Deipnosophistae

Athenaeus of Naucratis

Athenaeus. The Deipnosophists or Banquet Of The Learned Of Athenaeus. Yonge, Charles Duke, translator. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1854.

On which account Ephippus the comic poet, in his Shipwrecked Man, has turned into ridicule Plato himself, and some of his acquaintances, as being sycophants for money, showing that they used to dress in a most costly manner, and that they paid more attention to the elegance of their persons than even the most extravagant people among us. And he speaks as follows—

  1. Then some ingenious young man rising up,
  2. Some pupil of the New Academy,
  3. Brought up at Plato's feet and those of Bryso,
  4. That bold, contentious, covetous philosopher,—
  5. And urged by strong necessity, and able,
  6. By means of his small-wages-seeking art,
  7. To speak before th' assembly, in a manner
  8. Not altogether bad; having his hair
  9. Carefully trimm'd with a new-sharpen'd razor,
  10. And letting down his beard in graceful fall,
  11. Putting his well-shod foot in his neat slipper,
  12. Binding his ancles in the equal folds
  13. Of his well-fitting hose, and well protected
  14. Across the chest with the breastplate of his cloak,
  15. And leaning, in a posture dignified,
  16. Upon his staff; said, as it seems to me,
  17. With mouthing emphasis, the following speech,
  18. More like a stranger than a citizen,—
  19. Men of the land of wise Athenians.
And here let us put an end to this part of the discussion, my friend Timocrates. And we will next proceed to speak of those who have been notorious for their luxury.