But Mnesitheus the Athenian, in his treatise on Eatables, says,—"The larger breed of fishes are called by some sectile, and by others sea-fish; as, for instance, the chrysophrys, the sea-grayling, and the phagrus. And these are all difficult of digestion, but when they are digested they supply a great deal of nourishment. And the whole class of scaly fish, such as the thynni, the scombri, the tunnies, the congers, and all of those kinds, are also gregarious. But those which are not seen by themselves, nor in large shoals, are the most digestible, such as the congers, and the carcharie, and fish of that kind. But the gregarious kinds of fish of that sort are very pleasant to the palate, for they are fat; but they are heavy, ad difficult of digestion, on which account they are very good for curing; and, indeed, these kinds make the best cured fish of all; they are also very good roasted, for by that process their fatty parts are got rid of. But those kinds which are skinned before they are dressed, as a general rule, are those fish which have a rough outside to their skin, not of scales, but such as rays and rhino have. And all these kinds are easily divided into small pieces, but they have not a sweet smell. And they supply the body with plenty of moist nourishment, and of all boiled fish they have the greatest effect on the bowels; but when they are roasted they are not so good. And the whole class of molluscous fish, such as polypi and cuttlefish, and others like them, are very indigestible, on which account they are very serviceable in exciting the amatory passions. They are also calculated to cause flatulence; and the time of indulgence in amatory pleasures requires a flatulent habit of body. All these fish are better when boiled. For their juices are injurious, and you may see what juices they emit when they are washed; and the boiling extracts all these juices from their flesh. For as the heat which is applied in boiling is a gradual one, and conjoined with moisture, there is, as it were, a sort of washing of them. But when they are roasted, that dries up the moisture, and moreover, as their flesh is hard by nature, it is natural that it should be made more so in this way.
ὁ δὲ Ἀθηναῖος Μνησίθεος ἐν τῷ περὶ ἐδεστῶν τῶν μειζόνων φησὶν ἰχθύων γένος ὑφ’ ὧν μὲν καλεῖσθαι τμητόν, ὑπ’ ἄλλων δὲ πελάγιον, οἷον χρυσόφρυς καὶ γλαύκους καὶ φάγρους. εἰσὶ δὲ δυσκατέργαστοι· κατεργασθέντες δὲ πολλαπλασίαν τροφὴν παρέχουσι. τὸ δὲ τῶν ἀλεπιδώτων γένος, οἷον θύννων, σκόμβρων, θυννίδων, γόγγρων καὶ τῶν τοιούτων, συμβαίνει τούτοις καὶ ἀγελαίοις εἶναι. τὰ μὲν οὖν μήτε καθ’ αὑτὰ φαινόμενα μήτ’ ἐν ταῖς ἀγέλαις ἐκφερόμενα μᾶλλόν ἐστιν εὔπεπτα, οἷον γόγγροι καὶ καρχαρίαι καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, τὰ δὲ ἀγελαῖα γένη τῶν ἰχθύων τούτων τὴν μὲν ἐδωδὴν ἡδεῖαν ἔχει πίονα γάρ ἐστι, βαρεῖαν δὲ καὶ δυσκατέργαστον. διὸ καὶ ταριχεύεσθαι δύναται μάλιστα καὶ ἐστι τῶν ταριχηρῶν βέλτιστα γένη ταῦτα. χρήσιμοι δ’ εἰσὶν ὀπτοί· τήκεται γάρ τὸ πιμελῶδες αὐτῶν. τὰ δὲ καλούμενα δαρτὰ τὸ μὲν ὅλον ἐστὶν ὅσα τραχεῖαν ἔχει τὴν ἐπίφυσιν τοῦ δέρματος, οὐ λεπίσιν, ἀλλ’ οἷον ἔχουσιν αἱ βατίδες καὶ ῥῖναι. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἐστὶ μὲν εὔθρυπτα, οὐκ εὐώδη δέ· καὶ τροφὰς ἐμποιεῖ τοῖς σώμασιν ὑγράς, ὑπάγει δὲ καὶ τὰς κοιλίας μάλιστα πάντων τῶν ἑψομένων ἰχθύων τὰ δὲ ὀπτώμενα χείρονα. τὸ δὲ τῶν μαλακίων γένος, οἷον πολυπόδων τε καὶ σηπιῶν καὶ τῶν τοιούτων, τὴν μὲν σάρκα δύσπεπτον ἔχει· διὸ καὶ πρὸς ἀφροδισιασμοὺς ἁρμόττουσιν. αὐτοὶ μὲν γάρ εἰσι πνευματώδεις, ὁ δὲ τῶν ἀφροδισιασμῶν καιρὸς πνευματώδους προσδεῖται διαθέσεως, βελτίω δὲ ταῦτα γίνεται ἑψηθέντα. τὰς γάρ ὑγρότητας ἔχει πονηράς· ἰδεῖν γοῦν ἔστιν οἵας ἀφίησιν πλυνόμενα· ταύτας οὖν ἡ ἕψησις ἐκκαλεῖται τῆς σαρκός, μαλακῆς γὰρ τῆς πυρώσεως καὶ μεθ’ ὑγροῦ διδομένης οἱονεὶ πλύσις τις αὐτῶν γίνεται, τὰ δ’ ὀπτώμενα καταξηραίνει τὰς ὑγρότητας· ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτῶν φύσει σκληρᾶς οὔσης κατὰ λόγον οὕτως ἔχει γίνεσθαι αὐτά.
“But anchovies of all kinds, and membrades, and trichides, and all the other little fish which we eat backbones and all, make the digestion flatulent, and give a good deal of moist nutriment. And so, as the digestion is unequal, the flesh being digested with great rapidity, and the bones dissolving slowly, for the anchovies are very bony of themselves, the digestion of the one part hinders the digestion of the other, and so flatulence arises from the digestion, ad moisture comes from the quantity of nourishment. They are better when they are boiled, but still they have very unequal effects on the bowels. The fish which keep close to the rocks, such as tench, and scorpions, and sea-sparrows, and others of the same kind, supply a dry kind of nourishment to our bodies, but they are light and nutritious, and are easily digested, and leave nothing behind them, and are not apt to cause flatulence. And every kind of fish is more digestible when dressed simply, and especially those which keep near the rocks have a better flavour when dressed plainly. And the species which is called soft-fleshed is like them, namely, the sea-thrush, the sea-blackbird, and others which resemble them. And these contain more moisture than the others, and with respect to refreshing the strength of those who eat them, they have more efficacy. And if any one wishes to produce an effect upon his bowels, he should eat them boiled; but if he is in good health, then he will find them nutritious roasted. And as diuretic food they are equally useful cooked either way. “But the places of the sea where rivers and lakes fall into it, and also those where there are large bays and gulfs of the sea, are those where all the fish are more juicy, and more full of fat. They are also more palatable when caught in those places, but less nutritious and less digestible. And on the shore where it is exposed to the open sea, and where it is unprotected, then the fishes found there are for the most part hard and thin, beaten by the continued action of the waves. But where the sea is deep close in shore and less exposed to violent winds, especially if there are any cities near, then there is the greatest number of fish, and they are equally excellent in respect of pleasantness of flavour and ease of digestion, and also in the nourishment which they afford to the body. But of sea fish those are the most indigestible and the heaviest which migrate at certain seasons from the sea to the lakes and rivers; such as the cestreus; and as a general rule that is the character of every fish which can live in both salt and fresh water. But of those which live wholly in rivers and lakes, the river fish are the best; for the water of lakes is more apt to putrefy. And, again, of river fish those are the best which are found in the most rapid rivers; and especially the trout; for those are never found except where the river is rapid and cold, and they are far superior to all other river fish in their digestible properties.”
ἀφύαι δὲ καὶ μεμβράδες καὶ τριχίδες καὶ τἄλλα ὅσων συγκατεσθίομεν τὰς ἀκάνθας, ταῦτα πάντα τὴν πέψιν φυσώδη ποιεῖ, τὴν δὲ τροφὴν δίδωσιν ὑγράν. τῆς οὖν πέψεως οὐχ ὁμαλιζούσης, ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν σαρκῶν ἄγαν ταχὺ πεττομένων, τῆς δὲ ἀκάνθης σχολῇ διαλυομένης καὶ γὰρ ἅμα αἱ ἀφύαι καθ’ αὑτὰς ἀκανθώδεις ἐμποδισμὸς αὐτῶν ἑκατέρου γίγνεται περὶ τὴν κατεργασίαν, εἶτα φῦσαι μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς πέψεως, ὑγρασίαι δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς τροφῆς συμβαίνουσι. βελτίω δ’ ἐστὶν ἑψόμενα, τῆς δὲ κοιλίας ἐστὶν ἀνωμάλως ὑπακτικά, τὰ δὲ καλούμενα πετραῖα, κωβιοὶ καὶ σκορπίοι καὶ ψῆτται καὶ τὰ ὅμοια, τοῖς τε σώμασιν ἡμῶν ξηράν τε δίδωσι τροφὴν εὔογκα δ’ ἐστὶ καὶ τρόφιμα καὶ πέττεται ταχέως καὶ οὐκ ἐγκαταλείπει περιττώματα πολλά πνευμάτων τε οὔκ ἐστι περιποιητικά, γίνεται δ’ εὐπεπτότερον ἅπαν ὄψον ταῖς σκευασίαις ἁπλῶς ἀρτυθὲν τὰ δὲ πετραῖα καὶ τῇ ἡδονῇ ἁπλῶς σκευασθέντα. τούτοις δ’ ὅμοιόν ἐστι γένος τὸ καλούμενον μαλακόσαρκον, κίχλαι καὶ κόσσυφοι καὶ τὰ ὅμοια, ἐστὶ δὲ ὑγρότερα μὲν ταῦτ’ ἐκείνων, πρὸς δὲ τὰς ἀναλήψεις ἀπόλαυσιν ἔχει πλείω. τῆς μὲν κοιλίας καὶ τῆς οὐρήσεως ὑπακτικώτερα ταῦτ’ ἐστὶν ἐκείνων διὰ τὸ καὶ τὰς σάρκας ὑγροτέρας καὶ πλείους ἔχειν τῶν προειρημένων. χρὴ δὲ ἐὰν μὲν τὴν κοιλίαν βούληταί τις ὑπάγειν, ἕψοντα διδόναι· μετρίως δὲ ἐχούσης ὀπτηθέντα γίνεται τρόφιμα, πρὸς δὲ τὰς οὐρήσεις ἀμφοτέρως σκευασθέντα χρήσιμα, οἱ δὲ τόποι τῆς θαλάσσης ὅπου ποταμοὶ καὶ λίμναι συμβάλλουσιν, ἔτι δὲ τενάγη μεγάλα καὶ κόλποι θαλάττης εἰσίν, ἐνταῦθα μὲν πάντες οἱ ἰχθύες εἰσὶν ὑγρότεροι καὶ μᾶλλον πίονες ὑπάρχουσι καὶ ἐσθίεσθαι μὲν εἰσιν ἡδίους, πρὸς δὲ τὴν πέψιν καὶ τροφὴν γίνονται χείρους. ἐν δὲ τοῖς αἰγιαλοῖς τοῖς κειμένοις πρὸς τὰ πελάγη καὶ λίαν ἀναπεπταμένοις σκληροὶ καὶ λεπτοὶ καὶ κυματοπλῆγές εἰσιν οἱ πλείους. περὶ δὲ τὰς ἀγχιβαθεῖς, ἐν αἷς μὴ λίαν ἔγκειται μεγάλα πνεύματα, πρὸς δὲ τούτοις εἴ που καὶ πόλεις σύνεγγύς εἰσιν, ἐνταῦθα δ’ ἔστι τὰ πλεῖστα γένη τῶν ἰχθύων ὁμαλῶς ἄριστα καὶ πρὸς ἡδονὴν καὶ πρὸς εὐπεψίαν καὶ πρὸς τὴν τροφὴν τοῦ σώματος, δύσπεπτοι δὲ καὶ βαρύτατοι τῶν θαλασσίων εἰσὶν οἱ μετεκβαίνοντες ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης εἴς τε ποταμοὺς καὶ λίμνας, οἷον κεστρεὺς καὶ συλλήβδην τῶν ἰχθύων ὅσοι δύνανται βιοτεύειν ἐν ἀμφοτέροις τοῖς ὕδασι. τῶν δὲ τελείως ἐν τοῖς ποταμοῖς καὶ λίμναις βιοτευόντων ἀμείνους εἰσὶν οἱ ποτάμιοι· σῆψις γὰρ ὕδατος τὸ λιμναῖόν ἐστι. καὶ τῶν ποταμίων δ’ αὐτῶν βέλτιστοί εἰσιν οἱ ἐν τοῖς ὀξυτάτοις τῶν ποταμῶν ὄντες οἵ τε πυροῦντες· οὗτοι γάρ οὐ γίνονται, ἐὰν μὴ ποταμὸς ὀξὺς ᾖ καὶ ψυχρός, διαφέρουσι δὲ τῶν ποταμίων ἰχθύων εὐπεψίᾳ.
This now, my friends, is my contribution, and I have brought you the wholesomest food with which it was in my power to provide you. For, as you may read in the Parasite of Antiphanes,—For I have never taken any great troubleIn buying fish; * ** * * * ** * So that others from rich banquets comingShould blame the gluttonous surfeits of their friends.And, indeed, I myself am not so violently fond of fish as the man in the Butalion of the same poet. (And that play is an amended edition of one of the Countryman's characters.) And he says—A. And I to-day will give a feast to all of you;And take you money now, and buy the supper.B. Yes; for unless I've money I should hardlyKnow how to buy discreetly. But i' the first place,Tell me what food, what dishes you prefer.A. All kinds of food.B. But tell me separately.First now, should you approve of any fish?A. A fishmonger came once into the countryWith a good basketfull of sprats and triglides,And, by Jove, greatly he pleased all of us.B. Well, tell me then, should you now like some fish?A. Indeed I should, if they were very little.For all large fish I always fancy cannibals.B. What can you mean, my friend?A. Why, cannibals;—How can a man eat fish which eat up men!B. 'Tis plain enough that it is Helen's foodThis fellow means, just sprats and triglides.And in his Countryman he also calls sprats and triglides the food of Hecate. And Ephippus too, disparaging small fish, in his Philyra, speaks as follows—A. My father, would you like to go to marketAnd buy some fish for meB. What shall I buy?A. Some grown up fish, my father, no small babies.B. Do not you yet know all the worth of money?
ταῦτα καὶ παρ’ ἡμῶν ἔχετε, ἄνδρες φίλοι, ὀψωνησάντων κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἑαυτῶν ὑγιεινῶς. κατὰ γὰρ τὸν Ἀντιφάνους Παράσιτον ἐγὼ περὶ τὴν ὀψωνίαν μὲν οὐ πάνυ ἐσπούδακ’ οὐδ’ αὖ συνέτεμον λίαν πόνον ὡς ἄν τις, ἄλλως ἐξενεχθεὶς ἐν πότῳ, ἐμοῦ διαβάλοι κραιπάλην Ἑλληνικῶς. ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ οὕτως εἰμὶ φίλιχθυς ὡς ὁ παρὰ τῷ αὐτῷ ποιητῇ ἐν Βουταλίωνι, ὅπερ δρᾶμα τῶν Ἀγροίκων ἐστὶν ἑνὸς διασκευή, φησὶ γάρ· α. καὶ μὴν ἑστιάσω τήμερον ὑμᾶς ἐγώ σὺ δ’ ἀγοράσεις ἡμῖν λαβών, πίστ᾽, ἀργύριον. π. ἄλλως γὰρ οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι χρηστῶς ἀγοράζειν. α. φράζε δή, Φιλούμενε, ὄψῳ τίνι χαίρεις; φ. πᾶσι. α. καθ’ ἕκαστον λέγε, ἰχθὺν τίν’ ἡδέως φάγοις ἄν; φ. εἰς ἀγρὸν ἦλθεν φέρων ποτ’ ἰχθυοπώλης μαινίδας καὶ τριγλίδας, καὶ νὴ Δί᾽ ἤρεσεν σφόδρα ἡμῖν ἅπασιν. α. εἶτα καὶ νῦν, εἰπέ μοι, τούτων φάγοις ἄν; φ. κἄν τις ἄλλος μικρὸς ᾖ· τοὺς γὰρ μεγάλους τούτους ἅπαντας νενόμικα ἀνθρωποφάγους ἰχθῦς. α. τί φής, ὦ φίλτατε; ἀνθρωποφάγους, πῶς; π. οὓς ἂν ἄνθρωπος φάγοι δῆλον ὅτι· ταῦτα δ’ ἐστὶν ʽ Ἑλένης βρώματα, ἅ φησιν οὗτος, μαινίδας καὶ τριγλίδας. ἐν δὲ τῷ Ἀγροίκῳ Ἑκάτης βρώματα ἔφη τὰς μαινίδας εἶναι καὶ τὰς τριγλίδας. ἐκφαυλίζων δὲ καὶ Ἔφιππος τοὺς μικροὺς τῶν ἰχθύων ἐν Φιλύρᾳ φησί· παππία, βούλει δραμὼν εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν κἆτ’ ἀγοράσαι μοι—β. φράζε τί. α. ἰχθῦς φρονοῦντας, ὦ πάτερ· μὴ μοι βρέφη. β. οὐκ οἶσθ’ ὁτιὴ τἀργύριόν ἐστ’ ἰσάργυρον;
And in the same poet, in his Spit-bearers, there is a very witty young man who disparages everything connected with the purchase of fish. And he speaks thus—A. But while you buy, don't disregard economy,For anything will do.B. Just tell me how.A. Don't be expensive, though not mean or stingy;Whatever you may buy will be enough;Some squids and cuttle-fish; and should there beSome lobsters in the market, let's have one—Some eels will look nice too upon the table—Especially if from the Theban lake:Then let us have a cock, a tender pigeon,A partridge, and a few such other things;And if a hare should offer, then secure it.B. Why how precise you are in your directions!A. I'd need be, you are so extravagant;And we are certain to have meat enough.B. Has anybody sent you any present?A. No, but my wife has sacrificed the calfWhich from Corone came, and we to-morrowShall surely sup on it.And in Mnesimachus, the Morose Man, in the play of the same name, being a great miser, says to the extravagant young man in the play—A. I do entreat you, do not lecture meSo very fiercely; do not say so muchAbout the money; recollect I'm your uncle;Be moderate, I beg.B. How can I beMore moderate than I am?A. At least be briefer,And don't deceive me; use diminutives;For fish say fishlings; if you want aught more,Speak of your bits of dishes; and at leastI shall be ruin'd with a better grace.
ἥδιστος δ’ ἐστὶ καὶ ὁ παρὰ τῷ αὐτῷ ποιητῇ ἐν τοῖς Ὀβελιαφόροις νεανίσκος κατασμικρύνων ἅπαντα τὰ περὶ τὴν ὀψωνίαν καὶ λέγων ὧδε· ἀλλ’ ἀγόρασον εὐτελῶς· ἅπαν γὰρ ἱκανόν ἐστι. β. φράζ᾽, ὦ δέσποτα. α. μὴ πολυτελῶς, ἀλλὰ καθαρείως, ὅ τι ἂν ᾖ ὁσίας ἕνεκ’ ἀρκεῖ τευθίδια, σηπίδια· κἂν κάραβός τις ᾖ λαβεῖν, εἷς ἀρκέσει ἢ δύ᾽· ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν ἐγχελύδια Θήβηθεν ἐνίοτ’ ἔρχεται· τούτων λαβέ. ἀλεκτρυόνιον, φάττιον, περδίκιον, τοιαῦτα, δασύπους ἄν τις εἰσέλθῃ, φέρε. β. ὡς μικρολόγος εἶ. α. σὺ δέ γε λίαν πολυτελής· πάντως κρέ’ ἡμῖν ἔστι. β. πότερ’ ἔπεμψέ τις; α. οὔκ, ἀλλ’ ἔθυσεν ἡ γυνή· τὸ μοσχίον τὸ τῆς Κορώνης αὔριον δειπνήσομεν. ὁ δὲ παρὰ Μνησιμάχῳ ἐν τῷ ὁμωνύμῳ δράματι Δύσκολος φιλάργυρος ὢν σφόδρα πρὸς τὸν ἀσωτευόμενον νεανίσκον φησίν ἀλλ’ ἀντιβολῶ σ᾽, ἐπίταττέ μοι μὴ πόλλ’ ἄγαν, μηδ’ ἄγρια λίαν μηδ’ ἐπηργυρωμένα, μέτρια δέ, τῷ θείῳ σεαυτοῦ. β. πῶς ἔτι μετριώτερ᾽, ὦ δαιμόνι᾽; α. ὅπως; σύντεμνε καὶ ἐπεξαπάτα με· τούς μὲν ἰχθῦς μοι κάλει ἰχθύδι’ ὄψον δ’ ἂν λέγῃς ἕτερον, κάλει ὀψάριον. ἥδιον γὰρ ἀπολοῦμαι πολύ.
But since, as fortune would have it so, in the before quoted lines,—my excellent Ulpian, or you too, O you sons of grammarians, just tell me what was Ephippus's meaning in what I have just repeated, when he said—The calfWhich from Corone came, and we to-morrowShall surely sup on it.For I think there is here an allusion to some historical fact, and I should like to understand it. And Plutarch said, —There is a Rhodian tale, which, however, I can hardly repeat at the moment, because it is a very long time since I have fallen in with the book in which it occurs. But I know that Phœnix the Colophonian, the Iambic poet, making mention of some men as collecting money for the Jackdaw, speaks as follows—My friends, I pray you give a handful nowOf barley to the jackdaw, Phœbus' daughter;Or else a plate of wheat; or else a loaf,A halfpenny, or whatsoe'er you please;Give, my good friends, whatever you can spareTo the poor jackdaw; e'en a grain of salt;For willingly she feeds on anything;And he who salt bestows to-day, to-morrowMay give some honey. Open, boy, the door;Plutus has heard, and straight a serving maidBrings out some figs. Gods, let that maiden beFor ever free from harm, and may she findA wealthy husband of distinguished name:And may she show unto her aged fatherA lusty boy, and on her mother's lapPlace a fair girl, her daughter, to bring upA happy helpmate for some lucky cousin.But I, where'er my feet conduct my eyes,Sing with alternate melody at the gatesOf him who gives, and him who rude denies.At present I'll leave off, and say no more.And at the end of this set of iambics he says—But you, my friends, who have good store at home,Give something. Give, O king; give you too, housewife.It is the law that all should give their handWhen the crow begs. And you who know this law,Give what you please, and it shall be sufficient.And those people who went about collecting for the jackdaw (κορώνη) were called Coronistæ, as Pamphilus of Alexandria tells us, in his treatise on Names. And the songs which are sung by them are called coronismata, as Agnocles the Rhodian tells us, in his Coronistæ.
ἐπεὶ δὲ κατὰ θεὸν ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις, φίλτατε Οὐλπιανέ, ἢ ὑμεῖς, γραμματικῶν παῖδες, … εἴπατέ μοι τίνι ἐννοίᾳ ὁ Ἔφιππος ἐν τοῖς προειρημένοις ἔφη· τὸ μοσχίον τὸ τῆς Κορώνης αὔριον δειπνήσομεν. ἐγὼ γὰρ οἴομαι ἱστορίαν τινὰ εἶναι καὶ ποθῶ μαθεῖν.καὶ ὁ Πλούταρχος ἔφη Ῥοδιακὴν εἶναι λεγομένην ἱστορίαν, ἣν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἀποστοματίζειν οὐ δύνασθαι τῷ πάνυ πρὸ πολλοῦ ἐντετυχηκέναι τῷ ταῦτα περιέχοντι βιβλίῳ. οἶδα δὲ Φοίνικα τὸν Κολοφώνιον ἰαμβοποιὸν μνημονεύοντά τινων ἀνδρῶν ὡς ἀγειρόντων τῇ κορώνῃ, καὶ λέγοντα ταῦτα· ἐσθλοί, κορώνῃ χεῖρα πρόσδοτε κριθέων τῇ παιδὶ τἀπόλλωνος ἢ λέκος πυρῶν ἢ ἄρτον ἢ ἤμαιθον ἢ ὅ τι τις χρῄζει, δότ᾽, ὦγαθοί, τι τῶν ἕκαστος ἐν χερσὶν ἔχει κορώνῃ· χἄλα λήψεται χόνδρον φιλεῖ γὰρ αὕτη πάγχυ ταῦτα δαίνυσθαι· ὁ νῦν ἅλας δοὺς αὖθι κηρίον δώσει.᾽ ὦ παῖ, θύρην ἄγκλινε· πλοῦτος ἤκουσε, καὶ τῇ κορώνῃ παρθένος φέρει σῦκα. θεοί, γένοιτο πάντ’ ἄμεμπτος ἡ κούρη κἀφνειὸν ἄνδρα κὠνομαστὸν ἐξεύροι· καὶ τῷ γέροντι πατρὶ κοῦρον εἰς χεῖρας καὶ μητρὶ κούρην εἰς τὰ γοῦνα κατθείη, θάλος τρέφειν γυναῖκα τοῖς κασιγνήτοις. ἐγὼ δ’ ὅκου πόδες φέρουσιν, εὐφθόγγοις· ἀμείβομαι Μούσῃσι πρὸς θύρῃσ’ ᾄδων καὶ δόντι καὶ μὴ δόντι πλέονα τῶν αἰτέω, καὶ ἐπὶ τέλει δὲ τοῦ ἰάμβου φησὶν ἀλλ᾽, ὦγαθοί, ἐπορέξαθ’ ὧν μυχὸς πλουτεῖ· δός, ὧ ἄναξ, δὸς καὶ σὺ πότνα μοι νύμφη· νόμος κορώνῃ χεῖρα δοῦν· ἐπαιτούσῃ. τοιαῦτ’ ἀείδω, δός τι καὶ καταχρήσει. κορωνισταὶ δὲ ἐκαλοῦντο οἱ τῇ κορώνῃ ἀγείροντες, ὥς φησι Πάμφιλος ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεὺς ἐν τοῖς περὶ ὀνομάτων καὶ τὰ ᾀδόμενα δὲ ὑπ’ αὐτῶν κορωνίσματα καλεῖται, ὡς ἱστορεῖ Ἁγνοκλῆς ὁ Ῥόδιος ἐν Κορωνισταῖς.
There is also another collection made among the Rhodians, the making of which is called χελιδονίζειν; and it is mentioned by Theognis, in the second book of his treatise on the Sacrifices in Rhodes, where he writes thus—"There is a species of collecting which the Rhodians call χελιδονίζειν, which takes place in the month Boedromion. And it derives its name of χελιδονίζειν because the people are accustomed to utter the following song:—The swallow, the swallow (χελιδών) is come,Bringing good seasons and a joyful time.Her belly is white, her back is black.Bring, oh bring, a cake of figsOut of your luxurious house,Bring a cup of wine,And a dish of cheese,And a bag of wheat.Those the good swallow will not despise,Nor a cake of eggs.Shall we now go, or shall we get something?Give something, and we'll go; if you give nothingWe will not cease to pester you; we'll force the doorAnd carry it away, or th' upper lintel,Or e'en your wife who sits within the house.She is but little, we shall find her light.If you give something, let it be worth having.Open, then, open the door to the swallow,For we are not old men, but only boys.And Cleobulus the Lindian was the first man who introduced the custom of this collection, at a time when there was a great want in Lindus of a collection of money.
καὶ χελιδονίζειν δὲ καλεῖται παρὰ Ῥοδίοις ἀγερμός τις ἄλλος, περὶ οὗ φησι Θέογνις ἐν β’ περὶ τῶν ἐν Ῥόδῳ θυσιῶν γράφων οὕτως· ᾽ εἶδος δέ τι τοῦ ἀγείρειν χελιδονίζειν ξ Ῥόδιοι καλοῦσιν, ὃ γίνεται τῷ Βοηδρομιῶνι μηνί. χελιδονίζειν δὲ λέγεται διὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ἐπιφωνεῖσθαι· ἦλθ᾽, ἦλθε χελιδὼν καλὰς ὧρας ἄγουσα, καὶ καλοὺς ἐνιαυτούς, ἐπὶ γαστέρα λευκά, κἠπὶ νῶτα μέλαινα, παλάθαν σὺ προκύκλει ἐκ πίονος οἴκου οἴνου τε δέπαστρον τυρῶν· τε κάνυστρον. καὶ πύρωνα χελιδὼν καὶ λεκιθίταν οὐκ ἀπωθεῖται, πότερ᾽· ἀπίωμες ἢ λαβώμεθα; εἰ μέν τι δώσεις· εἰ δὲ μή, οὐκ ἐάσομες, ἢ τὰν θύραν φέρωμες ἢ τὸ ὑπέρθυρον ἢ τὰν γυναῖκα τὰν ἔσω καθημέναν· μικρὰ μὲν ἐστι, ῥᾳδίως νιν οἴσομες. ἂν δὴ φέρῃς τι, μέγα δή τι φέροις. ἄνοιγ’ ἄνοιγε τὰν θύραν χελιδόνι· οὐ γὰρ γέροντές ἐσμεν, ἀλλὰ παιδία. τὸν δὲ ἀγερμὸν τοῦτον κατέδειξε πρῶτος Κλεόβουλος ὁ Λίνδιος ἐν Λίνδῳ χρείας γενομένης συλλογῆς χρημάτων.
But, since we have mentioned the Rhodian histories, I myself am now going to tell you something about fish, from the account given of the beautiful Rhodes, which that delightful writer Lynceus says is full of excellent fish. Ergias the Rhodian, then, in his Account of his own Country, having first made mention of the Phoenicians, who inhabited the island, says—"That Phalanthus, and his friends, having a very strong city in Ialysus, called Achaia, and being very economical of their provisions, held out for a long time against Iphiclus, who besieged them. For they had also a prophecy given them by some oracle, that they should keep the place till crows became white, and till fish were seen in their goblets. They therefore, expecting that these things would never happen, prosecuted the war with less vigour. But Iphiclus, having heard from some one of the oracles of the Phœnicians, and having waylaid a highly-trusted adherent of Phalanthus, whose name was Larcas, as he was going for water, and having entered into a covenant with him, caught some fish at the spring, and putting them into the ewer, gave them to Larcas, and bade him carry the water back, and pour it into the goblet from which he was used to pour out wine for Phalanthus: and he did so. And Iphiclus also caught some crows, and smeared them over with gypsum, and let them fly again. But when Phalanthus saw the crows, he went to his goblet; and when he saw the fish there, he considered that the place no longer belonged to him and his party, and so he sent a herald to Iphiclus, demanding permission to retire, with all his troops, under the protection of a treaty, And when Iphiclus agreed to this, Phalanthus devised the follow- ing contrivance. Having slain some victims, and taken out the entrails, he endeavoured to put in some silver and gold, and so to carry it away. But when Iphiclus percieved this, he prevented it. And when Phalanthus alleged against him the oath which he had taken, when he swore to allow them to take away whatever they had in their bellies, he met them with a counter device, giving them vessels to go away in, but taking away the rudders, and the oars, and the sails, saying that he had sworn to give them boats, and nothing further. And as the Phœnicians were in great perplexity, they buried a great deal of their riches underground, marking the places where they buried it, that at some future time they might come and take it up again; but they left a great deal for Iphiclus. And so, when the Phœnicians had left the place in this manner, the Greeks became masters of it.” And Polyzelus has given the same account, in his History of Rhodian Affairs; and says—“That the only people who knew the secret about the fishes and the crows were Phaces and his daughter Dorcia; and she, being beloved by Iphiclus, and having come to an agreement to marry him through the intervention of her nurse, persuaded the man who brought the water to bring the fish and put them into the goblet; and she herself whitewashed the crows, and let them go.”
ἐπεὶ δὲ ʽ Ῥοδιακῶν ἱστοριῶν ἐμνήσθημεν, ἰχθυολογήσων καὶ αὐτὸς ὑμῖν ἔρχομαι ἀπὸ τῆς καλῆς Ῥόδου, ἣν εὔιχθυν εἶναί φησιν ὁ ἥδιστος Λυγκεύς. Ἐργίας οὖν ὁ Ῥόδιος ἐν τοῖς περὶ τῆς πατρίδος προειπών τινα περὶ τῶν κατοικησάντων τὴν νῆσον Φοινίκων φησὶν ὡς οἱ περὶ Φάλανθον ἐν τῇ Ἰαλυσῷ πόλιν ἔχοντες ἰσχυροτάτην τὴν Ἀχαίαν καλουμένην καὶ ὕδατος ἐγκρατεῖς ὄντες χρόνον πολὺν ἀντεῖχον Ἰφίκλῳ πολιορκοῦντι. ἦν γὰρ αὐτοῖς καὶ θέσφατον ἐν χρησμῷ τινι λελεγμένον ἕξειν τὴν χώραν, ἕως κόρακες λευκοὶ γένωνται καὶ ἐν τοῖς κρατῆρσιν ἰχθύες φανῶσιν. ἐλπίζοντες οὖν τοῦτ’ οὐδέποτε ἔσεσθαι καὶ τὰ πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον ῥᾳθυμοτέρως εἶχον. ὁ δ’ Ἴφικλος πυθόμενος παρά τινος τὰ τῶν Φοινίκων λόγια καὶ ἐνεδρεύσας τοῦ Φαλάνθου πιστόν τινα πορευόμενον ἐφ’ ὕδωρ, ᾧ ὄνομα ἦν Λάρκας, καὶ πίστεις πρὸς αὐτὸν ποιησάμενος, θηρεύσας ἰχθύδια ἐκ τῆς κρήνης καὶ ἐμβαλὼν εἰς ὑδρεῖον ἔδωκε τῷ Λάρκᾳ καὶ ἐκέλευσε φέροντα τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦτο ἐγχέαι εἰς τὸν κρατῆρα ὅθεν τῷ Φαλάνθῳ ᾠνοχοεῖτο. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐποίησε ταῦτα· ὁ δὲ Ἴφικλος κόρακας θηρεύσας καὶ ἀλείψας γύψῳ ἀφῆκεν. Φάλανθος δ’ ἰδὼν τοὺς κόρακας ἐπορεύετο καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν κρατῆρα· ὡς δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἰχθῦς εἶδεν, ὑπέλαβε τὴν χώραν οὐκ ἔτι αὑτῶν εἶναι καὶ ἐπεκηρυκεύσατο πρὸς τὸν Ἴφικλον, ὑπόσπονδος ὑπεξελθεῖν ἀξιῶν μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὑτῷ. συγκαταθεμένου δὲ τοῦ Ἰφίκλου ἐπιτεχνᾶται ὁ Φάλανθος τοιόνδε τι· καταβαλὼν ἱερεῖα καὶ τὰς κοιλίας ἐκκαθάρας ἐν ταύταις ἐπειρᾶτο ἐξάγειν χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον· αἰσθόμενος δὲ ὁ Ἴφικλος διεκώλυε. προφέροντός τε τοῦ Φαλάνθου τὸν ὅρκον ὃν ὤμοσεν, ἐάσειν ἐξάγεσθαι ὅ τι κα τᾷ γαστρὶ αἴρωνται, ἀντισοφίζεται πλοῖα αὐτοῖς διδοὺς ἵνα ἀποκομισθῶσιν, παραλύσας τὰ πηδάλια καὶ τὰς κώπας καὶ τὰ ἱστία, ὀμόσαι φήσας πλοῖα παρέξειν, ἄλλο δὲ οὐδέν. ἐν ἀπορίᾳ δὲ οἱ Φοίνικες ἐχόμενοι πολλὰ μὲν τῶν χρημάτων κατώρυσσον ἐπισημαινόμενοι τοὺς τόπους, ἵν’ ὕστερόν ποτε ἀνέλωνται ἀφικόμενοι, πολλὰ δὲ τῷ Ἰφίκλῳ κατέλειπον. ἀπαλλαγέντων οὖν τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ ἐκ τῆς χώρας τῶν Φοινίκων κατέσχον τὰ πράγματα οἱ Ἕλληνες. τὰ δ’ αὐτὰ ἱστορήσας καὶ Πολύζηλος ἐν τοῖς Ῥοδιακοῖς τὰ περὶ τῶν ἰχθύων, φησί, καὶ τῶν κοράκων μόνοι ᾔδεσαν ὁ Φακᾶς καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ αὐτοῦ Δορκία. αὕτη δ’ ἐρασθεῖσα τοῦ Ἰφίκλου καὶ συνθεμένη περὶ γάμου διὰ τῆς τροφοῦ ἔπεισε τὸν φέροντα τὸ ὕδωρ ἰχθῦς ἀγαγεῖν καὶ ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὸν κρατῆρα, καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ τοὺς κόρακας λευκάνασα ἀφῆκεν.
And Creophylus, in his Annals of the Ephesians, says— “Those who colonized Ephesus, being much perplexed for want of a place where they could settle, sent at last to the oracle, and asked where they should build themselves a city; and he told them to build a city in that place which a fish should show them, and to which a wild boar should guide them. Accordingly, it is said that some fishermen were breakfasting at the spot where the fountain called Hypeleus now is, and where the harbour is which is called the sacred harbour; and that one of the fish leaped up with a burning cinder sticking to him, and fell on some of the refuse; and that by this means a thicket was set on fire, in which there happened to be a wild boar; and he, being disturbed by the fire ran for some distance up the mountain which is called th Rough Mountain, and at last was transfixed by javelins, and fell where the temple of Minerva now stands. And the Ephesians, having crossed over from the island, occupied that for twenty-one years, and in the twenty-second year they founded Trachea and the towns around Coressus, and erected a temple to Diana in the market-place, and one to the Pythian Apollo overlooking the harbour.”
Κρεώφυλος δ’ ἐν τοῖς Ἐφεσίων ῝ Ὥροις οἱ τὴν Ἔφεσον, φησί, κτίζοντες καὶ πολλὰ ταλαιπωρηθέντες ἀπορίᾳ τόπου τὸ τελευταῖον πέμψαντες εἰς θεοῦ ἠρώτων ὅπου τὸ πόλισμα θῶνται. ὁ δ’ αὐτοῖς ἔχρησεν ἐνταῦθα οἰκίζειν πόλιν ᾗ ἂν ἰχθὺς δείξῃ καὶ ὗς ἄγριος ὑφηγήσηται. λέγεται οὖν ὅπου νῦν ἡ κρήνη ἐστὶν Ὑπέλαιος καλουμένη καὶ ὁ ἱερὸς λιμὴν ἁλιέας ἀριστοποιεῖσθαι, καὶ τῶν ἰχθύων τινὰ ἀποθορόντα σὺν ἀνθρακιᾷ εἰσπεσεῖν εἰς φορυτόν, καὶ ἁφθῆναι ὑπ᾽.αὐτοῦ λόχμην, ἐν ᾗ ἔτυχε σῦς ἄγριος ὤν· ὃς ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς θορυβηθεὶς ἐπέδραμε τοῦ ὄρους ἐπὶ πολύ, ὃ δὴ καλεῖται τρηχεῖα, καὶ πίπτει ἀκοντισθεὶς ὅπου νῦν ἐστιν ὁ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ναός. καὶ διαβάντες οἱ Ἐφέσιοι ἐκ τῆς νήσου, ἔτεα εἴκοσιν οἰκήσαντες, τὸ δεύτερον κτίζουσι Τρηχεῖαν καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ Κορησσόν, καὶ ἱερὸν Ἀρτέμιδος ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγορῇ ἱδρύσαντο Ἀπόλλωνός τε τοῦ Πυθίου ἐπὶ τῷ λιμένι.
Now after this long conversation, all of a sudden there was heard all over the city the music of flutes and the noise of cymbals, and also a great crash of drums, with singing at the same time. And it happened to be the time of a festival which used formerly to be called the Parilia, but which is now called the Romana, in honour of the temple built to the Fortune of the City, by that most excellent and accomplished sovereign Hadrian. And all the inhabitants of Rome (and all the foreigners sojourning in the city) every year keep that day as a remarkable one. Accordingly, Ulpian said,—My friends, what is this?—Is it a supper or a marriage feastFor certainly there is no picnic held now.And when some one replied that every one in the city was dancing (using the verb βαλλίζω) in honour of the goddess, —My fine fellow, said Ulpian, laughing, what Greek in the world ever called this dancing βαλλισμόσ? You should have said κωμάζουσιν or χορεύουσιν, or, at all events, some word in common use; but you have bought us a name out of the Subura,And spoilt the wine by pouring in this water.'And Myrtilus said—But I will prove to you, my dear Epitimæus, that the word is a genuine Greek word; for you, who want to stop every one's mouth, have not succeeded in convicting any one of ignorance, but have proved yourself to be emptier than a snake's cast-off skin. Epicharmus, my most excellent gentlemen, in his Theori, speaks of the βαλλισμὸς, and Italy is no great way from Sicily. Accordingly, in that play, the public ambassadors, surveying the offerings at Pytho, and mentioning each one separately, speak as follows:—Here there are brazen caldrons, brazen goblets,And spits. And then to see the men with spitsAnd flutes, too, dancing (βαλλίζοντες), what a sight it was!And Sophron, in his play which is entitled Nymphoponus, says—Then he did take it, and proceeded onwards;The rest did follow dancing (ἐβάλλιζον).And again he says—Dancing (βαλλίζοντες) they filled the entrance room with dung.And Alexis, in his Curis, says—And now I see a multitude of menHastening to a feast, as if a goodly companyWere here invited. May it be my luckTo keep out of your way, my revellers,After your dancing (βαλλισμὸς) and your feasting bothHave gone off well and are quite finish'd.For I should never bear my robe off safely,Unless my wings had grown.I know, too, that the word is found in other places, and when I recollect the exact passage, I will bring it forward.
τοιούτων οὖν ἔτι πολλῶν λεγομένων τότε ἐξάκουστος ἐγένετο κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν αὐλῶν τε βόμβος καὶ κυμβάλων ἦχος ἔτι τε τυμπάνων κτύπος μετὰ ᾠδῆς ἅμα γινόμενος. ἔτυχεν δὲ οὖσα ἑορτὴ τὰ Παρίλια μὲν πάλαι καλουμένη, νῦν δὲ Ῥωμαῖα, τῇ τῆς πόλεως Τύχῃ ναοῦ καθιδρυμένου ὑπὸ τοῦ πάντα ἀρίστου καὶ μουσικωτάτου βασιλέως Ἀδριανοῦ· ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν κατ’ ἐνιαυτὸν ἐπίσημον ἄγουσι πάντες οἱ τὴν Ῥώμην κατοικοῦντες καὶ οἱ ἐνεπιδημοῦντες τῇ πόλει. ὁ οὖν Οὐλπιανὸς ἄνδρες, ἔφη,τί τοῦτο; εἰλάπιν’ ἠὲ γάμος; ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἔρανος τάδε γ’ ἐστίν.καί τινος εἰπόντος ὅτι βαλλίζουσιν οἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἅπαντες τῇ θεῷ, ὦ λῷστε, ὁ Οὐλπιανὸς γελάσας ἔφη,καί τίς Ἑλλήνων τοῦτο βαλλισμὸν ἐκάλεσεν, δέον εἰρηκέναι κωμάζουσιν ἢ χορεύουσιν ἤ τι ἄλλο τῶν εἰρημένων; σὺ δὲ ἡμῖν ἐκ τῆς Συβούρας ὄνομα πριάμενος ἀπώλεσας τὸν οἶνον ἐπιχέας ὕδωρ.καὶ ὁ Μυρτίλος ἔφη· ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ Ἑλληνικώτερον ἀποδείξω σοι τὸ ὄνομα, ὦ φίλε Ἐπιτίμαιε. πάντας γὰρ ἐπιστομίζειν πειρώμενος οὐδενὸς μὲν ἀμαθίαν κατέγνως, ᾽ σαυτὸν δ’ ἀποφαίνεις κενότερον λεβηρίδος.᾽ Ἐπίχαρμος, ὦ θαυμασιώτατε, ἐν τοῖς Θεαροῖς μέμνηται τοῦ βαλλισμοῦ, καὶ οὐ μακράν ἐστι τῆς Σικελίας ἡ Ἰταλία. ἐν οὖν τῷ δράματι οἱ θεωροὶ καθορῶντες τὰ ἐν Πυθοῖ ἀναθήματα καὶ περὶ ἑκάστου λέγοντές φασι καὶ τάδε· λέβητες χάλκιοι, κρατῆρες, ὀδελοί. τοῖς γα μὰν ὑπωδέλοις παιδάρια βαλλίζοντ᾽, ἀγαστὸν χρῆμ᾽, ἐνῆς. καὶ Σώφρων δ’ ἐν τῇ ἐπιγραφομένῃ Νυμφοπόνῳ φησίν· κἤπειτα λαβὼν προῆχε, τοὶ δ’ ἐβάλλιζον καὶ πάλιν βαλλίζοντες τὸν θάλαμον σκάτους ἐνέπλησαν. ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ Ἄλεξις ἐν Κουρίδι φησί· καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ κῶμον … ἀνθρώπων ὁρῶ πλῆθος προσιὸν ὡς τῶν καλῶν τε κἀγαθῶν ἐνθάδε συνόντων. μὴ γένοιτό μοι μόνῳ νύκτωρ ἀπαντῆσαι καλῶς πεπραγόσιν ὑμῖν περὶ τὸν βαλλισμὸν οὐ γὰρ ἄν ποτε θοἰμάτιον ἀπενέγκαιμι μὴ φύσας πτερά. οἶδα δὲ καὶ ἀλλαχόθι τοὔνομα καὶ ἀναπεμπασάμενος ἐξοίσω.
But we have a right to ask of you, who have quoted to us these lines out of Homer,But say, you joyful troop so gaily drest,Is this a bridal or a friendly feast?—in what respect the different sorts of feasts, which he calls εἰλαπίνη and ἔρανος, differ from one another? But, since you are silent, I will tell you; for, as the poet of Syracuse says,—I by myself am equal to the taskWhich formerly it took two men to answer.The ancients used to call sacrifices, and the more splendid kind of preparations, εἰλάπιναι; and those who partook of them they used to call εἰλαπινασταί. But those feasts they called ἔρανοι, the materials for which were contributed by all who joined in them; and this name was derived from all the guests being friendly together (ἀπὸ τοῦ συνερᾷν) and contributing. And this same ἔρανος is also called θίασος, and those who partake of it are called ἐρανισταὶ and συνθιαῶται. The crowd, also, which follows Bacchus in his festivals is called θίασος, as Euripides says—I see three thiasi of women coming.And they gave them the name θίασος from the word θεός;— and, indeed, the Lacedæmonian form of the word θεὸς is σιός. And the word εἰλαπίνη is derived from the preparation and expense gone to for such purposes; for being destructive and extravagant is called λαφύττειν καὶ λαπάζειν, from which words the poets have used the word ἀλαπάζω for to destroy, And the plunder which is carried off after the sacking of a city they call λάφυρα. And accordingly Aeschylus and Eripides have given to the more luxurious banquets the name of εἰλάπιναι, from the verb λαπάζω. There is also a verb, λάπτω, which means to digest one's food, and to become relaxed (λαγαρὸς) by becoming empty. And from this word λαγαρὸς we get the word λαγὼν (the flank), and also λάγανον (a thin, broad cake); and from the word λαπάττω we get λαπάρα (the loins). And the verb λαφύττω means, with great freedom and abundance to evacuate and erupt oneself. And the word δαπανάω (to spend) is derived from δάπτω; and δάπτω is akin to δαψιλής; on which account we find the verbs δάπτω and δαρδάπτω applied to those who eat in a voracious and savage manner. Homer says—Him the fierce dogs and hungry vultures tore (κατέδαψαν).But the word εὐωχία (a luxurious feast) is derived not from ὀχὴ, which means nutriment, but from everything going on well (ἀπὸ τοῦ εὖ ἔχειν) in such a banquet, in which those who assemble honour the deity, and give themselves up to mirth and relaxation; and from this relaxation (ἀπὸ τοῦ μεθιέναι) they call wine μέθυ, and the god who gave them wine they call Methymnaeus, and Lyæus, and Evius, and Icius; just as also they call a man who is not sullen-looking and morose ἱλαρός; on which account, too, they pray the deity to be propitious (ἵλεως), uttering the ejaculation ἰὴ, ἰή. And from this again they call the place where they do this ἱερόν. And that they meant very nearly the same thing by ἵλεως and ἱλαρός is plain from the language used by Ephippus, in his play entitled Traffic; for he is speaking of a courtesan, and he says—Then too, when any one is out of humour,When he comes in she flatters him discreetly,And kisses him, not pressing his mouth hardLike some fierce enemy; but just billing towards himLike some fond sparrow; then she sings and comforts him,And makes him cheerful (ἱλαρὸς) and dispels all cloudsFrom off his face, and renders him propitious (ἵλεως).
σὺ δὲ ἡμῖν δίκαιος εἶ λέγειν, ὁ καὶ τῶν Ὁμηρικῶν μεμνημένος τούτων τίς δαίς, τίς δὲ ὅμιλος ὅδ’ ἔπλετο; τίπτε δέ σε χρεών; εἰλάπιν’ ἠὲ γάμος; ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἔρανος τάδε γ’ ἐστίν, τίνι διαφέρει ἀλλήλων. ἐπεὶ δὲ σιγᾷς, ἐγὼ ἐρῶ. κατὰ γὰρ τὸν Συρακόσιον ποιητὴν τὰ πρὸ τοῦ δύ’ ἄνδρες ἔλεγον, εἷς ἐγὼν ἀποχρέω. τὰς θυσίας καὶ τὰς λαμπροτέρας παρασκευὰς ἐκάλουν οἱ παλαιοὶ εἰλαπίνας καὶ τοὺς τούτων μετέχοντας εἰλαπιναστάς. ἔρανοι δέ εἰσιν αἱ ἀπὸ τῶν συμβαλλομένων συναγωγαί, ἀπὸ τοῦ συνερᾶν καὶ συμφέρειν ἕκαστον. καλεῖται δ’ ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ ἔρανος καὶ θίασος καὶ οἱ συνιόντες ἐρανισταὶ καὶ θιασῶται. καλεῖται δὲ καὶ ὁ τῷ Διονύσῳ παρεπόμενος ὄχλος θίασος, ὡς Εὐριπίδης φησίν ὁρῶ δὲ θιάσους τρεῖς γυναικείων χορῶν. τοὺς μὲν οὖν θιάσους ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ προσηγόρευον καὶ γάρ αὐτοὺς τοὺς θεοὺς οἱ Λάκωνες σιούς φασι. τὰς δ’ εἰλαπίνας ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν αὐταῖς παρασκευῆς γινομένης καὶ δαπάνης, λαφύττειν γὰρ καὶ λαπάζειν τὸ ἐκκενοῦν καὶ ἀναλίσκειν, ὅθεν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ πορθεῖν τὸ ἀλαπάζειν οἱ ποιηταὶ τάττουσι, καὶ τὰ διαρπαζόμενα κατὰ τὴν λάφυξιν λάφυρα, τὰς δὲ τοιαύτας εὐωχίας Αἰσχύλος καὶ Εὐριπίδης εἰλαπίνας ἀπὸ τοῦ λελαπάχθαι. λάπτειν δὲ τὸ τὴν τροφὴν ἐκπέττειν καὶ κενούμενον λαγαρὸν γίγνεσθαι· ὅθεν ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ λαγαροῦ ἡ λαγών, ὥσπερ καὶ λάγανον, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ λαπάττειν λαπάρα. λαφύττειν δέ ἐστι τὸ δαψιλῶς καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ λαπάττειν καὶ ἐκκενοῦν. τὸ δὲ δαπανᾶν ἀπὸ τοῦ δάπτειν λέγεται· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τοῦ δαψιλοῦς ἔχεται. διόπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀπλήστως καὶ θηριωδῶς ἐσθιόντων τὸ δάψαι καὶ δαρδάψαι. Ὅμηρος· ἀλλ’ ἄρα τόν γε κύνες τε καὶ οἰωνοὶ κατέδαψαν. τὰς δ’ εὐωχίας ἐκάλουν οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀχῆς, ἥ ἐστι τροφή, ἀλλ’ ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ ταῦτα εὖ ἔχειν. εἰς ἃς δὴ συνιόντες οἱ τὸ θεῖον τιμῶντες καὶ εἰς εὐφροσύνην καὶ ἄνεσιν αὑτοὺς μεθιέντες τὸ μὲν ποτὸν μέθυ, τὸν δὲ τοῦτο δωρησάμενον θεὸν Μεθυμναῖον καὶ Λυαῖον καὶ Εὔιον καὶ Ἰήιον προσηγόρευον, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸν μὴ σκυθρωπὸν καὶ σύννουν ἱλαρόν. διὸ καὶ τὸ δαιμόνιον ἵλεων ἠξίουν γίνεσθαι ἐπιφωνοῦντες ἰὴ ἰή. ὅθεν καὶ τὸν τόπον ἐν ᾧ τοῦτο ἔπραττον ἱερὸν ὠνόμαζον. ὅτι δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν ἵλεων καὶ ἱλαρὸν ἔλεγον δηλοῖ Ἔφιππος ἐν τῷ ἐπιγραφομένῳ δράματι Ἐμπολή· περὶ ἑταίρας δέ τινος λέγει· ἔπειτὰ γ’ εἰσιόντ᾽, ἐὰν λυπούμενος τύχῃ τις ἡμῶν, ἐκολάκευσεν ἡδέως, ἐφίλησεν οὐχὶ συμπιέσασα τὸ στόμα ὥσπερ πολέμιον, ἀλλὰ τοῖσι στρουθίοις χανοῦσ’ ὁμοίως, ἧσε, παρεμυθήσατο, ἐποίησὲ θ’ ἱλαρὸν εὐθέως τ’ ἀφεῖλε πᾶν αὐτοῦ τὸ λυποῦν κἀπέδειξεν ἵλεων.
But the ancients, who represented the gods under the form of men, arranged all their festivals on a similar principle; for, seeing that it is not possible to divert men from an eagerness for pleasure, but that it is useful and expedient to accustom them to enjoy themselves with moderation and in an orderly manner, they set apart certain times, and, sacrificing first to the gods, they in this way permitted them relaxation and enjoyment, in order that every one, thinking that the gods had come among them, and were present at the firstfruits and libations, might enjoy himself with order and decency. Accordingly Homer says—There, too, was Pallas to partake the feast:and Neptune, too, is represented thus—The monarch of the main, a heavenly guest,In Ethiopia graced the genial feast,There on the world's extremest verge, reveredWith hecatombs and prayer in pomp preferr'd,Distant he lay: —and of Jupiter he says—The sire of gods and all the ethereal trainOn the warm limits of the furthest mainNow mix with mortals, nor disdain to graceThe feast of Ethiopia's blameless race.And if a man of more mature age, and devoted to wise and virtuous pursuits, is present, they are ashamed to say or do anything indecorous; as also Epicharmus says, somewhere or other:—But when their aged superiors are present,Young men should silent be.Therefore, considering that the gods were near to them, they celebrated their festivals in an orderly and temperate man- ner; on which account it was not the fashion of the ancients to lie at their meals, but, as Homer says,—Feasting they sate;nor were they accustomed to drink to the extent of drunkenness—But when they'd eaten thus, and drank their fill,Each to his room retired, not dreaming ill. But the men of modern times, pretending to be sacrificing to the gods, and inviting their friends and nearest kinsmen to the sacrifice, vent imprecations on their children, and abuse their wives, and treat their slaves with indignity, and threaten the multitude, almost verifying the line of Homer:—But now with speed let's take a short repast,And well refresh'd to bloody conflict haste.Nor do they ever give a thought to what has been said by the poet who wrote the poem entitled Chiron, whether it is Pherecrates, or Nicomachus, the teacher of rhythm, or whatever else his name may have been:—When you have ask'd a friend to come to supper,Do not be angry when you see him come;That is the part of an unworthy man;But give yourself to happy thoughts of joy,And study to amuse your friend and guest.But now men utterly forget all these rules, and they recollect only the lines which follow them, which are all written in imitation of the Great Eoæ which are attributed to Hesiod, and which are also meant as a parody on his great work, Works and Days:—When any of us does celebrateA sacrifice, and bids his friends to th' feast,Still, if he come, we're vex'd and look askance,And wish him to depart without delay.And he his want of welcome soon perceivesAnd reassumes his shoes; when some one risesOf the surrounding revellers, and says,"Here, my friend, do not go; why won't you drink.Take off your shoes." And then the host againIs angry with the guest who calls him back,And quotes some scraps of poetry against him,—"Remember, always speed the parting guest,And when a man is sleeping let him rest."Do not we in this manner oft behaveWhen feasting those we choose to call our friends?And, moreover, we add this:—Let not a numerous party vex your mind,For more are pleased, and the cost's near the same.
οἱ δ’ ἀρχαῖοι καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀνθρωποειδεῖς ὑποστησάμενοι καὶ τὰ περὶ τὰς ἑορτὰς διέταξαν, ὁρῶντες γὰρ ὡς τῆς μὲν ἐπὶ τὰς ἀπολαύσεις ὁρμῆς οὐχ οἷόν τε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀποστῆσαι, χρήσιμον δὲ καὶ συμφέρον τοῖς τοιούτοις εὐτάκτως καὶ κοσμίως ἐθίζειν χρῆσθαι, χρόνον ἀφορίσαντες καὶ τοῖς θεοῖς προθύσαντες οὕτω μεθῆκαν αὑτοὺς εἰς ἄνεσιν, ἵν’ ἕκαστος ἡγούμενος ἥκειν τοὺς θεοὺς ἐπὶ τὰς ἀπαρχὰς καὶ τὰς σπονδὰς μετὰ αἰδοῦς τὴν συνουσίαν ποιῆται. Ὅμηρος γοῦν φησιν ἦλθε δ’ Ἀθήνη ἱρῶν ἀντήσουσα. καὶ ὁ Ποσειδῶν Αἰθίοπας μετεκίαθε τηλόθ’ ἐόντας, ἀντιόων ταύρων τε καὶ ἀρνειῶν ἑκατόμβης. καὶ ὁ Ζεὺς χθιζὸς ἒβη μετὰ δαῖτα, θεοὶ δ’ ἅμα πάντες ἕποντο. κἂν ἄνθρωπος δέ που παρῇ πρεσβύτερος καὶ τῇ προαιρέσει σπουδαῖος, αἰδοῦνται λέγειν τι τῶν ἀσχημόνων ἢ καὶ πράττειν, ὡς καὶ Ἐπίχαρμός που φησιν ἀλλὰ καὶ σιγῆν ἀγαθὸν ὅκκα παρέωντι κάρρονες. ὑπολαμβάνοντες οὖν τοὺς θεοὺς πλησίον αὑτῶν εἶναι τὰς ἑορτὰς κοσμίως καὶ.. σωφρόνως διῆγον. ὅθεν οὔτε κατακλίνεσθαι παρὰ τοῖς ἀρχαίοις ἔθος, ἀλλὰ· δαίνυνθ’ ἑζόμενοι οὔτ’ εἰς μέθην πίνειν, ἀλλ’ ` ἐπεὶ ἔσπεισὰν τ’ ἔπιὸν θ’ ὅσον ἤθελε θυμός, ἔβαν οἶκόνδε ἕκαστος.᾽ οἱ δὲ νῦν προσποιούμενοι θεοῖς θύειν καὶ συγκαλοῦντες ἐπὶ τὴν θυσίαν τοὺς φίλους καὶ τοὺς οἰκειοτάτους καταρῶνται μὲν τοῖς τέκνοις, λοιδοροῦνται δὲ ταῖς γυναιξί, κλαυθμυρίζουσιν τοὺς οἰκέτας, ἀπειλοῦσι τοῖς πολλοῖς, μονονουχὶ τὸ τοῦ Ὁμήρου λέγοντες· νῦν δ’ ἔρχεσθ’ ἐπὶ δεῖπνον, ἵνα ξυνάγωμεν Ἄρηα, ἐπὶ νοῦν οὐ λαμβάνοντες τὰ εἰρημένα ὑπὸ τοῦ τὸν Χείρωνα πεποιηκότος, εἴτε Φερεκράτης ἐστὶν εἴτε Νικόμαχος ὁ ῥυθμικὸς ἢ ὅστις δή ποτε· μηδὲ σὺ γ’ ἄνδρα φίλον καλέσας ἐπὶ δαῖτα θάλειαν ἄχθου ὁρῶν παρεόντα· κακὸς γὰρ ἀνὴρ τόδε ῥέζει· ἀλλὰ μάλ’ εὔκηλος τέρπου φρένα τέρπε τ’ ἐκεῖνον. νῦν δὲ τούτων μὲν οὐδ’ ὅλως μέμνηνται, τὰ δὲ ἑξῆς αὐτῶν ἐκμανθάνουσιν, ἅπερ πάντα ἐκ τῶν εἰς Ἡσίοδον ἀναφερομένων μεγάλων Ἠοίων πεπαρῴδηται· ἡμῶν δ’ ἢν τινά τις καλέσῃ θύων ἐπὶ δεῖπνον, ἀχθόμεθ’ ἢν ἔλθῃ καὶ ὑποβλέπομεν παρεόντα χὤττι τάχιστα θύραζ’ ἐξελθεῖν βουλόμεθ’ αὐτόν. εἶτα γνούς πως τοῦθ’ ὑποδεῖται, κᾆτά τις εἶπε τῶν ξυμπινόντων ᾽ἤδη σύ; τί οὐχ ὑποπίνεις; οὐχ ὑπολύσεις αὐτόν; ὁ δ’ ἄχθεται αὐτὸς ὁ θύων τῷ κατακωλύοντι καὶ εὐθὺς ἔλεξ’ ἐλεγεῖα· ᾽ μηδένα μήτ’ ἀέκοντα μένειν κατέρυκε παρ’ ἡμῖν μήθ’ εὕδοντ’ ἐπέγειρε, Σιμωνίδη. οὐ γὰρ ἐπ᾽ οἴνοις τοιαυτὶ λέγομεν δειπνίζοντες φίλον ἄνδρα; ἔτι δὲ καὶ ταῦτα προστίθεμεν μηδὲ πολυξείνου δαιτὸς δυσπέμφελον εἶναι ἐκ κοινοῦ· πλείστη τε χάρις δαπάνη τ’ ὀλιγίστη.
And when we are sacrificing to the gods, we spend as little as possible upon our sacrifices, and give them the most ordinary presents; as the admirable Menander tells us, in his Drunkenness:—We don't do other things as we performOur duties to the gods. We sacrificeOne sheep scarce worth ten or a dozen drachmæ;But for our flute-women, our perfumes rich,Our harpers, Thasian and Mendæan wine,Eels, cheese, and honey to regale ourselves,We do not a whole talent think too much.'Tis very well to spend a dozen drachmæWhen we are sacrificing to the gods,But if you much curtail that slight expense,Are you not thus dishonouring the gods?I, if I were a god, would ne'er allowA scanty loin of beef to load my altars,Unless an eel were also sacrificed,So that Callimedon might die of rage.
καὶ θύοντες μὲν τοῖς θεοῖς ὀλίγιστα εἰς τὰς θυσίας καὶ τὰ τυχόντα δαπανῶμεν, ὥσπερ ὁ καλὸς Μένανδρος ἐν τῇ Μέθῃ παρίστησιν εἶτ’ οὐχ ὅμοια πράττομεν καὶ θύομεν ὅπου γε τοῖς θεοῖς μὲν ἠγορασμένον δραχμῶν ἄγω προβάτιον ἀγαπητὸν δέκα, αὐλητρίδας δὲ καὶ μύρον καὶ ψαλτρίας, τὸν μέλανα Θάσιον, ἐγχέλεις, τυρόν, μέλι μικροῦ ταλάντου· γίνεται τε κατὰ λόγον δραχμῶν μὲν ἀγαθὸν ἄξιον λαβεῖν δέκα ἡμᾶς, ἐὰν καὶ καλλιερηθῇ τοῖς θεοῖς, τούτων δὲ πρὸς ταῦτ’ ἀντανελεῖν τὴν ζημίαν, πῶς οὐχὶ τὸ κακὸν τῶν ἱερῶν διπλάζεται; ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ὤν γε θεὸς οὐκ εἴασα τὴν ὀσφὺν ἂν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν ἐπιθεῖναί ποτε, εἰ μὴ καθήγιζέν τις ἅμα τὴν ἔγχελυν, ἵνα Καλλιμέδων ἀπέθανεν, εἷς τῶν συγγενῶν.
And the ancients call some feasts ἐπιδόσιμα, that is to say, given into the bargain,—the same which the Alexandrians call ἐξ ἐπιδομάτων. Alexis, at all events, in his Woman at the Well, says—A. And now the master here has sent a slaveTo bring to me a jar of his own wine.B. I understand; this is ἐπιδόσιμος,A gift into the bargain, as a makeweight;I praise the wise old woman.And Crobylus, in his Supposititious Son, says—A. Laches, I come to you; proceed.B. Which way?A. How can you ask? Why, to my mistress, whoHas a feast ἐπιδόσιμος prepared;And in her honour only yesterdayYou made the guests drink down twelve glasses each.The ancients, also, were acquainted with the banquets which are now called dole-basket banquets; and Pherecrates mentions them in his Forgetful Man, or the Sea, saying—Having prepared a small dole-basket supperHe went away to Ophela.And this clearly points to the dole-basket supper, when a man prepares a supper for himself, and then puts it in a basket, and goes off to sup with some one. And Lysias has used the word σύνδειπνον for a banquet, in his speech against Micinus, on his trial for murder; for he says that he had been invited to a σύνδειπνον: and Plato says—“Those who had made a σύνδειπνον:” and Aristophanes, in his Gerytades, says—Praising great Aeschylus in his σύνδειπνα,on which account some people wish to write the title of Sophocles's play in the neuter gender, σύνδειπνον. Some people also use the expression συναγώγιμα δεῖπνα, picnic feasts; as Alexis does, in his Man fond of Beauty, or the Nymphs, where he says—Come, sit you down, and call those damsels in;We've got a picnic here, but well I knowThat your's is but a skin-flint disposition.And Ephippus says, in his Geryones,—They also celebrate a picnic feast.They also use the verb συνάγω for to drink with on another, and the noun συναγώγιον for a drinking party. Menander, in his Angry Woman, says—And for this reason now they drink (συνάγουσι) alone:and presently afterwards he says—And so they ended the entertainment (συναγώγιον).And probably the συναγώγιον is the same as that which was also called τὸ ἀπὸ συμβολων δεῖπνον. But what the συμβολαὶ, or contributions, are, we learn from Alexis, in his Woman who has taken Mandragora, where he says—A. I'll come and bring my contributions now.B. How, contributions?A. The ChalcidiansCall fringes, alabaster, scent boxes,And other things of that kind, contributions.But the Argives, as Hegesander tells us in his Commentaries, (the following are his exact words)—“The Argives call the contributions towards an entertainment which are brought by the revellers, χῶν; and each man's share they call αἶσα.” And now, since this book also has come to a not unsuitable end, my good friend Timocrates, let us stop our discussion at this point, lest any one should think that we were formerly fishes ourselves, as Empedocles says that he was; for that great natural philosopher says—For I myself have been a boy, a girl,A bush, a bird, and fish which roams the sea.
ὀνομάζουσι δ’ οἱ ἀρχαῖοι καὶ ἐπιδόσιμά τινα δεῖπνα, ἅπερ Ἀλεξανδρεῖς λέγουσιν ἐξ ἐπιδομάτων. Ἄλεξις γοῦν ἐν τῇ εἰς τὸ φρέαρ φησί· νυνὶ τέ με ὁ δεσπότης προὔπεμψεν οἴνου κεράμιον τῶν ἔνδοθεν κομιοῦντ᾽. β. ἐκεῖθεν; μανθάνω· ἐπιδόσιμον παρὰ τἄλλα τοῦτ’ ἔσται. α. φιλῶ αἰσθητικὴν γραῦν. καὶ Κρώβυλος ἐν Ψευδυποβολιμαίῳ· Λάχης, ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς σέ. πρόαγε. β. ποῖ; α. ὅποι μ’ ἐρωτᾶς; ὡς Φιλουμένην, παρ’ ᾗ τἀπιδόσιμ’ ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἧς ἐχθὲς πιεῖν κυάθους ἀκράτου μ’ ἐβιάσω σὺ δώδεκα. οἴδασι δὲ οἱ ἀρχαῖοι καὶ τὰ νῦν καλούμενα ἀπὸ σπυρίδος δεῖπνα, ἐμφανίζει δὲ Φερεκράτης περὶ τούτων ἐν Ἐπιλήσμονι ἢ Θαλάττῃ οὕτως συσκευασάμενος δεῖπνον ἐς τὸ σπυρίδιον ἐβάδιζεν ὡς πρὸς Ὠφελίαν. τοῦτο δὲ σαφῶς δηλοῖ τὸ ἀπὸ σπυρίδος δεῖπνον, ὅταν τις αὐτὸς αὑτῷ σκευάσας δεῖπνον καὶ συνθεὶς εἰς σπυρίδα παρά τινα δειπνήσων ἴῃ. σύνδειπνον εἴρηκεν ἐπὶ συμποσίου Λυσίας ἐν τῷ κατὰ Μικίνου φόνου, φησὶν γάρ· ἐκεῖνον ἐπὶ τὸ σύνδειπνον κεκλημένον. καὶ Πλάτων δ’ ἔφη τοῖς τὸ σύνδειπνον ποιησαμένοις. καὶ Ἀριστοφάνης Γηρυτάδῃ· ἐν τοῖσι συνδείπνοις ἐπαινῶν Αἰσχύλον. διόπερ τινὲς καὶ τὸ Σοφοκλέους δρᾶμα κατὰ τὸ οὐδέτερον ἐπιγράφειν ἀξιοῦσιν Σύνδειπνον. καλοῦσι δέ τινα καὶ συναγώγιμα δεῖπνα, ὡς Ἄλεξις ἐν Φιλοκάλῳ ἢ Νύμφαις· κατάκεισο κἀκείνας κάλει. συναγώγιμον ποιῶμεν. ἀλλ’ εὖ οἶδ’ ὅτι κυμινοπρίστης ὁ τρόπος ἐστί σου πάλαι. καὶ Ἔφιππος ἐν Γηρυόνῃ· καὶ συναγώγιμον συμπόσιον ἐπιπληροῦσιν. ἔλεγον δὲ συνάγειν καὶ τὸ μετ’ ἀλλήλων πίνειν καὶ συναγώγιον τὸ συμπόσιον. Μένανδρος Ἐμπιμπραμένῃ· καὶ νῦν ὑπὲρ τούτων συνάγουσι κατὰ μόνας. εἶθ’ ἑξῆς ἔφη ἐπλήρωσέν τε τὸ συναγώγιον. μήποτε δὲ τοῦτ’ ἐστὶ τὸ ἀπὸ συμβολῶν καλούμενον. τίνες δ’ εἰσὶν αἱ συμβολαὶ αὐτὸς Ἄλεξις ἐν Μανδραγοριζομένῃ σημαίνει διὰ τούτων ἥξω φέρουσα συμβολὰς τοίνυν ἅμα. β. πῶς συμβολάς; α. τὰς ταινίας οἱ Χαλκιδεῖς καὶ τοὺς ἀλαβάστους συμβολὰς καλοῦσι, γραῦ. Ἀργεῖοι δ᾽, ὡς ἐν τοῖς ὑπομνήμασί φησιν Ἡγήσανδρος· γράφει δ’ οὕτως· τὴν συμβολὴν τὴν εἰς τὰ συμπόσια ὑπὸ τῶν πινόντων εἰσφερομένην Ἀργεῖοι χῶν καλοῦσι, τὴν δὲ μερίδα αἶσαν. οὐκ ἀνάρμοστον δὲ καὶ τούτου τοῦ συγγράμματος τέλος εἰληφότος, ἑταῖρε Τιμόκρατες, αὐτοῦ καταπαύσω τὸν λόγον, μὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς τις οἰηθῇ κατὰ τὸν Ἐμπεδοκλέα ἰχθῦς ποτε γεγονέναι. φησὶ γὰρ ὁ φυσικός ἤδη γάρ ποτ’ ἐγὼ γενόμην κούρη τε κόρος τε, θάμνος τ’ οἰωνός τε καὶ ἐξ ἁλὸς ἔμπορος ἰχθύς.