεγχ’ ἄγροικον οὖσαν ἡμῶν τὴν τύχην. καὶ προελθών· οὐ τοῦτο τὸ ζῆν ἐστι τὸν καλούμενον θεῶν ἀληθῶς βίον; ὅσῳ δ’ ἡδίονα τὰ πράγματ’ ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ἦν ἂν ἢ τὰ νῦν, εἰ μεταβαλόντες τὸν βίον διήγομεν πίνειν Ἀθηναίους ἅπαντας τοὺς μέχρι ἐτῶν τριάκοντ᾽, ἐξιέναι τοὺς δ’ ἱππέας ἐπὶ κῶμον εἰς Κόρινθον ἡμέρας δέκα στεφάνους ἔχοντας καὶ μύρον πρὸ ἡμέρας, τοὺς τὴν ῥάφανον πωλοῦντας ἕψειν Μεγαρέων, εἰς τὸ βαλανεῖον ἀπιέναι τοὺς συμμάχους, κεραννύναι τὸν οἶνον Εὐβοεῖς. τρυφὴ καὶ βίος ἀληθῶς. ἀλλ’ ἀπαιδεύτῳ τύχῃ δουλεύομεν.
The poets say that that ancient hero, Tantalus, was also greatly devoted to pleasure. At all events, the author of the book called The Return of the Atridæ says “that he, when he had arrived among the gods, and had begun to live among them, had leave given him by Jupiter to ask for whatever he wished; and that he, being a man quite insatiable in the gratification of his appetites, asked that it might be granted to him to indulge them to their full extent, and to live in the same manner as the gods. And that Jupiter was indignant at this request, and, according to his promise, fulfilled his prayer; but still, that he might not enjoy what he had before him, but be everlastingly tormented, he hung a stone over his head, on account of which he should be unable to get at any of the things which he had before him.” Some of the Stoics also were addicted to this kind of pleasure At all events, Eratosthenes the Cyrenean, who was a pupil of Ariston the Chian, who was one of the sect of the Stoics, in his treatise which is entitled Ariston, represents his master as subsequently being much addicted to luxury, speaking a follows: “And before now, I have at times discovered him breaking down, as it were, the partition wall between pleasure and virtue, and appearing on the side of pleasure.” And Apollophanes (and he was an acquaintance of Ariston), in his Ariston (for he also wrote a book with that title), shows the way in which his master was addicted to pleasure. And why need we mention Dionysius of Heraclea? who openly discarded his covering of virtue, and put on a robe embroidered with flowers, and assumed the name of The altered Man; and, although he was an old man, he apostatized from the doctrines of the Stoics, and passed over to the school of Epicurus; and, in consequence, Timon said of him, not without some point and felicity—When it is time to set (δύνειν), he now beginsTo sit at table (ἡδύνεσθαι). But there is a timeTo love, a time to wed, a time to cease.
φιλήδονον δ’ οἱ ποιηταὶ καὶ τὸν ἀρχαῖόν φασι γενέσθαι Τάνταλον ὁ γοῦν τὴν τῶν Ἀτρειδῶν ποιήσας κάθοδον ἀφικόμενον αὐτὸν λέγει πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς καὶ συνδιατρίβοντα ἐξουσίας τυχεῖν παρὰ τοῦ Διὸς αἰτήσασθαι ὅτου ἐπιθυμεῖ, τὸν δὲ πρὸς τὰς ἀπολαύσεις ἀπλήστως διακείμενον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τε τούτων μνείαν ποιήσασθαι καὶ τοῦ ζῆν τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον τοῖς θεοῖς. ἐφ’ οἷς ἀγανακτήσαντα τὸν Δία τὴν μὲν εὐχὴν ἀποτελέσαι διὰ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν, ὅπως δὲ μηδὲν ἀπολαύῃ τῶν παρακειμένων, ἀλλὰ διατελῇ ταραττόμενος, ὑπὲρ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἐξήρτησεν αὐτῷ πέτρον, δι’ ὃν οὐ δύναται τῶν παρακειμένων τυχεῖν οὐδενός. καὶ τῶν στωικῶν δέ τινες συνεφήψαντο ταύτης τῆς ἡδονῆς· Ἐρατοσθένης γοῦν ὁ Κυρηναῖος μαθητὴς γενόμενος Ἀρίστωνος τοῦ Χίου, ὃς ἦν εἷς τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς στοᾶς, ἐν τῷ ἐπιγραφομένῳ Ἀρίστωνι παρεμφαίνει τὸν διδάσκαλον ὡς ὕστερον ὁρμήσαντα ἐπὶ τρυφήν, λέγων ὧδε· ἤδη δέ ποτε καὶ τοῦτον πεφώρακα τὸν τῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ ἀρετῆς μεσότοιχον διορύττοντα καὶ ἀναφαινόμενον παρὰ τῇ ἡδονῇ. καὶ Ἀπολλοφάνης δὲ γνώριμος δὲ ἦν καὶ οὗτος τοῦ Ἀρίστωνος ἐν τῷ Ἀρίστωνι, καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτως ἐπιγράψας τὸ σύγγραμμα, ἐμφανίζει τὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου φιληδονίαν. περὶ δὲ Διονυσίου τοῦ Ἡρακλεώτου τί δεῖ καὶ λέγειν; ὃς ἄντικρυς ἀποδὺς τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς χιτῶνα ἀνθινὰ μετημφιάσατο καὶ Μεταθέμενος καλούμενος ἔχαιρε, καίτοι γηραιὸς ἀποστὰς τῶν τῆς στοᾶς λόγων καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἐπίκουρον μεταπηδήσας· περὶ οὗ οὐκ ἀχαρίτως ὁ Τίμων ἔφη· ἡνίκ’ ἐχρῆν δύνειν, νῦν ἄρχεται ἡδύνεσθαι· ὥρη ἐρᾶν, ὥρη δὲ γαμεῖν, ὥρη δὲ πεπαῦσθαι.
Apollodorus the Athenian, in the third book of his treatise on a Modest and Prudent Man, which is addressed to those whom he calls Male Buffoons, having first used the expression, “more libidinous than the very Inventors themselves (ἄλφησται),” says, there are some fish called ἄλφησται, being all of a tawny colour, though they have a purple hue in some parts. And they say that they are usually caught in couples, and that one is always found following at the tail of the other; and therefore, from the fact of one following close on the tail of the other, some of the ancients call men who are intemperate and libidinous by the same name. But Aristotle, in his work on Animals, says that this fish, which he calls alphesticus, has but a single spine, and is of a tawny colour. And Numenius of Heraclea mentions it, in his treatise on Fishing, speaking as follows:—The fish that lives in seaweed, the alphestes,The scorpion also with its rosy meat.And Epicharmus, in his Marriage of Hebe, says—Mussels, alphetæ, and the girl-like fish,The dainty coracinus.Mithæcus also mentions it in his Culinary Art.
Ἀπολλόδωρος ὁ Ἀθηναῖος ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ περὶ Σώφρονος τῷ εἰς τοὺς ἀνδρείους μίμους προθεὶς τὸ καταπυγοτέραν τ’ ἀλφηστᾶν, φησίν ἰχθῦς τινες οἱ ἀλφησταὶ τὸ μὲν ὅλον κιρροειδεῖς, πορφυρίζοντες δὲ κατά τινα μέρη. φασὶ δ’ αὐτοὺς ἁλίσκεσθαι σύνδυο καὶ φαίνεσθαι τὸν ἕτερον ἐπὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου κατ’ οὐρὰν ἑπόμενον. ἀπὸ τοῦ οὖν κατὰ τὴν πυγὴν θατέρῳ τὸν ἕτερον ἀκολουθεῖν τῶν ἀρχαίων τινὲς τοὺς ἀκρατεῖς καὶ καταφερεῖς οὕτω καλοῦσιν. [Ἀριστοτέλης ἐν τῷ περὶ ζῴων μονάκανθον εἶναι καὶ κιρρὸν τὸν ἀλφηστικόν. μνημονεύει δ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ Νουμήνιος ὁ Ἡρακλεώτης ἐν Ἁλιευτικῷ οὕτως· φυκίδας ἀλφηστήν τε καὶ ἐν χροιῇσιν ἐρυθρὸν σκορπίον. καὶ Ἐπίχαρμος ἐν Ἥβας γάμῳ· μύες ἀλφησταί τε κορακῖνοί τε κοριοειδέες. μνημονεύει δ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ Μίθαικος ἐν Ὀψαρτυτικῷ.
There is another fish called Anthias, or Callicthys; and this also is mentioned by Epicharmus, in his Marriage or Hebe:—The sword-fish and the chromius too,Who, as Ananius tells us,Is far the best of all in spring;But th' anthias in the winter.And Ananius speaks as follows:—For spring the chromius is best;The anthias in winter:But of all fish the daintiestIs a young shrimp in fig leaves.In autumn there's a dainty dish,The meat of the she-goat;And when they pick and press the grapes,Young pigs are dainty eating.Then, too, young puppies you may eat,And hares, and also foxes.But when the grasshopper does sing,Just at the height of summer,Is the best time for mutton fat;Then, too, the sea-born tunnyWill many a savoury dish afford,And beats his compeers allWith garlic seasoning richly drest;Then, too, the fatted oxIs sweet to eat both late at night,And at a noon-day feast.And I have quoted this piece of Ananius at length, thinking that it might give some suggestions to the present race of Epicures.
Ἀνθίας κάλλιχθυς· τούτου μέμνηται Ἐπίχαρμος ἐν Ἥβας γάμῳ· καὶ σκιφίας χρόμις θ᾽, ὃς ἐν τῷ ἦρι κὰτ τὸν Ἀνάνιον ἰχθύων πάντων ἄριστος, ἀνθίας δὲ χείματι. λέγει δὲ Ἀνάνιος οὕτως· ἔαρι μὲν χρόμιος ἄριστος, ἀνθίας δὲ χειμῶνι, τῶν καλῶν δ’ ὄψων ἄριστον καρὶς ἐκ συκέης φύλλου. ἡδὺ δ’ ἐσθίειν χιμαίρης φθινοπωρισμῷ κρέας· δέλφακος δ᾽, ὅταν τραπέωσι καὶ πατέωσιν, ἐσθίειν καὶ κυνῶν αὕτη τόθ’ ὥρη καὶ λαγῶν κἀλωπέκων ὄιος αὖτ’ ὅταν θέρος τ’ ᾖ κἠχέται βαβράζωσιν. εἶτα δ’ ἐστὶν ἐκ θαλάσσης θύννος οὐ κακὸν βρῶμα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσιν ἰχθύεσσιν ἐμπρεπὴς ἐν μυττωτῷ βοῦς δὲ πιανθείς, δοκέω μέν, καὶ μεσέων νυκτῶν ἡδὺς κἠμέρης. τῶν τοῦ Ἀνανίου πλεόνων ἐμνημόνευσα νομίζων καὶ τοῦτον ὑποθήκας τοῖς λάγνοις τοιαύτας ἐκτεθῆσθαι.
But Aristotle, in his treatise on the Habits of Animals, says—“They say that wherever the anthias is found, there there is no beast or fish of prey ever seen; and accordingly the collectors of sponge use him as a guide, and dive boldly wherever he is found, and call him the sacred fish.” And Dorion also mentions him in his book on Fishes, saying, “Some call the anthias by the name of callicthys, and also by that of callionymus and ellops.” And Icesius, in his treatise on Materials, says that he is called wolf by some authors, and by others callionymus: and that he is a fish of very solid meat, and full of delicious juice, and easy of digestion; but not very good for the stomach. But Aristotle says that the callicthys is a fish with serrated teeth, carnivorous and gregarious. And Epicharmus, in his Muses, enumerates the ellops among the fishes, but passes over the the callicthys or callionymus in silence as being identical with it; and of the ellops he speaks thus,—And then the high-priced ellops.And the same poet says, subsequently—He was the fish of which great JupiterOnce bought a pair for money, and enjoin'dHis slaves to give him one, and Juno t'other.But Dorion, in his treatise on Fish, says that the anthias and the callicthys are different fish; and also that the callionymus is not the same as the ellops.
Ἀριστοτέλης δ’ ἐν τῷ περὶ ζῴων ἠθῶν ᾽ ὅπου ἐν ἀνθίας ᾖ,φησίν, οὐκ ἐστὶν θηρίον ᾧ σημείῳ χρώμενοι οἱ σπογγιεῖς κατακολυμβῶσι καλοῦντες αὐτὸν ἱερὸν ἰχθύν. μνημονεύει δ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ Δωρίων ἐν τῷ περὶ ἰχθύων· τὸν δ᾽ ἀνθίαν τινὲς καὶ κάλλιχθυν καλοῦσιν, ἔτι δὲ καλλιώνυμον καὶ ἔλοπα. Ἱκέσιος δ’ ἐν τοῖς περὶ ὕλης ὑπὸ μέν τινων λύκον, ὑπὸ δ’ ἄλλων καλλιώνυμον εἶναι δ’ αὐτὸν χονδρώδη καὶ εὔχυλον καὶ εὐέκκριτον, οὐκ εὐστόμαχον δέ. Ἀριστοτέλης δὲ καὶ καρχαρόδοντα εἶναι τὸν κάλλιχθυν σαρκοφάγον τε καὶ συναγελαζόμενον. Ἐπίχαρμος δ’ ἐν Μούσαις τὸν μὲν ἔλοπα καταριθμεῖται, τὸν δὲ κάλλιχθυν ἢ καλλιώνυμον ὡς τὸν αὐτὸν ὄντα σεσίγηκεν λέγει δὲ περὶ τοῦ ἔλοπος οὕτως· τόν τε πολυτίματον ἔλοφ’ ὁ δ’ αὐτὸς χαλκὸς ὤνιος, ἕνα μόνον, καὶ κῆνον ὁ Ζεὺς ἔλαβε κἠκελήσατο κατθέμειν αὐτῷ τὲ οἱ καὶ τᾷ δάμαρτι θωτέρω. Δωρίων δ’ ἐν τῷ περὶ ἰχθύων διαφέρειν φησὶν ἀνθίαν καὶ κάλλιχθυν, ἔτι τε καὶ καλλιώνυμον καὶ ἔλοπα.
But what is the fish which is called the Sacred fish? The author of the Telchinian History, whether it was Epimenides the Cretan, or Teleclides, or any one else, says,—“What are called the sacred fish, are dolphins and pompili.” But the pompilus is a very amorous animal; as being sprung himself, at the same time with Venus, from heavenly blood. And Nicander, in the second book of his Œtaica, says—The pompilus, who points the safest roadTo anxious mariners who burn with love,And without speaking warns them against danger.And Alexander the Aetolian, in his Crica, if indeed it is a genuine poem, says—Still did the pompilus direct the helm,Swimming behind, and guide it down the gulf,The minister of the gods, the sacred pompilus.And Pancrates the Arcadian, in his work entitled “Works of the Sea,” having first said—The pompilus, whom all sea-faring menDo call the sacred fish;proceeds to say, “that the pompilus is not held in great esteem by Neptune only, but also by those gods who occupy Samothrace. At all events that some old fisherman once threatened to punish this fish, when the golden age still flourished among men; and his name was Epopeus, and he belonged to the island of Icarus. He therefore was one day fishing with his son, and they had no luck in their fishing, and caught nothing but pompili, and so did not abstain from eating them, but he and his son ate every one of them, and not long afterwards they suffered for their impiety; for a whale attacked the ship, and ate up Epopeus in the sight of his son.” And Pancrates states, "that the pompilus is an enemy to the dolphin; and even the dolphin does not escape with impunity when he has eaten a pompilus, for he becomes unable to exert himself and tremulous when he has eaten him; and so he gets cast on shore, and is eaten himself by the gulls and cormorants; and he is sometimes, when in this state, caught by men who give themselves up to hunting such large fish. And Timachides the Rhodian mentions the pom- pili in the ninth book of his Banquet, and says—The tench o' the sea, and then the pompili,The holiest of fish.And Erinna, or whoever it was who composed the poet which is attributed to her, says—O pompilus, thou fish who dost bestowA prosp'rous voyage on the hardy sailor,Conduct (πομπεύσαις) my dear companion safely home.
τίς δ’ ἐστὶν ὁ καλούμενος ἱερὸς ἰχθύς; ὁ μὲν τὴν Τελχινιακὴν ἱστορίαν συνθείς, εἴτ’ Ἐπιμενίδης ἐστὶν ὁ Κρὴς ἢ Τηλεκλείδης εἴτ’ ἄλλος τις, ἱερούς φησιν εἶναι ἰχθύας δελφῖνας καὶ πομπίλους. ἐστὶ ὁ ὁ πομπίλος ζῷον ἐρωτικόν, ὡς ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς γεγονὼς ἐκ τοῦ Οὐρανίου αἵματος ἅμα τῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ. Νίκανδρος δ’ ἐν δευτέρῳ Οἰταικῶν φησι· πομπίλος, ὃς ναύτῃσιν ἀδημονέουσι κελεύθους μήνυσεν φιλέρωσι καὶ ἄφθογγός περ ἀμύνων. Ἀλέξανδρος δ’ ὁ Αἰτωλὸς ἐν Κρίκᾳ, εἰ γνήσιον τὸ ποιημάτιον πηδαλίῳ ἄκρῳ ἔπι πομπίλος ἁνιοχεύων ἧστ’ ἀκάτω κατόπισθε θεῆς ὕπο πόμπιμος ἰχθύς. Παγκράτης δ’ ὁ Ἀρκὰς ἐν τοῖς θαλασσίοις ἔργοις ἐπιγραφομένοις προειπών πομπίλος, ὃν καλέουσιν ἁλίπλοοι ἱερὸν ἰχθύν, διηγεῖται ὡς οὐ μόνον τῷ Ποσειδῶνι ὁ πομπίλος ἐστὶ διὰ τιμῆς, ἀλλ’ ὅτι καὶ τοῖς τὴν Σαμοθρᾴκην κατέχουσι θεοῖς. ἁλιέα γοῦν τινα πρεσβύτην τῷ ἰχθύι τούτῳ κόλασιν ὑποσχεῖν ἔτι τοῦ χρυσοῦ γένους κατ’ ἀνθρώπους ὄντος. ὄνομα δ’ ἦν αὐτῷ Ἐπωπεὺς καὶ ἐξ Ἰκάρου ἦν τῆς νήσου, καὶ τοῦτον οὖν ἅμα τῷ υἱῷ ἁλιεύοντα καὶ οὐκ εὐτυχήσαντα ἄλλων ἰχθύων ἐν τῇ ἄγρᾳ ἢ πομπίλων οὐκ ἀποσχέσθαι τῆς τούτων ἐδωδῆς, ἀλλὰ πάντας μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ καταθοινηθῆναι καὶ μετ’ οὐ πολὺ δίκας ἐκτῖσαι τῆς δυσσεβείας· κῆτος γὰρ ἐπελθὸν τῇ νηὶ τὸν Ἐπωπέα ἐν ὄψει τοῦ παιδὸς καταπιεῖν. ἱστορεῖ δὲ ὁ Παγκράτης ὡς καὶ πολέμιός ἐστιν ὁ πομπίλος τῷ δελφῖνι καὶ ὅτι οὐδ’ οὗτος ἀτιμώρητος ἐκφεύγει πομπίλου φαγών. ἀχρεῖος γοῦν γίνεται καὶ σφαδᾴζων ἐπειδὰν φάγῃ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς αἰγιαλοὺς ἐκκυμανθεὶς βορὰ γίνεται αἰθυίαις τε καὶ λάροις, ἐνίοτε δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ταῖς κητείαις παρεδρευόντων ἀνδρῶν παρανομεῖται. μνημονεύει τῶν πομπίλων καὶ Τιμαχίδας ὁ Ῥόδιος ἐν τῷ θ’ τοῦ Δείπνου· κωβιοὶ εἰνάλιοι καὶ πομπίλοι, ἱεροὶ ἰχθῦς. Ἤριννά τε ἢ ὁ πεποιηκὼς τὸ εἰς αὐτὴν ἀναφερόμενον ποιημάτιον πομπίλε, ναύτῃσιν πέμπων πλόον εὔπλοον ἰχθύ, πομπεύσαις πρύμναθεν ἐμὰν ἁδεῖαν ἑταίραν.
And Apollonius the Rhodian or Naucratian, in his History of the foundation of Naucratis, says, "Pompilus was originally a man; and he was changed into a fish, on account of some love affair of Apollo's. For the river Imbrasus flows by the city of the Samians,—And join'd to him, the fairest of the nymphs,The young and noble Chesias, bore a daughter,The lovely maid Ocyrhoe—her whose beautyWas the kind Hours' heaven-descended gift.They say then that Apollo fell in love with her and endeavored to ravish her; and that she having crossed over to Miletus at the time of some festival of Diana, when the endeavour was about to be made to carry her off, being afraid of such an attempt being made, and being on her guard, entreated Pompilus, who was a seafaring man and a friend of her father, to conduct her safe back again to her own country, saying this,—O Pompilus, to whose wise breast are knownThe rapid depths of the hoarse roaring sea,Show that your mind doth recollect my sire,Who was your friend, and save his daughter now.And they say that he led her down to the shore, and conducted her safely across the sea: and that Apollo appeared and carried off the maiden, and sunk the ship with stones, and metamorphosed Pompilus into a fish of the same name, and that he madeThe Pompilus an everlasting slaveOf ships that swiftly pass along the sea.
Ἀπολλώνιος δὲ ὁ ʽ Ῥόδιος ἢ Ναυκρατίτης ἐν Ναυκράτεως κτίσει τὸν Πομπίλον φησὶν ἄνθρωπον πρότερον ὄντα μεταβαλεῖν εἰς ἰχθὺν διά τινα Ἀπόλλωνος ἔρωτα· τὴν γὰρ Σαμίων πόλιν παραρρεῖν ποταμὸν Ἴμβρασον, τῷ ῥὰ ποτ’ ᾽ Ὠκυρόην νύμφην, περικαλλέα κούρην, Χησιὰς εὐπατέρεια τέκεν φιλότητι μιγεῖσα, ᾽ ὠκυρόην, ᾗ κάλλος ἀπείριτον ὤπασαν Ὧραι· ταύτης οὖν ἐρασθέντα Ἀπόλλωνα ἐπιχειρῆσαι ἁρπάσαι. διαπεραιωθεῖσαν δ’ εἰς Μίλητον κατά τινα Ἀρτέμιδος ἑορτὴν καὶ μέλλουσαν ἁρπάζεσθαι εὐλαβηθεῖσαν Πομπίλον τινὰ θαλασσουργὸν ἄνθρωπον καθικετεῦσαι ὄντα πατρῷον φίλον, ὅπως αὐτὴν εἰς τὴν πατρίδα διασώσῃ, λέγουσαν τάδε· πατρὸς ἐμοῖο φίλου συμφράδμονα θυμὸν ἀέξων, πομπίλε, δυσκελάδου δεδαὼς θοὰ βένθεα πόντου, σῷζέ με· καὶ τὸν εἰς τὴν ἀκτὴν διαγαγόντα αὐτὴν διαπεραιοῦν. ἐπιφανέντα δὲ τὸν Ἀπόλλωνα τήν τε κόρην ἁρπάσαι καὶ τὴν ναῦν ἀπολιθώσαντα τὸν Πομπίλον εἰς τὸν ὁμώνυμον ἰχθὺν μεταμορφῶσαι ποιῆσαί τε τὸν πομπίλον ὠκυάλων νηῶν αἰανὸν ὁδουρόν.
But Theocritus the Syracusan, in his poem entitled Berenice, calls the fish which is called leucus the sacred fish, speaking thus—And if a mortal seeks the gods with prayerFor a successful hunt, or plenteous gold,A man who lives by the sea, whose nets he makesHis ploughs to raise his crops; then let him come,And just at nightfall sacrifice with prayerTo this same goddess the most sacred fish,Which men call leucus, (loveliest he of fish,)Then let him bend his nets; and soon he shallDraw them back from the waters full of prey.But Dionysius, who was surnamed the Iambic, in his treatise on Dialects, writes thus—We have heard accordingly an Eretrian fisherman, and many other fishermen, too, of other countries, call the pompilus the sacred fish. Now the pompilus is a sea fish, and is very commonly seen around ships, being something like the tunny called pelamys. However, some one spoken of by the poet catches this fish;—Sitting upon a high projecting rockHe caught the sacred fish.Unless, indeed, there be any other kind which is likewise called the sacred fish. But Callimachus in his Galatea calls the chrysophrys the sacred fish, where he says—Or shall I rather say the gold-brow'd fish,That sacred fish, or perch, or all the restWhich swim beneath the vast unfathom'd sea.But in his Epigrams the same poet says—The sacred sacred hyca.But some understand by the term sacred fish, one let go and dedicated to the god, just as people give the same name to a consecrated ox. But others consider that sacred is here only equivalent to great, as Homer speaks ofThe sacred might of Alcinous.And some think that it is only called ἱερὸς as ἱέμενος πρὸς τὸν ῥοῦν (going down stream).
Θεόκριτος δ’ ὁ Συρακόσιος ἐν τῇ ἐπιγραφομένῃ Βερενίκῃ τὸν λεῦκον ὀνομαζόμενον ἰχθὺν ἱερὸν καλεῖ διὰ τούτων καἴ τις ἀνὴρ αἰτεῖται ἐπαγροσύνην τε καὶ ὄλβον, ἐξ; ἁλὸς ᾧ λ, ζωή, τὰ δὲ δίκτυα κείνῳ ἄροτρα, σφάζων ἀκρόνυχος ταύτῃ θεῷ ἱερὸν ἰχθύν, ὃν λεῦκον καλέουσιν, ὁ γάρ θ’ ἱερώτατος ἄλλων, καί κε λίνα στήσαιτο καὶ ἐξερύσαιτο θαλάσσης ἔμπλεα. Διονύσιος δ’ ὁ ἐπικαλούμενοςἴαμβος ἐν τῷ περὶ διαλέκτων γράφει οὕτως·ἀκηκόαμεν γοῦν ἁλιέως Ἐρετρικοῦ ἱερὸν ἰχθὺν καὶ ἄλλων πολλῶν ἁλιέων καλούντων τὸν πομπίλον ἐστὶν πελάγιος καὶ παρὰ τὰς ναῦς πυκνὰ φαίνεται ἐοικὼς πηλαμύδι, ποικίλος, τὸν δ’ οὖν ἰχθύν τις παρὰ τῷ ποιητῇ ἕλκει· ἀκτῇ ἐπὶ προβλῆτι καθήμενος ἱερὸς ἰχθύν, εἰ μὴ ἄλλος τίς ἐστιν οὕτω καλούμενος ἱερὸς ἰχθύςΚαλλίμαχος δ’ ἐν Γαλατείᾳ τὸν χρύσοφρυν· ἢ μᾶλλον χρύσειον ἐπ’ ὀφρύσιν ἱερὸν ἰχθὺν ἢ πέρκας ὅσα τ’ ἄλλα φέρει βυθὸς ἄσπετος ἅλμης. ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἐπιγράμμασιν ὁ αὐτὸς ποιητής φησιν ἱερὸς δέ τοι, ἱερὸς ὕκης. ἄλλοι δ’ ἀκούουσιν ἱερὸν ἰχθὺν τὸν ἄνετον, ὡς καὶ ἱερὸν βοῦν τὸν ἄνετον, οἱ δὲ τὸν μέγαν, ὡς ἱερὸν μένος Ἀλκινόοιο, τινὲς δὲ τὸν ἱέμενον πρὸς τὸν ῥοῦν.
But Clitarchus, in the seventh book of his treatise on Dialects, says—“The nautical people call the pompilus the sacred fish, because it conducts ships out of the open sea into harbour, on which account it is called πόμπιλος from πέμπω, being the same fish as the chrysophrys.” And Eratosthenes in his Mercury says—They left a share of all their booty there;Still living centipedes, the bearded mullet,The sea-thrush, with dark spots embroider'd o'er,Or the swift sacred fish with golden brows.Now after all this discussion of ours about fish, the excellent Ulpian may ask why Archestratus, speaking in those excellent suggestions of his of the cured fish on the Bosphoru, says—Those which do come from the Bosphoric seasAre whitest; only let there be no sampleOf the hard meat o' the fish which grow aroundThe Lake Mæotis; not in verse can IThat fish correctly name.What is the fish, which he says it is not proper to mention in poetry?
Κλείταρχος δ’ ἐν ἑβδόμῃ Γλωσσῶν οἱ ναυτικοί, φησίν, πομπίλον ἱερὸν ἰχθὺν προσαγορεύουσι διὰ τὸ ἐκ πελάγους προπέμπειν τὰς ναῦς ἕως εἰς λιμένα· διὸ καὶ πομπίλον καλεῖσθαι, χρύσοφρυν ὄντα. καὶ Ἐρατοσθένης δ’ ἐν Ἑρμῇ φησιν ἄγρης μοῖραν ἔλειπον, ἔτι ζώοντας ἰούλους ἠὲ γενειῆτιν τρίγλην ἢ περκάδα κίχλην ἢ δρομίην χρύσειον ἐπ’ ὀφρύσιν ἱερὸν ἰχθύν. ἐκ ταύτης ἡμῶν τῆς ὀψολογίας ὁ καλὸς Οὐλπιανὸς ζητείτω κατὰ τί Ἀρχέστρατος ἐν ταῖς καλαῖς ὑποθήκαις περὶ τῶν ἐν Βοσπόρῳ ταρίχων εἰπών Βοσπόρου ἐκπλεύσαντα τὰ λευκότατ᾽, ἀλλὰ προσέστω μηδὲν ἐκεῖ στερεᾶς σαρκὸς Μαιώτιδι λίμνῃ ἰχθύος αὐξηθέντος, ὃν ἐν μέτρῳ οὐ θέμις εἰπεῖν τίς οὗτός ἐστιν ὅν φησιν οὐ θεμιτὸν εἶναι ἐμμέτρως εἰπεῖν;
Anchovies must be next considered. And, indeed, Aristonymus uses the word in the singular number, in his Shivering Sun— So that there really is not one anchovy. But of the anchovies there are many kinds, and the one which is called aphritis is not produced from roe, as Aristotle says, but from a foam which floats upon the surface of the water, and which collects in quantities when there have been heavy rains. There is also another kind called cobitis, and that is produced from some little worthless gudgeons which are generated in the sand; and from this anchovy itself another kind is produced, which is called the encrasicholus. There is also another anchovy which is the offspring of the sprat; and another which comes from the membras; and another still which comes from the small cestris, which is engendered in the sand and slime. But of all these kinds the aphritis is the best. But Dorion, in his treatise on Fishes, speaks of a fish called the cobites, as good boiled, and also of the spawn of the atherina; and atherina is the name of a fish; and some also call the triglitis an anchovy. But Epicharmus, in his Hebe's Marriage, enumerates the anchovies among the shrimps or membrades; making a distinction between this and what is called the seed. And Icesius says, “Of the anchovy, there is one sort which is white and very thin and frothy, which some people also call the cobitis. And there is another which is not so clean as that, and which is larger; but the clean and thin one is the better of the two.” And Archestratus the contriver of delicate dishes, says,—Use all anchovies for manure, exceptThe Attic fish; I mean that useful seedWhich the Ionians do call the foam;And take it fresh; just caught within the bays,The sacred bays of beautiful Phalerum.Good is it too, when by the sea-girt isleOf Rhodes you eat it, if it's not imported.And if you wish to taste it in perfection,Boil nettles with it—nettles whose green leavesOn both sides crown the stem; put these in the dishAround the fish, then fry them in one pan,And mix in fragrant herbs well steep'd in oil.
ἀφύαι. καὶ ἑνικῶς δ’ ἀφύην λέγουσιν. Ἀριστώνυμος Ἡλίῳ ῥιγῶντι, ὥστ’ οὔτ’ ἀφύη νῦν ἔστ’ ἔθ’ ἁπλῶς. τῆς δ’ ἀφύης ἐστὶ γένη πλείω· καὶ ἡ μὲν ἀφρῖτις λεγομένη οὐ γίνεται ἀπὸ γόνου, ὥς φησιν Ἀριστοτέλης, ἀλλ’ ἐκ τοῦ ἐπιπολάζοντος τῇ θαλάσσῃ ἀφροῦ ὅταν ὄμβρων γενομένων πολλῶν σύστασις γένηται. ἑτέρα δ’ ἐστὶν ἀφύη ἡ κωβῖτις λεγομένη· γίνεται δ’ αὕτη ἐκ τῶν μικρῶν καὶ φαύλων τῶν ἐν τῇ ἄμμῳ διαγενομένων κωβιδίων καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς δὲ ταύτης τῆς ἀφύης ἀπογεννῶνται ἕτεραι αἵτινες ἐγκρασίχολοι καλοῦνται, γίνεται δὲ καὶ ἄλλη ἀφύη ὁ γόνος τῶν μαινίδων καὶ ἄλλη ἐκ τῆς μεμβράδος καὶ ἔτι ἄλλη ἐκ τῶν μικρῶν κεστρέων τῶν ἐκ τῆς ἄμμου, καὶ τῆς ἰλύος γινομένων. πάντων δὲ τούτων ἡ ἀφρῖτις ἀρίστη. Δωρίων δ’ ἐν τῷ περὶ ἰχθύων κωβίτην τινὰ ἑψητὸν λέγει καὶ τὸν ἐξ ἀθερίνης· ἰχθυδίου δ’ ὄνομα ἀθερίνη. εἶναι δέ φησι καὶ τριγλῖτιν ἀφύην. Ἐπίχαρμος δ’ ἐν ἥβας γάμῳ ἐν μεμβράσι καὶ καμμάροις τὰς ἀφύας καταριθμεῖται διαστέλλων τὸν λεγόμενον γόνον. Ἱκέσιος δέ φησι· τῆς ἀφύης ἡ μὲν λευκὴ καὶ λίαν λεπτὴ καὶ ἀφρώδης, ἣν καλοῦσιν ἔνιοι καὶ κωβῖτιν, ὁ ἡ δὲ ῥυπαρωτέρα ταύτης καὶ ἁδροτέρα· διαφέρει δ’ ἡ καθαρὰ καὶ λεπτή. Ἀρχέστρατος δ’ ὁ ὀψοδαίδαλός φησι· τὴν ἀφύην μίνθου πᾶσαν πλὴν τὴν ἐν Ἀθήναις· τὸν γόνον ἐξαυδῶ, τὸν ἀφρὸν καλέουσιν Ἴωνες· καὶ λαβὲ πρόσφατον αὐτὸν ἐν εὐκόλποισι Φαλήρου ἀγκῶσιν ληφθένθ’ ἱεροῖς. κἀν τῇ περικλύστῳ ἐστὶ Ῥόδῳ γενναῖος, ἐὰν ἐπιχώριος ἔλθῃ. ἂν δέ που ἱμείρῃς αὐτοῦ γεύσασθαι, ὁμοῦ χρὴ κνίδας ὀψωνεῖν, τὰς ἀμφικόμους ἀκαλήφας εἰς ταὐτὸν μίξας δ’ αὐτὰς ἐπὶ τηγάνου ὄπτα, εὐώδη τρίψας ἄνθη λαχάνων ἐν ἐλαίῳ.