Aquatic Animals Fish Recommendations to present Enjoyment Fish Hyperides Epicures Stratonicus Aristotle Aristotle's Natural History Fish The Swallow Ephesus Names of Feasts Feasts The Dole basket POLYBIUS the Megalopolitan, speaking of the great happiness which exists in Lusitania (and that is a district of Iberia, which the Romans now call Spania), O most excellent. Timocrates, in the thirty-fourth book of his Histories, says that in that country, on account of the excellent temperature of the air, both animals and men are exceedingly prolific; and the fruits, too, in that country never degenerate. “For there are roses there, and white violets, and asparagus, and other flowers and fruits like them, which last nine months in the year; and as for sea-fish, both in abundance, and in excellence, and in beauty, it is very superior to that produced in our seas. And a siclus (this is equal to a medimnus) of barley costs only a drachma; and one of wheat costs nine Alexandrian obols; and a measure of wine costs a drachma; and a moderate-sized kid costs an obol, and so does a hare. And of lambs, the price is three or four obols; and a fat pig, weighing a hundred minæ, costs five drachmæ; and a sheep costs two. And a talent weight of figs costs three obols; and a calf costs five drachmæ, and a draught-ox ten. And the meat of wild animals is scarcely ever valued at any price at all but people throw that in to purchasers into the bargain, or as a present.” But to us, whenever we sup with our excellent friend Laurentius, he makes Rome another Lusitania,—filling us with every sort of good thing every day, receiving us in a most princely manner with the greatest liberality, while we bring nothing from home as our contribution, except our arguments.
τὴν κατὰ τὴν Λυσιτανίαν ʽχώρα δ’ ἐστὶν αῦτη τῆς Ἰβηρίας, ἢν νῦν Ῥωμαῖοι Σπανίαν ὀνομάζουσι διηγούμενος εὐδαιμονίαν Πολύβιος ὁ Μεγαλοπολίτης, ἀνδρῶν ἄριστε Τιμόκρατες, ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ καὶ τριακοστῇ τῶν ἱστοριῶν φησιν ὡς αὐτόθι διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀέρος εὐκρασίαν καὶ τὰ ζῷα πολύγονα καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ καρποὶ οὐδέποτε φθείρονται· ῥόδα μὲν γὰρ αὐτόθι καὶ λευκόια καὶ ἀσπάραγοι καὶ τὰ παραπλήσια τούτοις οὐ πλεῖον διαλείπει μηνῶν τριῶν, τὸ δὲ θαλάττιον ὄψον καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος καὶ κατὰ τὴν χρηστότητα καὶ κατὰ τὸ κάλλος μεγάλην ἔχει διαφορὰν πρὸς τὸ γινόμενον ἐν τῇ καθ’ ἡμᾶς θαλάττῃ. καὶ ὁ μὲν τῶν κριθῶν Σικελικὸς μέδιμνός ἐστι δραχμῆς, ὁ δὲ τῶν πυρῶν ἐννέα ὀβολῶν Ἀλεξανδρεινῶν τοῦ δ’ οἴνου δραχμῆς ὁ μετρητὴς καὶ ἔριφος ὁ μέτριος ὀβολοῦ καὶ λαγώς. τῶν δ’ ἀρνῶν τριώβολον καὶ τετρώβολον ἡ τιμή, ὗς δὲ πίων ἑκατὸν μνᾶς ἄγων πέντε δραχμῶν καὶ πρόβατον δυεῖν, τάλαντον δὲ σύκων τριῶν ὀβολῶν, μόσχος δραχμῶν πέντε καὶ βοῦς ζύγιμος δέκα. τὰ δὲ τῶν ἀγρίων ζῴων κρέα σχεδὸν οὐδὲ κατηξιοῦτο τιμῆς, ἀλλ’ ἐν ἐπιδόσει καὶ χάριτι τὴν ἀλλαγὴν ποιοῦνται τούτων. ἡμῖν δὲ ὁ καλὸς Λαρήνσιος τὴν Ῥώμην Λυσιτανίαν ἑκάστοτε παρέχων ἐμπίπλησι παντοίων ἀγαθῶν ὁσημέραι, μετὰ τοῦ ἡδέος καὶ μεγαλοφρόνως φιλοτιμούμενος, οὐδὲν φερομένοις οἴκοθεν ἢ λογάρια.
Now, as a long discussion had taken place about fish, it was plain that Cynulcus was annoyed at it; and so the excel- lent Democritus, anticipating him, said—But, O you men fish, as Archippus says, you have omitted (for I too must throw in a little contribution of my own) those which are called fossil fishes, which are produced at Heraclea, and near Tium, in Pontus, which is a colony of the Milesians, though Theophrastus gives us an account of them. And this very same philosopher has also told us about those that are congealed in ice the whole winter, so that they have no feeling whatever, and make not the slightest motion, until they are put into the saucepans and boiled. And these fish have this especial peculiarity, which also belongs in some degree to the fish which are called fossil fish in Paphlagonia. For it is said that ditches are dug in those places to an exceeding depth, where no overflow of rivers ever reaches, nor of any other waters whatever; and yet in those ditches there are found living fishes.
πολλῶν δὲ λεχθέντων ἐπὶ τοῖς ἰχθύσι λόγων δῆλος μὲν ἦν ἀχθόμενος ὁ Κύνουλκος. καὶ ὁ καλὸς Δημόκριτος αὐτὸν προφθάσας ἔφη· ἀλλὰ μήν, ‘ἄνδρες ἰχθύες᾽ κατὰ τὸν Ἄρχιππον, παρελίπετε δεῖ γὰρ καὶ ἡμᾶς μικρὰ προσοψωνῆσαι τούς τε ὀρυκτοὺς ἰχθύας καλουμένους, οἳ ἐν Ἡρακλείᾳ γίγνονται καὶ περὶ Τίον τοῦ Πόντου τὴν Μιλησίων ἀποικίαν, ἱστοροῦντος περὶ αὐτῶν Θεοφράστου, ὁ δ’ αὐτὸς οὗτος φιλόσοφος καὶ περὶ τῶν πηγνυμένων διὰ χειμῶνα τῷ κρυστάλλῳ ἱστόρησεν, οἳ οὐ πρότερον αἰσθάνονται οὐδὲ κινοῦνται πρὶν ἂν εἰς τὰς λοπάδας ἐμβληθέντες ἕψωνται. ᾽ἴδιον δὲ παρὰ τούτους συμβαίνει τὸ περὶ τοὺς ἐν Παφλαγονίᾳ ὀρυκτοὺς καλουμένους ἰχθῦς γινόμενον ὀρύττεσθαι γὰρ κατὰ βάθους πλέονος τοὺς τόπους οὔτε ποταμῶν ἐπιχύσεις ἔχοντας οὔτε φανερῶν ναμάτων, καὶ εὑρίσκεσθαι ἐν αὐτοῖς ἰχθῦς ζῶντας.
But Mnaseas of Patra, in his Periplus, says that the fish in the river Clitor are not dumb; though Aristotle has stated in writing that the only fishes which have any voice are the scarus and the river-hog. And Philostephanus, who was a Cyrenæan by birth, and a friend of Callimachus, in his treatise on Extraordinary Rivers, says that in the river Aroanius, which flows through Pheneum, there are fish which sing like thrushes, and that they are called the poiciliæ. And Nympho- dorus the Syracusan, in his Voyages, says that there are pike in the river Helorus, and large eels, so tame that they take bread out of the hands of any who bring it to them. And I myself, and very likely many of you too, have seen cestres tamed to the hand in the fountain of Arethusa, near Chalcis; and eels, having silver and golden earrings, taking food from any one who offered it to them, and entrails from the victims, and fresh cheese. And Semus says, in the sixth book of his Delias—“They say that a boy once dipped a ewer into the well, and brought water to some Athenians who were sacri- ficing at Delos, to wash their hands with; and he brought up, as it happened, some fish in the ewer along with the water: and that on this the soothsayers of the Delians told them that they should become the lords of the sea.” And Polybius, in the thirty-fourth book of his Histories, says that behind Pyrene, as far as the river Narbo, the whole country is a plain, through which the rivers Illiberis and Rhoscynus proceed, flowing through cities of the same name as themselves, which are inhabited by some of the Celtæ; and in this plain he says that the above-mentioned fossil fish are also found. And he says that the soil of that lain is light, and that a great quantity of the herb agrostis grows in it; and that beneath it, as the soil is sandy for a depth of two or three cubits, the water flows, which wanders away from these rivers; and so the fish, too, leaving the rivers, and proceeding underground, in the course of these erratic underflowings, in quest of food (for they are exceedingly fond of the root of the agrostis), have caused the whole plain to be full of subterranean fish, which people catch when they dig up the plain. “And among the Indians,” says Theophrastus, “there are fish which go forth out of the rivers over the land, and then, leaping back, return again to the water, just like frogs; being in appearance very like the fish which are called maxini.”
Μνασέας δὲ ὁ Πατρεὺς ἐν τῷ Περίπλῳ τοὺς ἐν τῷ Κλείτορι ποταμῷ φησιν ἰχθῦς φθέγγεσθαι, καίτοι μόνους εἰρηκότος Ἀριστοτέλους φθέγγεσθαι σκάρον καὶ τὸν ποτάμιον χοῖρον. Φιλοστέφανος δ’ ὁ Κυρηναῖος μὲν γένος, Καλλιμάχου δὲ γνώριμος, ἐν τῷ περὶ τῶν παραδόξων ποταμῶν ἐν Ἀόρνῳ φησὶ τῷ ποταμῷ διὰ Φενεοῦ ῥέοντι ἰχθῦς εἶναι φθεγγομένους ὁμοίως κίχλαις· καλεῖσθαι δ’ αὐτοὺς ποικιλίας. Νυμφόδωρος δ’ ὁ Συρακόσιος ἐν τοῖς Περίπλοις ἐν τῷ Ἑλώρῳ ποταμῷ λάβρακας εἶναί φησι καὶ ἐγχέλεις μεγάλας οὕτω τιθασοὺς ὡς ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν δέχεσθαι τῶν προσφερόντων ἄρτους, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν τῇ κατὰ Χαλκίδα Ἀρεθούσῃ τεθέαμαι, ἴσως δὲ καὶ ὑμῶν οἱ πλεῖστοι, κεστρεῖς χειροήθεις καὶ ἐγχέλεις ἐνώτια ἐχούσας ἀργυρᾶ καὶ χρυσᾶ, λαμβανούσας τε καὶ λαμβάνοντας παρὰ τῶν προσφερόντων τροφὰς τά τε ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερείων σπλάγχνα καὶ τυροὺς χλωρούς. Σῆμος δ’ ἐν ἕκτῳ Δηλιάδος Ἀθηναίοις φησί, θυομένοις ἐν Δήλῳ τὴν χέρνιβα βάψας ὁ παῖς προσήνεγκε κἀν τῇ φιάλῃ μετὰ τοῦ ὕδατος ἰχθῦς κατέχεεν. εἰπεῖν οὖν αὐτοῖς τοὺς τῶν Δηλίων μάντεις ὡς κυριεύσουσι τῆς θαλάσσης Πολύβιος δ’ ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ καὶ τριακοστῇ τῶν ἱστοριῶν μετὰ τὴν Πυρήνην φησὶν ἕως τοῦ Νάρβωνος ποταμοῦ πεδίον εἶναι, δι’ οὗ φέρεσθαι ποταμοὺς Ἰλλέβεριν καὶ Ῥόσκυνον ῥέοντας παρὰ πόλεις ὁμωνύμους κατοικουμένας ὑπὸ Κελτῶν. ἐν οὖν τῷ πεδίῳ τούτῳ εἶναι τοὺς λεγομένους ἰχθῦς ὀρυκτούς. εἶναί τε τὸ πεδίον λεπτόγειον καὶ πολλὴν ἄγρωστιν ἔχον ἐμπεφυκυῖαν· ὑπὸ δὲ ταύτην διάμμου τῆς γῆς οὔσης ἐπὶ. δύο καὶ τρεῖς πήχεις ὑπορρεῖν τὸ πλαζόμενον ἀπὸ τῶν ποταμῶν ὕδωρ μεθ’ οὗ ἰχθύες κατὰ τὰς παρεκχύσεις ὑποτρέχοντες ὑπὸ τὴν γῆν χάριν τῆς τροφῆς φιληδοῦσι γὰρ τῇ τῆς ἀγρώστεως ῥίζῃ πεποιήκασι πᾶν τὸ πεδίον πλῆρες ἰχθύων ὑπογείων, οὓς ἀνορύττοντες λαμβάνουσιν. ἐν Ἰνδοῖς δέ φησι Θεόφραστος τοὺς ἰχθῦς ἐκ τῶν ποταμῶν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐξιόντας καὶ πηδῶντας πάλιν εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ ἀπιέναι καθάπερ τοὺς βατράχους, ὁμοίους ὄντας τὴν ἰδέαν τοῖς μαξείνοις καλουμένοις ἰχθύσιν.
But I am not ignorant of what Clearchus, the Peripatetic philosopher, has said about what he calls the exoccetus fish, or fish which comes out of the water to sleep, which he mentions in his work entitled A Treatise on Aquatic Animals. For he has said, (and I think that I recollect his exact words, which are as follows,) “The exoccetus fish, which some people call Adonis, has derived its name from constantly taking his rest out of the water. He is rather of a red colour, and from his gills down to his tail he has on each side of his body one white stripe reaching the whole length of his body. And he is round, but not being broad, he is equal in size to the cestrinisci which are found near the shore; and they are as near as may be about eight fingers in length. Altogether he is very like the fish called the sea-goat, except that the latter has a black place under his stomach, which they call the beard of the goat. And the exocœtus is one of the fish which keeps near to the rocks, and spends his life in rocky places. When it is calm weather he springs up with the waves and lies on the rocks for a considerable time, sleeping on the dry land, and turning himself so as to bask in the sun: and then, when he has had sufficient rest, he rolls towards the water again, until the wave, taking him again, bears him with the reflux back into the sea. And when he is awake on the dry land then he is on his guard against those birds which are called pareudistæ, such as the halcyon, the sandpiper, and the helorius, which is a bird like the rail. For these birds in calm weather feed on the dry land, and often attack the exocœtus; but when he sees them at a distance he flies, leaping and panting, until he dives beneath the water.” Moreover, Clearchus says this also more plainly than Philostephanus the Cyrenæan, whom I have previously mentioned. “There are some fish which, though they have no throats, can utter a sound. Such are those which are found near Cleitor, in Arcadia, in the river called Ladon. For they have a voice, and utter a very audible sound.” And Nicolaus, of Damascus, in the hundred and fourth book of his History, says—“In the country around Apamea, in Phrygia, at the time of the Mithridatic wars, there were some earthquakes, after which there appeared in that district some lakes which previously had no existence, and rivers, and other springs which had been opened by the earthquake. Many also which had previously existed disappeared. And such a quantity of additional water, which was brackish and of a seagreen colour, burst up in that district, though it is at a very great distance from the sea, that all the neighbouring country was filled with oysters and fish, and all other productions of the sea.” I know also that it has very often rained fishes. At all events, Phænias, in the second book of his Eresian Magistrates, says that in the Chersonesus it once rained fish uninterruptedly for three days; and Phylarchus, in his fourth book, says that people had often seen it raining fish, and often also raining wheat, and that the same thing has happened with respect to frogs. At all events, Heraclides Lembus, in the twenty-first book of his History, says—“In Pæonia and Dardania it has, they say, before now rained frogs; and so great has been the number of these frogs that the houses and the roads have been full of them; and at first, for some days, the inhabitants, endeavouring to kill them, and shutting up their houses, endured the pest; but when they did no good, but found that all their vessels were filled with them, and the frogs were found to be boiled up and roasted with everything they ate, and when besides all this, they could not make use of any water, nor put their feet on the ground for the heaps of frogs that were everywhere, and were annoyed also by the smell of those that died, they fled the country.” I am aware, too, that Posidonius the Stoic males this statement about the abundance of the fish:—“When Tryphon of Apamea, who seized upon the kingdom of Syria, was attacked by Sarpedon, the general of Demetrius, near the city of Ptolemais, and when Sarpedon, being defeated, retired into the inland parts of the country with his own troops, but the army of Tryphon, having been victorious in the battle, were marching along the shore, on a sudden, a wave of the sea, rising to a great height, came over the land, and overwhelmed them all, and destroyed them beneath the waters, and the retreating wave also left an immense heap of fish with the corpses. And Sarpedon and his army heating of what had happened, came up, and were delighted at the sight of the corpses of their enemies, and carried away an enormous quantity of fish, and made a sacrifice to Neptune who puts armies to flight, near the suburbs of the city.”
οὐκ ἔλαθεν δέ με οὐδὲ Κλέαρχος ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ περιπάτου ὅσ’ εἴρηκε καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἐξωκοίτου καλουμένου ἰχθύος ἐν τῷ ἐπιγραφομένῳ περὶ τῶν ἐνύδρων, εἴρηκε γὰρ—κρατεῖν δ’ οἶμαι καὶ τῆς λέξεως οὕτως ἐχούσης· ᾽ὁ ἐξώκοιτος ἰχθύς, ὃν ἔνιοι καλοῦσιν ἅδωνιν, τοὔνομα μὲν εἴληφε διὰ τὸ πολλάκις τὰς ἀναπαύσεις ἔξω τοῦ ὑγροῦ ποιεῖσθαι· ἐστὶ δὲ ὑπόπυρρος καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν βραγχίων ἑκατέρωθεν τοῦ σώματος μέχρι τῆς κέρκου μίαν ἔχει διηνεκῆ λευκὴν ῥάβδον. ἐστὶ δὲ στρογγύλος, ἀλλ’ οὐ πλατὺς ὢν κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος ἴσος ἐστὶ τοῖς παραιγιαλίταις κεστρινίσκοις οὗτοι δ’ εἰσὶν ὀκταδάκτυλοι μάλιστα τὸ μῆκος, τὸ δὲ σύνολον ὁμοιότατός ἐστι τῷ καλουμένῳ τράγῳ ἰχθυδίῳ πλὴν τοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν στόμαχον μέλανος, ὃ καλοῦσι τοῦ τράγου πώγωνα. ἐστὶ δ᾽· ὁ ἐξώκοιτος τῶν πετραίων καὶ βιοτεύει περὶ τοὺς πετρώδεις τόπους καὶ ὅταν ᾖ γαλήνη, συνεξορούσας τῷ κύματι κεῖται ἐπὶ τῶν πετριδίων πολὺν χρόνον ἀναπαυόμενος ἐν τῷ ξηρῷ καὶ μεταστρέφει μὲν ἑαυτὸν πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον ὅταν δ’ ἱκανῶς αὐτῷ τὰ πρὸς τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν ἔχῃ, προσκυλινδεῖται τῷ ὑγρῷ, μέχρι οὗ ἂν πάλιν ὑπολαβὸν αὐτὸν τὸ κῦμα κατενέγκῃ μετὰ τῆς ἀναρροίας εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ὅταν δ’ ἐγρηγορὼς ἐν τῷ ξηρῷ τύχῃ, φυλάττεται τῶν ὀρνίθων τοὺς παρευδιαστὰς καλουμένους, ὧν ἐστι κηρύλος, τροχίλος, καὶ ὁ τῇ κρεκὶ προσεμφερὴς ἐρῳδιὸς, οὗτοι γάρ ἐν ταῖς εὐδίαις παρὰ τὸ ξηρὸν νεμόμενοι πολλάκις αὐτῷ περιπίπτουσιν, οὓς ὅταν προΐδηται φεύγει πηδῶν καὶ ἀσπαίρων, ἕως ἂν εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ ἀποκυμβήσῃ.᾽ ἔτι ὁ αὐτὸς Κλέαρχος καὶ ταῦτά φησι, σαφέστερον τοῦ Κυρηναίου φιλοστεφάνου, οὗ πρότερον ἐμνήσθην· ᾽ ἐπεί τινες τῶν ἰχθύων οὐκ ἔχοντες βρόγχον φθέγγονται. τοιοῦτοι δ’ εἰσὶν οἱ περὶ Κλείτορα τῆς Ἀρκαδίας ἐν τῷ Λάδωνι καλουμένῳ ποταμῷ· φθέγγονται γὰρ καὶ πολὺν ἦχον ἀποτελοῦσιν.᾽ Νικόλαος δ’ ὁ Δαμασκηνὸς ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ πρὸς ταῖς ἑκατὸν τῶν ἱστοριῶν ʽ περὶ Ἀπάμειαν φησί, ᾽ τὴν Φρυγιακὴν κατὰ τὰ Μιθριδατικὰ σεισμῶν γενομένων ἀνεφάνησαν περὶ τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν λίμναι τε πρότερον οὐκ οὖσαι καὶ ποταμοὶ καὶ ἄλλαι πηγαὶ ὑπὸ τῆς κινήσεως ἀνοιχθεῖσαι, πολλαὶ δὲ καὶ ἠφανίσθησαν, τοσοῦτόν τε ἄλλο ἀνέβλυσεν αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ πικρόν τε καὶ γλαυκὸν ὕδωρ, πλεῖστον ὅσον ἀπεχούσης τῶν τόπων τῆς θαλάσσης, ὥστε ὀστρέων πλησθῆναι τὸν πλησίον τόπον ἅπαντα καὶ ἰχθύων τῶν τε ἄλλων ὅσα τρέφει ἡ θάλασσα.᾽ οἶδα δὲ καὶ πολλαχοῦ ὕσαντα τὸν θεὸν ἰχθύσι Φαινίας γοῦν ἐν δευτέρῳ πρυτάνεων Ἐρεσίων ἐν Χερρονήσῳ φησὶν ἐπὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ὗσαι τὸν θεὸν ἰχθύας. καὶ Φύλαρχος δ’ ἐν τετάρτῃ ἑωρακέναι τινὰς πολλαχοῦ τὸν θεὸν ὕσαντα ἰχθύσι, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ γυρίνοις τοῦ αὐτοῦ συμβαίνοντος. Ἡρακλείδης γοῦν ὁ Λέμβος ἐν τῇ κα τῶν ἱστοριῶν ᾽ περὶ τὴν Παιονίαν καὶ Δαρδανίαν βατράχους φησίν, ᾽ ὗσεν ὁ θεὸς καὶ τοσοῦτο αὐτῶν ἐγένετο τὸ πλῆθος ὡς τὰς οἰκίας καὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς πλήρεις εἶναι. τὰς μὲν οὖν πρώτας ἡμέρας κτείνοντες τούτους καὶ συγκλείοντες τὰς οἰκίας διεκαρτέρουν ὡς δ’ οὐδὲν ἤνυον, ἀλλὰ τά τε σκεύη ἐπληροῦτο καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων εὑρίσκοντο συνεψόμενοι καὶ συνοπτώμενοι οἱ βάτραχοι καὶ πρὸς τούτοις οὔτε τοῖς ὕδασιν ἦν χρῆσθαι οὔτε τοὺς πόδας ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν θεῖναι συσσεσωρευμένων αὐτῶν, ἐνοχλούμενοι δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν τετελευτηκότων ὀδμῆς ἔφυγον τὴν χώραν.᾽ οἶδα δὲ καὶ Ποσειδώνιον τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς στοᾶς εἰπόντα καὶ περὶ πλήθους ἰχθύων τάδε· ᾽ ὅτε Τρύφων ὁ Ἀπαμεὺς ὁ τὴν τῶν Σύρων βασιλείαν ἁρπάσας ἐπολεμεῖτο ὑπὸ Σαρπηδόνος τοῦ Δημητρίου στρατηγοῦ περὶ Πτολεμαΐδα πόλιν καὶ ὡς ὁ Σαρπηδὼν λειφθεὶς ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν μεσόγαιαν μετὰ τῶν ἰδίων στρατιωτῶν, οἱ δὲ τοῦ Τρύφωνος ὥδευον κατὰ τὸ πλησίαλον νικήσαντες τῇ μάχῃ, ἐξαίφνης πελάγιον κῦμα ἐξαρθὲν μετέωρον εἰς ὕψος ἐξαίσιον ἐπῆλθεν τῇ γῇ καὶ πάντας αὐτοὺς ἐπέκλυσεν διέφθειρέν τε ὑποβρυχίους, ἰχθύων τε πολὺν σωρὸν ἀναχωροῦν τὸ κῦμα μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν κατέλιπε. καὶ οἱ περὶ τὸν Σαρπηδόνα ἀκούσαντες τὴν συμφορὰν ἐπελθόντες τοῖς μὲν τῶν πολεμίων σώμασιν ἐφήσθησαν, ἰχθύων δὲ ἀφθονίαν ἀπηνέγκαντο καὶ ἔθυσαν Ποσειδῶνι τροπαίῳ πρὸς τοῖς προαστείοις τῆς πόλεως.᾽
Nor will I pass over in silence the men who prophesy from fish in Lycia, concerning whom Polycharmus speaks, in the second book of his Affairs of Lycia; writing in this manner:—“For when they have come to the sea, at a place where there is on the shore a grove sacred to Apollo, and where there is an eddy on the sand, the persons who are consulting the oracle come, bringing with them two wooden spits, having each of them ten pieces of roast meat on them. And the priest sits down by the side of the grove in silence; but he who is consulting the oracle throws the spits into the eddy, and looks on to see what happens. And after he has put the spits in, then the eddy becomes full of salt water, and there comes up such an enormous quantity of fish of such a description that he is amazed at the sight, and is even, as it were, alarmed at the magnitude of it. And when the prophet enumerates the different species of fish, the person who is consulting the oracle in this manner receives the prophecy from the priest respecting the matters about which he has prayed for information. And there appear in the eddy orphi, and sea-grayling, and sometimes some sorts of whales, such as the phalkena, or pristis, and a great many other fish which are rarely seen, and strange to the sight.” And Artemidorus, in the tenth book of his Geography, says that—“It is said by the natives that a fountain springs up in that place of sweet water, to which it is owing that these eddies exist there; and that very large fish are produced in that eddying place. And those who are sacrificing throw to these fish the firstfruits of what they offer, piercing them through with wooden spits, being pieces of meat, roasted and boiled, and cakes of barley and loaves. And both the harbour and the place is called Dinus.”
οὐ κατασιωπήσομαι δὲ οὐδὲ τοὺς ἐν Λυκίᾳ ἰχθυομάντεις ἄνδρας, περὶ ὧν ἱστορεῖ Πολύχαρμος ἐν δευτέρῳ Λυκιακῶν γράφων οὕτως· ‘ὅταν γὰρ διέλθωσι πρὸς τὴν θάλασσαν, οὗ τὸ ἄλσος ἐστὶ πρὸς τῷ αἰγιαλῷ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἡ δῖνα ἐπὶ τῆς ἀμάθου, παραγίνονται ἔχοντες οἱ μαντευόμενοι ὀβελίσκους δύο ξυλίνους, ἔχοντας ἐφ’ ἑκατέρῳ σάρκας ὀπτὰς ἀριθμῷ δέκα. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἱερεὺς κάθηται πρὸς τῷ ἄλσει σιωπῇ, ὁ δὲ μαντευόμενος ἐμβάλλει τοὺς ὀβελίσκους εἰς τὴν δῖναν καὶ ἀποθεωρεῖ τὸ γινόμενον. μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐμβολὴν τῶν ὀβελίσκων πληροῦται θαλάσσης ἡ δῖνα καὶ παραγίνεται ἰχθύων πλῆθος τοσοῦτον καὶ τοιοῦτον ὥστε ἐκπλήττεσθαι τὸ ἀόρατον τοῦ πράγματος, τῷ δὲ μεγέθει τοιούτων ὥστε καὶ εὐλαβηθῆναι. ὅταν δὲ ἀπαγγείλῃ τὰ εἴδη τῶν ἰχθύων ὁ προφήτης, οὕτως τὸν χρησμὸν λαμβάνει παρὰ τοῦ ἱερέως ὁ μαντευόμενος περὶ ὧν ηὔξατο. φαίνονται δὲ ὀρφοί, γλαῦκοι, ἐνίοτε δὲ φάλλαιναι ἢ πρίστεις, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ ἀόρατοι ἰχθῦς καὶ ξένοι τῇ ὄψει.᾽ Ἀρτεμίδωρος δ’ ἐν τῷ δεκάτῳ τῶν Γεωγραφουμένων λέγεσθαί φησιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων πηγὴν ἀναδίδοσθαι γλυκέος ὕδατος, ὅθεν συμβαίνειν δίνας γίνεσθαι· γίνεσθαι δὲ καὶ ἰχθύας ἐν τῷ δινάζοντι τόπῳ μεγάλους, τούτοις δὲ οἱ θυσιάζοντες ἐμβάλλουσιν ἀπαρχὰς τῶν θυσιαζομένων ἐπὶ ξυλίνων ὀβελίσκων ἀναπείροντες κρέα ἑφθὰ καὶ ὀπτὰ καὶ μάζας καὶ ἄρτους, ὀνομάζεται δὲ ὁ λιμὴν καὶ ὁ τόπος οὗτος Δῖνος.
I know, too, that Phylarchus has spoken, somewhere or other, about large fish, and about fresh figs which were sent with them; saying that Patroclus, the general of Ptolemy, sent such a present to Antigonus the king, by way of a riddle, as the Scythians sent an enigmatical present to Darius, when he was invading their country. For they sent (as Herodotus relates) a bird, and an arrow, and a frog. But Patroclus (as Phylarchus tells us, in the third book of his Histories) sent the before-mentioned fishes and figs; and the king, at the time that they arrived, happened to be drinking with his friends, and when all the party were perplexed at the meaning of the gifts, Antigonus laughed, and said to his friends that he knew what was the meaning of the present; “for,” says he, “Patroclus means that we must either be masters of the sea, or else be content to eat figs.”
οἶδα δὲ καὶ Φύλαρχον εἰρηκότα που περὶ μεγάλων ἰχθύων καὶ τῶν συμπεμφθέντων αὐτοῖς σύκων χλωρῶν, ὅτι αἰνιττόμενος Πάτροκλος ὁ Πτολεμαίου στρατηγὸς Ἀντιγόνῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ ἔπεμπεν, ὡς Δαρείῳ Σκύθαι ἐπερχομένῳ αὐτῶν τῇ χώρᾳ· ἔπεμψαν γὰρ οὗτοι μὲν, ὥς φησιν Ἡρόδοτος, ὄρνιν καὶ ὀιστὸν καὶ βάτραχον ἀλλ’ ὅ γε Πάτροκλος, ὡς διὰ τῆς τρίτης τῶν ἱστοριῶν φησιν ὁ Φύλαρχος, πεμφθέντων τῶν προειρημένων σύκων καὶ ἰχθύων. ἐτύγχανεν δὲ κωθωνιζόμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὡς πάντες διηποροῦντο ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις, ὁ Ἀντίγονος γελάσας πρὸς τοὺς φίλους ἔφη γινώσκειν τί βούλεται τὰ ξένια· ἢ γὰρ θαλαττοκρατεῖν ἡμᾶς φησι Πάτροκλος ἢ τῶν σύκων τρώγειν.
Nor am I unaware that all fishes are called by one generic name, camasenes, by Empedocles the natural philosopher, when he says—How could the mighty trees and sea-born camasenes...And the poet, too, who wrote the Cyprian poems (whether he was a Cyprian or a man of the name of Stasinus, or whatever else his name may have been, represents Nemesis as pursued by Jupiter, and metamorphosed into a fish, in the following lines:—And after them she brought forth Helen third,A marvel to all mortal men to see;Her then the fair-hair'd Nemesis did bear,Compell'd by Jove, the sovereign of the gods.She indeed fled, nor sought to share the loveOf that great father, son of Saturn, Jove;For too great awe did overpower her mind:So Nemesis did flee o'er distant lands,And o'er the black and barren waves o' the sea;But Jove pursued her (and with eagernessHis soul desired her). In vain she tookThe form of some large fish who bounds along,Borne on the vast high-crested roaring wave;Sometimes she fled along the ocean, whereThe earth's most distant boundaries extend;Sometimes she fled along the fertile land;And took all shapes of every animalWhich the land bears, to flee from amorous Jove.
οὐ λανθάνει δέ με καὶ ὅτι κοινῶς πάντες οἱ ἰχθύες καμασῆνες ὑπὸ Ἐμπεδοκλέους ἐλέχθησαν τοῦ φυσικοῦ οὕτως· πῶς καὶ δένδρεα μακρὰ καὶ εἰνάλιοι καμασῆνες, καὶ ὅτι ὁ τὰ Κύπρια ποιήσας ἔπη, εἴτε Κύπριός τίς ἐστιν ἢ Στασῖνος ἢ ὅστις δή ποτε χαίρει ὀνομαζόμενος, τὴν Νέμεσιν ποιεῖ διωκομένην ὑπὸ Διὸς καὶ εἰς ἰχθὺν μεταμορφουμένην διὰ τούτων τοὺς δὲ μέτα τριτάτην Ἑλένην τέκε, θαῦμα βροτοῖσι· τήν ποτε καλλίκομος Νέμεσις φιλότητι μιγεῖσα Ζηνὶ θεῶν βασιλῆι τέκεν κρατερῆς ὑπ’ ἀνάγκης, φεῦγε γὰρ οὐδ’ ἔθελεν μιχθήμεναι ἐν φιλότητι πατρὶ Διὶ Κρονίωνι· ἐτείρετο γὰρ φρένας αἰδοῖ καὶ νεμέσει· κατὰ γῆν δὲ καὶ ἀτρύγετον μέλαν ὕδωρ φεῦγεν, Ζεὺς δ’ ἐδίωκε· λαβεῖν δ’ ἐλιλαίετο θυμῷ ἄλλοτε μὲν κατὰ κῦμα πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης ἰχθύι εἰδομένην, πόντον πολὺν ἐξοροθῦνον, ἄλλοτ’ ἀν’ ᾽ Ὠκεανὸν ποταμὸν καὶ πείρατα γαίης, ἄλλοτ’ ἀν’ ἤπειρον πολυβώλακα. γίγνετο δ’ αἰεὶ θηρί’ ὅσ’ ἤπειρος αἰνὰ τρέφει, ὄφρα φύγοι νιν.
I know, also, what is related about the fish called apopyris, which is found in the lake Bolbe; concerning which Hegesander, in his Commentaries, speaks thus:—“Around Apollonia of Chalcis two rivers flow, the Ammites and the Olynthiacus, and they both fall into the lake Bolbe. And on the river Olynthiacus there is a monument of Olynthus, the son of Hercules and Bolbe. And in the months Anthesterion and Elaphebolion, the natives say that Bolbe sends Apopyris to Olynthus; and that about this time a most enormous number of fish ascend out of the lake into the river Olynthiacus: and this is a shallow river, scarcely deep enough to wet a man's ankles; but for all that there does not the less come a great number of fish, so that all the people of the district get enough cured fish for their use for the year. And it is a wonderful fact that they never pass above the monument of Olynthus. They say, in explanation of this, that the people of Apollonia did formerly, in the month Elaphebolion, celebrate sacrifices to the dead, but that they do so now in the month Anthesterion; and that on this account this ascent is made by the fish in those months alone in which the natives are accustomed to pay honour to their national heroes.” And this is the state of the case, O men fish; for you, having collected together every kind of thing, have thrown us out to be food for fishes, instead of giving them as food for us,—making such long speeches as not even Ichthys, the phi- losopher of Megara, nor Ichthyon (and this also is a proper name), who is mentioned by Teleclides in his Amphicytons would make to us. And, on your account, I will give this advice to the servant, as it is said in the Ant Men of Phere- crates:—Mind that you never, O Deucalion,(Even if I bid you,) set a fish before me.For in Delos, as we are told by Semus the Delian, in the second book of the Delias, when they sacrifice to Brizo,—and she is a deity who prophesies to people asleep (for the ancients used βρίζω as synonymous with καθεύδω, to sleep, saying—Then sleeping (ἀποβρίξαντες) there we waited for the dawn)—so, when the Delian women sacrifice to this deity, they bring her, as their offering, boats full of all kinds of good things, except fish; because they address prayers to her on every subject, and especially for the safety of their vessels.
οἶδα δὲ καὶ τὰ περὶ τὴν ἀπόπυριν καλουμένην περὶ τὴν Βόλβην λίμνην, περὶ ἧς Ἡγήσανδρος ἐν τοῖς ὑπομνήμασι φησὶν οὕτως ʽ Ἀπολλωνίαν τὴν Χαλκιδικὴν δύο ποταμοὶ περιρρέουσιν Ἀμμίτης καὶ Ὀλυνθιακός· ἐμβάλλουσι δ’ ἀμφότεροι εἰς τὴν Βόλβην λίμνην. ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Ὀλυνθιακοῦ μνημεῖόν ἐστιν Ὀλύνθου τοῦ ʽ Ἡρακλέους καὶ Βόλβης υἱοῦ. κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἀνθεστηριῶνα καὶ Ἐλαφηβολιῶνα λέγουσιν οἱ ἐπιχώριοι διότι πέμπει ἡ Βόλβη τὴν ἀπόπυριν Ὀλύνθῳ· καὶ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἀπέραντον πλῆθος ἰχθύων ἐκ τῆς λίμνης εἰς τὸν Ὀλυνθιακὸν ἀναβαίνειν ποταμόν. ἐστὶ δὲ βραχύς, ὥστε μόλις κρύπτειν τὸ σφυρὸν ἀλλ’ οὐδὲν ἧττον τοσοῦτον ἔρχεται πλῆθος ἰχθύων ὥστε τοὺς περιοίκους ἅπαντας ἱκανὸν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῶν χρείαν συντιθέναι τάριχος. θαυμαστὸν δέ ἐστι τὸ μὴ παραλλάττειν τὸ τοῦ Ὀλύνθου μνημεῖον, πρότερον μὲν οὖν φασι τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἀπολλωνίαν Ἐλαφηβολιῶνος τὰ νόμιμα συντελεῖν τοῖς τελευτήσασι, νῦν δ’ Ἀνθεστηριῶνας. διὰ ταύτην οὖν τὴν αἰτίαν μόνοις τούτοις τοῖς μησὶ τοὺς ἰχθῦς τὴν ἀνάβασιν ποιεῖσθαι, ἐν οἷς τοὺς τετελευτηκότας εἰώθασι τιμᾶν.᾽ καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ταύτῃ, ἄνδρες ἰχθύες· ὑμεῖς γὰρ πάντα συναθροίσαντες βορὰν ἡμᾶς τοῖς ἰχθύσι παραβεβλήκατε καὶ οὐκ ἐκείνους ἡμᾶν, τοσαῦτα εἰπόντες ὅσα οὐδὲ Ἰχθύας ὁ Μεγαρικὸς φιλόσοφος οὐδ’ Ἰχθύων ὄνομα δὲ καὶ τοῦτο κύριον, οὗ μνημονεύει Τηλεκλείδης ἐν Ἀμφικτύοσι. δι’ ὑμᾶς δὲ καὶ τῷ παιδὶ παρακελεύσομαι κατὰ τοὺς Φερεκράτους Μυρμηκανθρώπους· μηδέποτ’ ἰχθύν, ὦ Δευκαλίων, μηδ’ ἢν αἰτῶ παραθῇς μοι. καὶ γὰρ ἐν Δήλῳ φησὶ Σῆμος ὁ Δήλιος ἐν β’ Δηλιάδος ᾽ὅταν θύωσι τῇ Βριζοῖ αὕτη δ’ ἐστὶν ἡ ἐνυπνιόμαντις· βρίζειν δ’ οἱ ἀρχαῖοι λέγουσι τὸ καθεύδειν ἔνθα δ’ ἀποβρίξαντες ἐμείναμεν ἠῶ δῖαν ταύτῃ οὖν ὅταν θύωσιν αἱ Δηλιάδες, προσφέρουσιν αὐτῇ σκάφας πάντων πλήρεις ἀγαθῶν πλὴν ἰχθύων διὰ τὸ εὔχεσθαι ταύτῃ περί τε πάντων καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν πλοίων σωτηρίας.
But, my friends, though I admire Chrysippus, the leader of the sect of the Stoics, on many accounts, I also praise him especially for having always classed Archestratus, that man who is so famous for his treatise on Cookery, with Philenis, to whom that indelicate composition about Amatory Pleasures is attributed; which, however, Aeschrion, the iambic poet of Samos, says was written by Polycrates the sophist, and attributed to Philænis for the sake of calumniating her, when she was a most respectable woman. And the iambics, in which this is stated, run as follows:—I am Philænis, famous among men;And here I lie, o'erwhelm'd by long old age.Do not, O foolish sailor, pass this capeLaughing and scorning and reproaching me.For. now I swear by Jove, and by the godsWho reign below, I never lustful was,I never made myself a sport to man.But one Polycrates, of Attic race,A trashy chatterer, and a false accuser,Wrote what he wrote; I know not what it was.Therefore that admirable Chrysippus, in the fifth book of his treatise on Honour and Pleasure, says—“The books, too, of Philænis, and the Gastronomy of Archestratus, and all the drugs calculated to provoke appetite or sensual desires, and also all the servants who are skilled in such motions and such figures, and whose occupation it is to attend to these things.” And again he says —“That they learn such things, and get hold of the books written on such subjects by Philænis and Archestratus, and by those who have written similar works.” And in his seventh book he says—“Just as it would not be advisable to study the writings of Philænis or the Gastronomy of Archestratus, as tending to make a person live better.” But you, who are constantly making mention of this Archestratus, have made this entertainment full of intem- perance; for what of all the things which could unduly excite men has this fine epic poet omitted?—he, the only imitator of the life of Sardanapalus the son of Anacyndaraxes, who, Aristotle says, is made more obscure still by adding the name of his father; on whose tomb, Chrysippus says, the following inscription was engraved:—Knowing that you are mortal, feed your soulOn banquets and delights; for in the graveThere's no enjoyment left. I now am dustWho once was king of mighty Nineveh;The things which I did eat, the joys of love,The insolent thoughts with which my wealth did fill me,Are all I now have left; for all my powerAnd all my happiness is gone for ever.This is the only prudent rule of life,I never shall forget it, let who willHoard boundless treasures of uncounted gold.And the great poet has said of the Phæacians—To dress, to dance, to sing, our sole delight,The feast or bath by day, and love by night.And another person, not unlike Sardanapalus in disposition, gives this advice and these rules to those who are deficient in wisdom:—I to all mortals now give this advice:Live for the day with pleasure; he who diesIs nought; an empty shade beneath the earth:Man lives but a short space, and therefore should,While life remains, enjoy himself.And Amphis the comic poet, in his Ialemus, says—The man who knows that he is but a mortal,And yet seeks not enjoyment while alive,Leaving all other cares, is but a foolIn mine and all wise men's opinion,And most unhappy in his destiny.And, in his play entitled the Gynæcocracy, he say nearly the same—Drink and play, our mortal lifeOn earth can but a brief space last;Death alone will last for ever,When once our too brief term is past.And a man of the name of Bacchides, who lived on the same principles as Sardanapalus, after he was dead had the following inscription placed on his tomb:—Eat, drink, indulge thy soul with all delights,This stone is all that now remains for Bacchides.
Χρύσιππον δ᾽, ἄνδρες φίλοι, τὸν τῆς στοᾶς ἡγεμόνα κατὰ πολλὰ θαυμάζων ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐπαινῶ τὸν πολυθρύλητον ἐπὶ τῇ ὀψολογίᾳ Ἀρχέστρατον αἰεί ποτε μετὰ Φιλαινίδος κατατάττοντα, εἰς ἣν ἀναφέρεται τὸ περὶ ἀφροδισίων ἀκόλαστον σύγγραμμα, ὅπερ φησὶ ποιῆσαι Αἰσχρίων ὁ Σάμιος ἰαμβοποιὸς Πολυκράτη τὸν σοφιστὴν ἐπὶ διαβολῇ τῆς ἀνθρώπου σωφρονεστάτης γενομένης, ἔχει δὲ οὕτως τὰ ἰαμβεῖα· ἐγὼ Φιλαινὶς ἡ ᾽ πίβωτος ἀνθρώποις ἐνταῦθα γήρᾳ τῷ μακρῷ κεκοίμημαι. μὴ μ᾽, ὦ μάταιε ναῦτα, τὴν ἄκραν κάμπτων χλεύην τε ποιεῦ καὶ γέλωτα καὶ λάσθην· οὐ γὰρ μὰ τὸν Ζεῦν, οὐ μὰ τοὺς κάτω κούρους, οὐκ ἦν ἐς ἄνδρας μάχλος οὐδὲ δημώδης· Πολυκράτης δὲ τὴν γενῆν Ἀθηναῖος, λόγων τι παιπάλημα καὶ κακὴ γλῶσσα, ἔγραψεν ἅσσ’ ἔγραψ᾽; ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδα. ἀλλ’ οὖν ὅ γε θαυμασιώτατος Χρύσιππος ἐν τῷ πέμπτῳ περὶ τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ τῆς ἡδονῆς φησι· ᾽καὶ βιβλία τά τε Φιλαινίδος καὶ τὴν τοῦ Ἀρχεστράτου Γαστρονομίαν καὶ δυνάμεις ἐρωτικὰς καὶ συνουσιαστικάς, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὰς θεραπαίνας ἐμπείρους τοιῶνδε κινήσεών τε καὶ σχημάτων καὶ περὶ τὴν τούτων μελέτην γινομένας καὶ πάλιν ᾽ἐκμανθάνειν τ’ αὐτοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα καὶ κτᾶσθαι τὰ περὶ τούτων γεγραμμένα Φιλαινίδι καὶ Ἀρχεστράτῳ καὶ τοῖς τὰ ὅμοια γράψασιν κἀν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ δέ φησι· [καθάπερ γὰρ οὐκ ἐκμανθάνειν τὰ Φιλαινίδος καὶ τὴν Ἀρχεστράτου Γαστρονομίαν ἔστιν ὡς φέροντά τι πρὸς τὸ ζῆν ἄμεινον.᾽ ὑμεῖς δὲ πολλάκις τοῦ Ἀρχεστράτου τούτου μνημονεύσαντες ἀκολασίας ἐπληρώσατε τὸ συμπόσιον, τί γὰρ τῶν ἐπιτρῖψαι δυναμένων παρέλιπεν ὁ καλὸς οὗτος ἐποποιὸς καὶ μόνος ζηλώσας τὸν Σαρδαναπάλλου τοῦ Ἀνακυνδαράξεω βίον, ὃν ἀδιανοητότερον εἶναι ἢ κατὰ τὴν προσηγορίαν τοῦ πατρὸς Ἀριστοτέλης ἔφη, ἐφ’ οὗ τοῦ τάφου· ἐπιγεγράφθαι φησὶ Χρύσιππος τάδε· εὖ εἰδὼς ὅτι θνητὸς ἔφυς σὸν θυμὸν ἄεξε, τερπόμενος θαλίῃσι θανόντι σοι οὔτις ὄνησις. καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ σποδός εἰμι, Νίνου μεγάλης βασιλεύσας· κεῖν’ ἔχω ὅσσ’ ἔφαγον καὶ ἐφύβρισα καὶ σὺν ἔρωτι τέρπν’ ἔπαθον τὰ δὲ πολλὰ καὶ ὄλβια πάντα λέλυνται. ἥδε ὁ σοφὴ βιότοιο παραίνεσις. οὐδὲ ποτ’ αὐτῆς λήσομαι· ἐκτήσθω δ’ ὁ θέλων τὸν ἀπείρονα χρυσόν. καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Φαιάκων δὲ ὁ ποιητὴς ἔφη· αἰεὶ δ’ ἡμῖν δαίς τε φίλη κίθαρίς τε χοροί τε εἵματά τ’ ἐξημοιβὰ λόετρά τε θερμὰ καὶ εὐναί. καὶ ἄλλος δὲ τίς φησι τῷ Σαρδαναπάλλῳ παραπλήσιος, ὑποτιθέμενος καὶ οὗτος τοῖς μὴ σωφρονοῦσι τοιάδε· πᾶσιν δὲ θνητοῖς βούλομαι παραινέσαι τοὐφήμερον ζῆν ἡδέως· ὁ γὰρ θανὼν τὸ μηδέν ἐστι καὶ σκιὰ κατὰ χθονός. μικροῦ δὲ βιότου ζῶντ’ ἐπαυρέσθαι χρεών, καὶ Ἄμφις δ’ ὁ κωμῳδιοποιὸς ἐν Ἰαλέμῳ φησί.᾽ ὅστις, δὲ θνητὸς γενόμενος μὴ τῷ βίῳ ζητεῖ τι τερπνὸν προσφέρειν, τὰ δ’ ἄλλ’ ἐᾷ, μάταιός ἐστιν ἔν γ’ ἐμοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοφοῖς κριταῖς ἅπασιν ἐκ θεῶν τε δυστυχής. καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐπιγραφομένῃ δὲ Γυναικοκρατίᾳ τὰ ὅμοια λέγει· πῖνε, παῖζε· θνητὸς ὁ βίος, ὀλίγος οὑπὶ γῇ χρόνος· ὁ θάνατος δ’ ἀθάνατὸς ἐστιν, ἂν ἅπαξ τις ἀποθάνῃ. καὶ Βακχίδας δέ τις τὸν αὐτὸν Σαρδαναπάλλῳ ζήσας βίον ἀποθανὼν ἐπὶ τοῦ τάφου ἐπιγεγραμμένον ἔχει· πιέν, φαγὲν καὶ πάντα τᾷ ψυχᾷ δόμεν κἠγὼ γὰρ ἕστακ’ ἀντὶ Βακχίδα λίθος.
Alexis, in his Tutor of Intemperate Men—(as Sotion the Alexandrian says, in his Commentary on the Silli of Timon; for I myself have never met with the play, though I have read more than eight hundred plays of what is called the Middle Comedy, and have made extracts from them, but still I have never fallen in with the Tutor of Intemperate Men, nor do I recollect having seen any mention of it in any regular list of such plays; for Callimachus has not inserted it in his catalogue, nor has Aristophanes, nor even those scholars at Pergamus, who have handed down to us lists of plays,)how— ever, Sotion says that in that play a slave, named Xanthias, was represented as exhorting all his fellow-slaves to a life of luxury, and saying—Why do you talk such stuff, why run aboutTo the Lyceum and the Academy,To the Odeum's gates, hunting in vainFor all the sophists' nonsense? there's no good in it;Let us drink, drink, I say. O Sicon, Sicon!Let us amuse ourselves; while time allows usTo gratify our souls.—Enjoy yourself,My good friend Manes! nothing is worth moreTo you than your own stomach. That's your father;That only is your mother;-as for virtues,And embassies, and military commands,They are but noisy boasts, vain empty dreams.Fate at its destined hour will come to chill you;Take all that you can get to eat and drink;Pericles, Codrus, Cimon, are but dust.
Ἄλεξις δ’ ἐν Ἀσωτοδιδασκάλῳ, φησὶ Σωτίων ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεὺς ἐν τοῖς περὶ τῶν Τίμωνος σίλλων ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐκ ἀπήντησα τῷ δράματι· πλείονα τῆς μέσης καλουμένης κωμῳδίας ἀναγνοὺς δράματα τῶν ὀκτακοσίων καὶ τούτων ἐκλογὰς ποιησάμενος οὐ περιέτυχον τῷ Ἀσωτοδιδασκάλῳ, ἀλλ’ οὐδ᾽ ἀναγραφῆς ἀξιωθέν τινι σύνοιδα· οὔτε γὰρ Καλλίμαχος οὔτε Ἀριστοφάνης αὐτὸ ἀνέγραψαν, ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ οἱ τὰς ἐν Περγάμῳ ἀναγραφὰς ποιησάμενοι ὁ δὲ Σωτίων φησὶν ἐν τῷ δράματι Ξανθίαν τινὰ οἰκέτην πεποιῆσθαι προτρεπόμενον ἐπὶ ἡδυπάθειαν ὁμοδούλους ἑαυτοῦ καὶ λέγοντα· τί ταῦτα ληρεῖς, φληναφῶν ἄνω κάτω Λύκειον, Ἀκαδήμειαν, ᾽ Ὠἰδείου πύλας, λήρους σοφιστῶν; οὐδὲ ἓν τούτων καλόν, πίνωμεν, ἐμπίνωμεν, ὦ Σίκων, Σίκων, χαίρωμεν, ἕως ἔνεστι τὴν ψυχὴν τρέφειν. τύρβαζε, Μάνη, γαστρὸς οὐδὲν ἥδιον. αὕτη πατήρ σοι καὶ πάλιν μήτηρ μόνη. ἀρεταὶ δὲ πρεσβεῖαί τε καὶ στρατηγίαι κόμποι κενοὶ ψοφοῦσιν ἀντ’ ὀνειράτων. ψύξει σε δαίμων τῷ πεπρωμένῳ· χρόνῳ ἕξεις δ’ ὅσ’ ἂν φάγῃς τε καὶ πίῃς μόνα· σποδὸς δὲ τἄλλα, Περικλέης, Κόδρος, Κίμων.
But it would be better, says Chrysippus, if the lines inscribed on the tomb of Sardanapalus were altered thus—Knowing that thou art mortal, feed thy soulOn wise discourse. There is no good in eating.For I am now no good, who once did eatAll that I could, and sought all kinds of pleasure.Now what I thought and learnt and heard of wisdomIs all I now have left; my luxuriesAnd all my joys have long deserted me.And Timon says, very beautifully,—Of all bad things the chief is appetite.
κρεῖττον δ’ ἂν εἶχε, φησὶν ὁ Χρύσιππος, εἰ μετελήφθη τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σαρδαναπάλλου οὕτως· εὖ εἰδὼς ὅτι θνητὸς ἔφυς σὸν θυμὸν ἄεξε, τερπόμενος μύθοισι φαγόντι σοι οὔτις ὄνησις. καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ῥάκος εἰμί, φαγὼν ὡς πλεῖστα καὶ ἡσθείς. ταῦτ’ ἔχω ὅσσ’ ἔμαθον καὶ ἐφρόντισα καὶ μετὰ τούτων ἔσθλ’ ἔπαθον τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ καὶ ἡδέα πάντα λέλειπται. παγκάλως δὲ καὶ ὁ Τίμων ἔφη· πάντων μὲν πρώτιστα κακῶν ἐπιθυμίη ἐστί.
But Clearchus, in his essay on Proverbs, says that Terpsion was the tutor of Archestratus, who was also the first person who wrote a book on Gastronomy; and he says that he gave precepts to his pupils as to what they ought to abstain from; and that Terpsion once extemporised the following line about a turtle:—Eat now a turtle, or else leave it alone;which, however, others read—Eat now a turtle's flesh, or leave it alone.
Κλέαρχος δὲ ἐν τοῖς περὶ παροιμιῶν καὶ διδάσκαλον τοῦ Ἀρχεστράτου γενέσθαι φησὶν Τερψίωνα, ὃν καὶ πρῶτον Γαστρολογίαν γράψαντα διακελεύεσθαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς τίνων ἀφεκτέον. ἀπεσχεδιακέναι τε τὸν Τερψίωνα καὶ περὶ τῆς χελώνης τάδε· ἢ κρῆ χελώνης χρὴ φαγεῖν ἢ μὴ φαγεῖν. ἄλλοι δ’ οὕτως λέγουσιν ἢ δεῖ χελώνης κρέα φαγεῖν ἢ μὴ φαγεῖν.
But whence is it, O you wisest of men, that orion, who wrote a list of fish, has been mentioned as if he were the writer of some valuable history?—a fellow who, I know, has been named a musician and a fish-devourer, but certainly not a historian. Accordingly Machon, the comic poet, speaks of him as a musician, saying—Dorion the musician once did comeTo Mylon, all in vain; for he could findNo resting-place which he could hire at all;So on some sacred ground he sat him down,Which was by chance before the city gates,And there he saw the keeper of the templePrepare a sacrifice.—"I pray thee, tell me,In chaste Minerva's name, and all the gods',What deity is it that owns this temple?"The keeper thus replied: "This is, O stranger,Of Jupiter-Neptune the sacred shrine."“How then,” said Dorion, "could any manExpect to find a lodging in a placeWhich in one temple crowds a pair of gods?"And Lynceus the Samian, the pupil of Theophrastus, and the brother of Duris, who wrote the Histories, and made himself tyrant of his country, writes thus in his Apophthegms— When a man once said to Dorion the flute-player, that the ray was a good fish, he said—' Yes, about as good as if a man were to eat a boiled cloak.' And once, when some one else praised the entrails of tunny-fish, he said—' You are quite right, but then a man must eat them as I eat them;' and when the man asked him how that was, he said—' How? why willingly.' And he said that crawfish had three good qualities,—exercise, good food, and contemplation. And once, at Cyprus, when he was supping with Nicocreon, he praised a goblet that there was there; and Nicocreon said—'Whatever there is here that you fancy, the artist will make you another like it.' 'Let him make that,' he replied, 'for you; but do you give me this one. ' And this was a clever speech of the flute-player; for there is an old saying that—'Tis not that God denies a flutist sense,But when he comes to blow it flies away. And Hegesander, in his Commentaries, says this of him—“Dorion, the great fish-eater, once, when his slave had neglected to buy fish, scourged him, and ordered him to tell him the names of the best fish; and when the boy had counted up the orphus, and the sea-grayling, and the conger, and others of this sort, he said—'I desired you to tell me the names of fishes, and not of gods.'” The same Dorion, ridiculing the description of a tempest in the Nautilus of Timotheus, said that he had seen a more formidable storm in a boiling saucepan. And Aristodemus, in the second book of his Memorials of Laughable Circumstances and Sayings, says —“Dorion the musician was club-footed; and once, in some entertainment, he lost the slipper of his lame foot; on which he said, 'I will not wish anything more to the thief than that the slipper may fit him.'” But that this Dorion was notorious for his epicurism in fish, is plain from what Mnesimachus the comic poet says in his drama called Philip—No, but all night Dorion the dish-piperDoes stay in-doors with us.
πόθεν δὲ ὑμῖν, ὦ σοφώτατοι, ἐπῆλθε καὶ ὁ ὀψολόγος Δωρίων, ὡς καὶ συγγραφεύς τις γενόμενος; ὃν ἐγὼ κρουματοποιὸν οἶδα ὀνομαζόμενον καὶ φίλιχθυν, συγγραφέα δὲ οὔ. ὡς μὲν οὖν κρουματοποιοῦ μνημονεύει Μάχων ὁ κωμῳδιοποιὸς οὕτως· ὁ κρουματοποιὸς Δωρίων ποτ’ εἰς Μυλῶν ἐλθὼν κατάλυσιν οὐδαμοῦ μισθωσίμην δυνάμενος εὑρεῖν ἐν τεμένει καθίσας τινί, ὃ πρὸ τῶν πυλῶν ἦν κατὰ τύχην ἱδρυμένον, ἰδών τ’ ἐκεῖ θύοντα τὸν νεωκόρον, ᾽ πρὸς τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς καὶ θεῶν, τίνος, φράσον, ἐστὶν ὁ νεώς, βέλτιστε, φησίν, οὑτοσί; ᾽ ὁ δ’ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ᾽ Ζηνοποσειδῶνος, ξένε.᾽ ὁ Δωρίων δὲ ʽ πῶς ἂν οὖν ἐνταῦθ’ ἔφη,· δύναιτο καταγωγεῖον ἐξευρεῖν τις, οὗ καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς φάσκουσιν οἰκεῖν σύνδυο; ᾽ Λυγκεὺς δ’ ὁ Σάμιος, ὁ Θεοφράστου μὲν μαθητής, Δούριδος δὲ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ τὰς ἱστορίας γράψαντος καὶ τυραννήσαντος τῆς πατρίδος, ἐν τοῖς ἀποφθέγμασιν· Δωρίωνι τῷ αὐλητῇ φάσκοντός τινος ἀγαθὸν ἰχθὺν εἶναι βατίδα, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις, ἔφη, ἑφθὸν τρίβωνα ἐσθίοι. ἐπαινοῦντος δ’ ἄλλου τὰ τῶν θύννων ὑπογάστρια καὶ μάλα, ἔφη· δεῖ μέντοι γε ἐσθίειν αὐτά, ὥσπερ ἐγὼ ἐσθίω. εἰπόντος δὲ πῶς; ἡδέως ἔφη. τοὺς δὲ καράβους ἔφη τρία ἔχειν, διατριβὴν καὶ εὐωχίαν καὶ θεωρίαν. ἐν Κύπρῳ δὲ παρὰ Νικοκρέοντι δειπνῶν ἐπῄνεσε ποτήριόν τι. καὶ ὁ Νικοκρέων ἔφη· ἐὰν βούλῃ, ὁ αὐτὸς τεχνίτης ποιήσει σοί ἕτερον. σοί γε, ἔφη, ἐμοὶ δὲ τοῦτο δός, οὐκ ἀνοήτως γε τοῦτο φήσας ὁ αὐλητής· λόγος γὰρ παλαιὸς ὡς ὅτι ἀνδρὶ μὲν αὐλητῆρι θεοὶ νόον οὐκ ἐνέφυσαν, ἀλλ’ ἅμα τῷ φυσῆν χὠ νόος ἐκπέταται.᾽ Ἡγήσανδρος δ’ ἐν τοῖς ὑπομνήμασι τάδε φησὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ· ᾽ Δωρίων ὁ ὀψοφάγος τοῦ παιδὸς οὐκ ἀγοράσαντος ἰχθῦς μαστιγῶν αὐτὸν ἐκέλευεν τῶν ἀρίστων ἰχθύων ὀνόματα λέγειν, τοῦ δὲ παιδὸς ὀρφὸν καὶ γλαυκίσκον καὶ γόγγρον καὶ τοιούτους ἑτέρους καταριθμοῦντος ἰχθύων σε, φησίν, ἐκέλευον ὀνόματα λέγειν, οὐ θεῶν. ᾽ ὁ αὐτὸς Αωρίων καταγελῶν τοῦ ἐν τῷ Τιμοθέου Ναυτίλῳ χειμῶνος ἔφασκεν ἐν κακκάβᾳ ζεούσᾳ μείζονα ἑωρακέναι χειμῶνα. Ἀριστόδημος δὲ ἐν δευτέρῳ γελοίων ἀπομνημονευμάτων φησί· ᾽ Δωρίωνος τοῦ κρουματοποιοῦ κυλλόποδος ὄντος ἀπώλετο ἐν συμποσίῳ τοῦ χωλοῦ ποδὸς τὸ βλαυτίον. καὶ ὃς οὐθέν, ἔφη, πλεῖον καταράσομαι τῷ κλέψαντι ἢ ἁρμόσαι αὐτῷ τὸ σανδάλιον. ᾽ ὅτι δ’ ἦν ὁ Δωρίων οὗτος ἐπὶ ὀψοφαγίᾳ διαβόητος φανερὸν ἐξ ὧν λέγει Μνησίμαχος ὁ κωμῳδιοποιὸς ἐν Φιλίππῳ δράματι· οὔκ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς νυκτός ἐστι Δωρίων ἔνδον παρ’ ἡμῖν λοπαδοφυσητής.
I know, too, the sportive sayings which Lasus of Hermione has uttered about fishes; which Chamæleon of Heraclea has recorded in writing, in his book on this very Lasus, where he says—' They say that Lasus called raw fish ὀπτὸς (which means roasted or visible); and when many people wondered why he did so, he thus began to prove what he had said; arguing thus: 'As whatever a person can hear (ἀκοῦσαι) is properly called ἀκουστὸν, and as whatever a person can understand by his intellect (νοῆσαι) is properly called νοητὸν, so whatever any one can see (ὄπτεσθαι) is clearly ὀπτόν;; as therefore it was possible to see the fish, he evidently was ὀπτός.ʼ.' And once, in a joke, he stole a fish from a fisherman, and having taken it, he gave it to one of the bystanders; and when the fisherman put him to his oath, he swore that he had not got it himself, and that he had not seen any one else take it; because, in fact, he himself had taken it, but some one else had got it. And then he prompted the other man, on the other hand, to swear that he had not taken it himself, and that he was not acquainted with any one else who had it; for, in fact, Lasus had taken it, and he himself had it.” And Epicharmus jests in the same way; as, in his Logus and Logina,—A. Jupiter 'tis who did invite me, givingA feast (γ’ ἔρανον) to Pelops.B. 'Tis a sorry food,That crane (γέρανος), to my mind.A. But I did not sayA crane (γέρανον), but a feast (ἔρανόν γε), as you might well have heard.
οἶδα δὲ καὶ ἃ ὁ Ἑρμιονεὺς Λᾶσος ἔπαιξε περὶ ἰχθύων, ἅπερ Χαμαιλέων ἀνέγραψεν ὁ ʽ Ἡρακλεώτης ἐν τῷ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Λάσου συγγράμματι λέγων ὧδε· τὸν Λᾶσόν φησι τὸν ὠμὸν ἰχθὺν ὀπτὸν εἶναι φάσκειν. θαυμαζόντων δὲ πολλῶν ἐπιχειρεῖν λέγοντα ὡς ὃ ἔστιν ἀκοῦσαι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀκουστὸν καὶ ὃ ἔστιν νοῆσαι τοῦτό ἐστιν νοητὸν ὡσαύτως οὖν καὶ ὃ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τοῦτ’ εἶναι ὀπτὸν ὥστ’ ἐπειδὴ τὸν ἰχθὺν ἦν ἰδεῖν, ὀπτὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι. καὶ παίζων δέ ποτε ἰχθὺν παρά τινος τῶν ἁλιέων ὑφείλετο καὶ λαβὼν ἔδωκέ τινι τῶν παρεστώτων. ὁρκίζοντος δὲ τοῦ ἁλιέως ὤμοσεν μήτ’ αὐτὸς ἔχειν τὸν ἰχθὺν μήτ’ ἄλλῳ συνειδέναι λαβόντι, διὰ τὸ λαβεῖν μὲν αὐτόν, ἔχειν δὲ ἕτερον, ὃν ἐδίδαξεν ἀπομόσαι πάλιν ὅτι οὔτ’ αὐτὸς ἔλαβεν οὔτ’ ἄλλον ἔχοντα οἶδεν εἰλήφει μὲν γὰρ ὁ Λᾶσος, εἶχεν δὲ αὐτός. τοιαῦτα δὲ καὶ Ἐπίχαρμος παίζει, ὥσπερ ἐν Λόγῳ καὶ Λογίνᾳ· ὁ Ζεὺς μ’ ἐκάλεσε, Πέλοπὶ γ’ ἔρανον ἱστιῶν. β. ἦ παμπόνηρον ὄψον, ὦ ᾽ τάν, ὁ γέρανος. α. ἀλλ’ οὔτι γέρανον, ἀλλ’ ἔρανόν γά τοι λέγω.
And Alexis, in his Demetrius, ridicules, in his comic manner, a man of the name of Phayllus, as very fond of fish, in these lines:—First of all, whether the wind blew north or south,As long as it blew hard, it was not possibleFor anybody to get fish to eat.But now, besides that pair of stormy winds,We've a third tempest risen in Phayllus;For when this last storm bursts upon the market,He buys up all the fish at all the stalls,And bears it off; so that we are reducedTo squabble for the vegetables remaining.And Antiphanes, in his Female Fisher, enumerating some people as exceedingly fond of fish, says—Give me some cuttle-fish first. O Hercules!They've dirtied every place with ink; here, take themAnd throw them back again into the sea,To wash them clean: or else they'll say, O Dorion,That you have caught some rotten cuttle-fish:And put this crawfish back beside the sprats.He's a fine fish, by Jove. O mighty Jove,O you Callimedon, who now will eat you?No one who's not prepared to pay his share.I've giv'n you your place here on the right,You mullets, food of great Callisthenes;Who eats his patrimony in one dish;Next comes the mighty conger from Sinope,With his stout spines; the first who comes shall have him;For Misgolas has no great love for such.But here's a citharus, and if he sees himHe never will keep off his hands from him;For he, indeed, does secretly adhereAs close as wax to all the harp-players (κιθαρῳδοῖς).I ought to send this best of fish, this tench,Still all alive, and leaping in his dish,To the fair Pythionica, he's so fine:But still she will not taste him, as her heartIs wholly set on cured fish.—Here I placeThese thin anchovies and this dainty turtleApart for Theano, to counterbalance her.
Ἄλεξις δ’ ἐν Δημητρίῳ Φάυλλόν τινα κωμῳδεῖ ὡς φίλιχθυν ἐν τούτοις· πρότερον μὲν εἰ πνεύσειε βορρᾶς ἢ νότος ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ λαμπρός, ἰχθῦς οὐκ ἐνῆν οὐδενὶ φαγεῖν. νυνὶ δὲ πρὸς τοῖς πνεύμασι τούτοις Φάυλλος προσγέγονε χειμὼν τρίτος. ἐπὰν γὰρ ἐκνεφίας καταιγίσας τύχῃ ἐς τὴν ἀγοράν, τοὔψον πριάμενος οἴχεται φέρων ἅπαν τὸ ληφθὲν ὥστε γίγνεται ἐν τοῖς λαχάνοις τὸ λοιπὸν ἡμῖν ἡ μάχη. Ἀντιφάνης δ’ ἐν Ἁλιευομένῃ φιληδοῦντάς τινας καταλέγων ἰχθύσιν φησί· τὰς σηπίας δὸς πρῶτον. Ἡράκλεις ἄναξ, ἅπαντα τεθολώκασιν. οὐ βαλεῖς πάλιν εἰς τὴν θάλατταν καὶ πλυνεῖς; μὴ φῶσὶ σου, Δωριάς, ἀλούτους σηπίας· εἰληφέναι. τὸν κάραβον δὲ τόνδε πρὸς τὰς μαινίδας ἀπόθες· παχύς γε νὴ Δί᾽. ὦ Ζεῦ, τίς ποτε, ὦ Καλλιμέδων, σὲ κατέδετ’ ἄρτι τῶν φίλων; οὐδεὶς ὃς ἂν μὴ κατατιθῇ τὰς συμβολάς. ὑμᾶς δ’ ἔταξα δεῦρο πρὸς τὰ δεξιά, τρίγλας, ἔδεσμα τοῦ καλοῦ Καλλισθένους· κατεσθίει γοῦν ἐπὶ μιᾷ τὴν οὐσίαν. καὶ τὸν Σινώπης γόγγρον ἤδη παχυτέρας ἔχοντ’ ἀκάνθας τουτονὶ τίς λήψεται πρῶτος προσελθών; Μισγόλας γὰρ οὐ πάνυ τούτων ἐδεστής. ἀλλὰ κίθαρος οὑτοσί, ὃν ἂν ἴδῃ τὰς χεῖρας οὐκ ἀφέξεται. καὶ μὴν ἀληθῶς τοῖς κιθαρῳδοῖς ὡς σφόδρα ἅπασιν οὗτος ἐπιπεφυκὼς λανθάνει, ἀνδρῶν δ’ ἄριστον Κωβιὸν πηδῶντ’ ἔτι πρὸς Πυθιονίκην τὴν καλὴν πέμψαι με δεῖ· ἁδρὸς γάρ ἐστιν. ἀλλ’ ὅμως οὐ γεύσεται· ἐπὶ τὸ τάριχός ἐστιν ὡρμηκυῖα γάρ. ἀφύας δὲ λεπτὰς τάσδε καὶ τὴν τρυγόνα χωρὶς Θεανοῖ δεῦρ’ ἔθηκ’ ἀντιρρόπους.
And it is a very clever way in which Antiphanes thus jested upon Misgolas, as devoting all his attention to beautiful harp-players and lyre-players; for Aeschines the orator, in his speech against Timarchus, says this of him—“Misgolas, the son of Naucrates, of Colyttus, O men of Athens, is a man in other respects brave and virtuous, and no one can find any fault with him in any particular; but he is known to be exceedingly devoted to this kind of business, and always to have about him some harp-players, and people who sing to the music of the harp. And I say this, not by way of disparaging him, but in order that you may be aware what sort of person he is.” And Timocles, in his Sappho, says—Misgolas is not seen to enter in,Excited as he is by blooming youth.And Alexis, in his Agonis, or the Little Horse, says—O mother, do not threaten me, I pray,With Misgolas, for I am not a harp-player.
πιθανώτατα ἐν τούτοις ὁ Ἀντιφάνης καὶ τὸν Μισγόλαν κεκωμῴδηκεν ὡς ἐσπουδακότα περὶ κιθαρῳδοὺς ὡραίους. φησὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ ῥήτωρ Αἰσχίνης ἐν τῷ κατὰ Τιμάρχου λόγῳ περὶ αὐτοῦ τάδε· ᾽ Μισγόλας ἐστὶν Ναυκράτους, ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, Κολλυτεύς, ἀνὴρ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθός, καὶ οὐδαμῇ ἄν τις αὐτὸν μέμψαιτο, περὶ δὲ τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο δαιμονίως ἐσπουδακὼς καὶ ἀεί τινας εἰωθὼς ἔχειν περὶ αὐτὸν κιθαρῳδοὺς ἢ κιθαριστάς. ταυτὶ δὲ λέγω οὐ τοῦ φορτικοῦ ἕνεκα, ἀλλ’ ἵνα γνωρίσητε αὐτὸν ὅστις ἐστίν, καὶ Τιμοκλῆς δ’ ἐν Σαπφοῖ φησιν ὁ Μισγόλας οὐ προσιέναι σοι φαίνεται ἀνθοῦσι τοῖς νέοισιν ἠρεθισμένος. Ἄλεξις δ’ ἐν Ἀγωνίδι ἢ Ἱππίσκῳ· ὦ μῆτερ, ἱκετεύω σε, μὴ ᾽ πίσειέ μοι τὸν Μισγόλαν οὐ γὰρ κιθαρῳδός εἰμ’ ἐγώ.