Deipnosophistae

The author, too, of the Cyprian Poems gives lists of the flowers which are suitable to be made into garlands, whether he was Hegesias, or Stasinus, or any one else; for Demodamas, who was either a Halicarnassian or Milesian, in his History of Halicarnassus, says that the Cyprian Poems were the work of a citizen of Halicarnassus: however, the author, whoever he was, in his eleventh book, speaks thus:—

1. Then did the Graces, and the smiling Hours,
2. Make themselves garments rich with various hues,
3. And dyed them in the varied flowers that Spring
4. And the sweet Seasons in their bosom bear.
5. In crocus, hyacinth, and blooming violet,
6. And the sweet petals of the peerless rose,
7. So fragrant, so divine; nor did they scorn
8. The dewy cups of the ambrosial flower
9. That boasts Narcissus' name. Such robes, perfumed
10. With the rich treasures of revolving seasons,
11. The golden Venus wears.

And this poet appears also to have been acquainted with the use of garlands, when he says—

1. And when the smiling Venus with her train
2. Had woven fragrant garlands of the treasures
3. The flowery earth puts forth, the goddesses
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4. All crown'd their heads with their queen's precious work,—
5. The Nymphs and Graces, and the golden Venus,—
6. And raised a tuneful song round Ida's springs.

Nicander also, in the second book of his Georgics, gives a regular list of the flowers suitable to be made into garlands, and speaks as follows concerning the Ionian nymphs and concerning roses:—

1. And many other flowers you may plant,
2. Fragrant and beauteous, of Ionian growth;
3. Two sorts of violets are there,—pallid one,
4. And like the colour of the virgin gold,
5. Such as th' Ionian nymphs to Ion gave,
6. When in the meadows of the holy Pisa
7. They met and loved and crown'd the modest youth.
8. For he had cheer'd his hounds and slain the boar,
9. And in the clear Alpheus bathed his limbs,
10. Before he visited those friendly nymphs.
11. Cut then the shoots from off the thorny rose,
12. And plant them in the trenches, leaving space
13. Between, two spans in width. The poets tell
14. That Midas first, when Asia's realms he left,
15. Brought roses from th' Odonian hills of Thrace,
16. And cultivated them in th' Emathian lands,
17. Blooming and fragrant with their sixty petals.
18. Next to th' Emathian roses those are praised
19. Which the Megarian Nisæa displays:
20. Nor is Phaselis, nor the land which worships
21. The chaste Diana,[*](Phaselis is a town in Lycia. The land which worships Diana is the country about Ephesus and Magnesia, which last town is built where the Lethæus falls into the Mæander; and it appears that Diana was worshipped by the women of this district under the name of Lencophrys, from λευκὸς,, white, and ὄφρυς,, an eyebrow.) to be lightly praised,
22. Made verdant by the sweet Lethæan stream.
23. In other trenches place the ivy cuttings,
24. And often e'en a branch with berries loaded
25. May be entrusted to the grateful ground;
26. * * * * *[*](The text here is hopelessly corrupt, and indeed is full of corruption for the next seven lines: I have followed the Latin version of Dalecampius.)
27. Or with well-sharpen'd knife cut off the shoots,
28. And plait them into baskets,
29. * * * * *
30. High on the top the calyx full of seed
31. Grows with white leaves, tinged in the heart with gold,
32. Which some call crina, others liria,
33. Others ambrosia, but those who love
34. The fittest name, do call them Venus' joy;
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35. For in their colour they do vie with Venus,
36. Though far inferior to her decent form.
37. The iris in its roots is like th' agallis,
38. Or hyacinth fresh sprung from Ajax' blood;
39. It rises high with swallow-shaped flowers,
40. Blooming when summer brings the swallows back.
41. Thick are the leaves they from their bosom pour,
42. And the fresh flowers constantly succeeding,
43. Shine in their stooping mouths.
44. * * * * *
45. Nor is the lychnis, nor the lofty rush,
46. Nor the fair anthemis in light esteem,
47. Nor the boanthemum with towering stem,
48. Nor phlox whose brilliancy scarce seems to yield
49. To the bright splendour of the midday sun.
50. Plant the ground thyme where the more fertile ground
51. Is moisten'd by fresh-welling springs beneath,
52. That with long creeping branches it may spread,
53. Or droop in quest of some transparent spring,
54. The wood-nymphs' chosen draught. Throw far away
55. The poppy's leaves, and keep the head entire,
56. A sure protection from the teasing gnats;
57. For every kind of insect makes its seat
58. Upon the opening leaves; and on the head,
59. Like freshening dews, they feed, and much rejoice
60. In the rich latent honey that it bears;
61. But when the leaves (θρῖα) are off, the mighty flame
62. Soon scatters them . . . .

(but by the word θρῖα he does not here mean the leaves of fig-trees, but of the poppy).

1. Nor can they place their feet
2. With steady hold, nor juicy food extract;
3. And oft they slip, and fall upon their heads.
4. Swift is the growth, and early the perfection
5. Of the sampsychum, and of rosemary,
6. And of the others which the gardens
7. Supply to diligent men for well-earn'd garlands.
8. Such are the feathery fern, the boy's-love sweet,
9. (Like the tall poplar); such the golden crocus,
10. Fair flower of early spring; the gopher white,
11. And fragrant thyme, and all the unsown beauty
12. Which in moist grounds the verdant meadows bear;
13. The ox-eye, the sweet-smelling flower of Jove,
14. The chalca, and the much sung hyacinth,
15. And the low-growing violet, to which
16. Dark Proserpine a darker hue has given;
17. The tall panosmium, and the varied colours
18. Which the gladiolus puts forth in vain
19. To decorate the early tombs of maidens.
20. Then too the ever-flourishing anemones,
21. Tempting afar with their most vivid dyes.

(But for ἐφελκόμεναι χροιῇσιν some copies have ἐφελκόμεναι φιλοχροιαῖς).

1. And above all remember to select
2. The elecampane and the aster bright,
3. And place them in the temples of the gods,
4. By roadside built, or hang them on their statues,
5. Which first do catch the eye of the visitor.
6. These are propitious gifts, whether you pluck
7. The many-hued chrysanthemum, or lilies
8. Which wither sadly o'er the much-wept tomb,
9. Or gay old-man, or long-stalk'd cyclamen,
10. Or rank nasturtium, whose scarlet flowers
11. Grim Pluto chooses for his royal garland.

From these lines it is plain that the chelidonium is a different flower from the anemone (for some people have called them the same). But Theophrastus says that there are some plants, the flowers of which constantly follow the stars, such as the one called the heliotrope, and the chelidonium; and this last plant is named so from its coming into bloom at the same time as the swallows arrive. There is also a flower spoken of under the name of ambrosia by Carystius, in his Historical Commentaries, where he says—

Nicander says that the plant named ambrosia grows at Cos, on the head of the statue of Alexander.

But I have already spoken of it, and mentioned that some people give this name to the lily. And Timachidas, in the fourth book of his banquet, speaks also of a flower called theseum,—

1. The soft theseum, like the apple blossom,
2. The sacred blossom of Leucerea,[*](There is some corruption in this name.)
3. Which the fair goddess loves above all others.

And he says that the garland of Ariadne was made of this flower.

Pherecrates also, or whoever the poet was who wrote the play of the Persians, mentions some flowers as fit for garlands, and says—

1. O you who sigh like mallows soft,
2. Whose breath like hyacinths smells,
3. Who like the melilotus speak,
4. And smile as doth the rose,
5. Whose kisses are as marjoram sweet,
6. Whose action crisp as parsley,
v.3.p.1094
7. Whose gait like cosmosandalum.
8. Pour rosy wine, and with loud voice
9. Raise the glad pæan's song,
10. As laws of God and man enjoin
11. On holy festival.

And the author of the Miners, whoever he was, (and that poem is attributed to the same Pherecrates,) says—

1. Treading on soft aspalathi
2. Beneath the shady trees,
3. In lotus-bearing meadows green,
4. And on the dewy cypirus;
5. And on the fresh anthryscum, and
6. The modest tender violet,
7. And green trefoil. . .

But here I want to know what this trefoil is; for there is a poem attributed to Demarete, which is called The Trefoil. And also, in the poem which is entitled The Good Men, Pherecrates or Strattis, whichever is the author, says—

1. And having bathed before the heat of day,
2. Some crown their head and some anoint their bodies.

And he speaks of thyme, and of cosmosandalum. And Cratinus, in his Effeminate Persons, says—

1. Joyful now I crown my head
2. With every kind of flower;
3. λείρια, roses, κρίνα too,
4. And cosmosandala,
5. And violets, and fragrant thyme,
6. And spring anemones,
7. Ground thyme, crocus, hyacinths,
8. And buds of helichryse,
9. Shoots of the vine, anthryscum too,
10. And lovely hemerocalles.
11. * * * * * *
12. My head is likewise shaded
13. With evergreen melilotus;
14. And of its own accord there comes
15. The flowery cytisus.

Formerly the entrance of garlands and perfumes into the banqueting rooms, used to herald the approach of the second course, as we may learn from Nicostratus in his Pseudostigmatias, where, in the following lines, he says—

1. And you too,
2. Be sure and have the second course quite neat;
3. Adorn it with all kinds of rich confections,
4. Perfumes, and garlands, aye, and frankincense,
5. And girls to play the flute.

But Philoxenus the Dithyrambic poet, in his poem entitled The Banquet, represents the garland as entering into the commencement of the banquet, using the following language:

1. Then water was brought in to wash the hands,
2. Which a delicate youth bore in a silver ewe,
3. Ministering to the guests; and after that
4. He brought us garlands of the tender myrtle,
5. Close woven with young richly-colour'd shoots.

And Eubulus, in his Nurses, says—

1. For when the old men came into the house,
2. At once they sate them down. Immediately
3. Garlands were handed round; a well-fill'd board
4. Was placed before them, and (how good for th' eyes!)
5. A closely-kneaded loaf of barley bread.

And this was the fashion also among the Egyptians, as Nicostratus says in his Usurer; for, representing the usurer as an Egyptian, he says—

1. A. We caught the pimp and two of his companions,
2. When they had just had water for their hands,
3. And garlands.
4. B. Sure the time, O Chærophon,
5. Was most propitious.

But you may go on gorging yourself, O Cynulcus; and when you have done, tell us why Cratinus has called the melilotus

the ever-watching melilotus.

However, as I see you are already a little tipsy (ἔξοινον)—for that is the word Alexis has used for a man thoroughly drunk (μεθύσην), in his Settler— I won't go on teasing you; but I will bid the slaves, as Sophocles says in his Fellow Feasters,

1. Come, quick! let some one make the barley-cakes,
2. And fill the goblets deep; for this man now,
3. Just like a farmer's ox, can't work a bit
4. Till he has fill'd his belly with good food.

And there is a man of the same kind mentioned by Aristias of Phlius; for he, too, in his play entitled The Fates, says—

1. The guest is either a boatman or a parasite,
2. A hanger-on of hell, with hungry belly,
3. Which nought can satisfy.

However, as he gives no answer whatever to all these things which have been said, I order him (as it is said in the Twins of Alexis) to be carried out of the party, crowned with χύδαιοι garlands. But the comic poet, alluding to χύδαιοι garlands, says—

1. These garlands all promiscuously (χύδην) woven.

But, after this, I will not carry on this conversation any fur- there to-day; but will leave the discussion about perfumes to those who choose to continue it: and only desire the boy, on account of this lecture of mine about garlands, as Antiphanes. . . . .

1. To bring now hither two good garlands,
2. And a good lamp, with good fire brightly burning;

for then I shall wind up my speech like the conclusion of a play.

And not many days after this, as if he had been prophesying a silence for himself [which should be eternal], he died, happily, without suffering under any long illness, to the great affliction of us his companions.

And while the slaves were bringing round perfumes in alabaster boxes, and in other vessels made of gold, some one, seeing Cynulcus, anointed his face with a great deal of ointment. But he, being awakened by it, when he recollected himself, said;—What is this? O Hercules, will not some one come with a sponge and wipe my face, which is thus polluted with a lot of dirt? And do not you all know that that exquisite writer Xenophon, in his Banquet, represents Socrates as speaking thus:—

' By Jupiter! O Callias, you entertain us superbly; for you have not only given us a most faultless feast, but you have furnished us also with delicious food for our eyes and ears.'—' Well, then,' said he, 'suppose any one were to bring us perfumes, in order that we might also banquet on sweet smells? '—' By no means,' said Socrates; ' for as there is one sort of dress fit for women and another for men, so there is one kind of smell fit for women and another for men. And no man is ever anointed with perfume for the sake of men; and as to women, especially when they are brides,—as, for instance, the bride of this Niceratus here, and the bride of Critobulus,—how can they want perfumes in their husbands, when they themselves are redolent of it But the smell of the oil in the gymnasia, when it is present, is sweeter than perfume to women; and when it is absent, they long more for it. For if a slave and a freeman be anointed with perfume, they both smell alike in a moment; but those smells which are derived from free labours, require both virtuous habits and a good deal of time if they are to be agreeable and in character with a freeman.'

And that admirable writer Chrysippus says that perfumes (μύρα) derive their name from being prepared with great toil (μόρος) and useless labour. The Lacedæmonians even expel from Sparta those who make perfumes, as being wasters of oil; and those who dye wool, as being destroyers of the whiteness of the wool. And Solon the philosopher, in his laws, forbade men to be sellers of perfumes.