Deipnosophistae

Athenaeus of Naucratis

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

Then (for the city had made a proclamation, that it would give a great reward to any one who took him prisoner, or who brought in his head,) this Drimacus, as he became older, calling one of his most intimate friends into a certain place, says to him, 'You know that I have loved you above all men, and you are to me as my child and my son, and as everything else. I now have lived long enough, but you are young and just in the prime of life. What, then, are we to do? You must show yourself a wise and brave man; for, since the city of the Chians offers a great reward to any one who shall kill me, and also promises him his freedom, you must cut off my head, and carry it to Chios, and receive the money which they offer, and so be prosperous.' But when the young man refused, he at last persuaded him to do so; and so he cut off his head, and took it to the Chians, and received from them the rewards which they had offered by proclamation: and, having buried the corpse of Drimacus, he departed to his own country. And the Chians, being again injured and plundered by their slaves, remembering the moderation of him who was dead, erected a Heroum in their country, and called it the shrine of the GENTLE HERO. And even now the runaway slaves bring to that shrine the first-fruits of all the plunder they get; and they say that Drimacus still appears to many of the Chians in their sleep, and informs them beforehand of the stratagems of their slaves who are plotting against them: and to whomsoever he appears, they come to that place, and sacrifice to him, where this shrine is.

Nymphodorus, then, has given this account; but in many copies of his history, I have found that Drimachus is not mentioned by name. But I do not imagine that any one of you is ignorant, either of what the prince of all historians, Herodotus, has related of the Chian Panionium, and of what he justly suffered who castrated free boys and sold them. But Nicolaus the Peripatetic, and Posidonius the Stoic, in their Histories, both state that the Chians were enslaved by Mithridates, the tyrant of Cappadocia; and were given up by him, bound, to their own slaves, for the purpose of being

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transported into the land of the Colchians,—so really angry with them was the Deity, as being the first people who used purchased slaves, while most other nations provided for themselves by their own industry. And, perhaps, this s what the proverb originated in,

A Chian bought a master,

which is used by Eupolis, in his Friends.

But the Athenians, having a prudent regard to the condition of their slaves, made a law that there should be a γραφὴ ὕβρεως, even against men who ill treated their slaves. Accordingly, Hyperides, the orator, in his speech against Mnesitheus, on a charge of αἰκία, says,

They made these laws not only for the protection of freemen, but they enacted also, that even if any one personally ill treated a slave, there should be a power of preferring an indictment against him who had done so.

And Lycurgus made a similar statement, in his first speech against Lycophron; and so did Demosthenes, in his oration against Midias. And Malacus, in his Annals of the Siphnians, relates that some slaves of the Samians colonized Ephesus, being a thousand men in number; who in the first instance revolted against their masters, and fled to the mountain which is in the island, and from thence did great injury to the Samians. But, in the sixth year after these occurrences, the Samians, by the advice of an oracle, made a treaty with the slaves, on certain agreements; and the slaves were allowed to depart uninjured from the island; and, sailing away, they occupied Ephesus, and the Ephesians are descended from these ancestors.

But Chrysippus says that there is a difference between a δοῦλος and οἰκέτης; and he draws the distinction in the second book of his treatise on Similarity of Meaning, because he says that those who have been emancipated are still δοῦλοι, but that the term οἰκέτης is confined to those who are not discharged from servitude; for the οἰκέτης, says he is a δοῦλος, being actually at the time the property of a mast the following are called δοῦλοι, as Clitarchus treatise on Dialects: ἄζοι, [*](῎ἄζος contr. from ἄοζος, a servant, especially belonging to a temple.—L. & S.) and θεράποντες, [*](θεράπων, a servant, in early Greek especially denoting free and honourable service.—L. & S.) and ἀκόλουθοι, [*](ʼἀκόλουθος, as subst., a follower, attendant, footman.—L. & S.)

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and διάκονοι, [*](διάκονος, a servant, a waiting man.—L. & S.) and ὑπήρετα [*](ʽὑπηρέτης, any doer of hard work, a labourer, a helper, assistants underling.—L. & S.) and also πάλμονες and λάτρεις. [*](λάτρις, a workman for hire, a hired servant.—L. & S. N.B. Liddell and Scott omit πάλμων altogether.) And Amerias says, that the slaves who are employed about the fields are called ἕρκιται. And Hermon, in his treatise on the Cretan Dialects, says that slaves of noble birth are called μνῶτες. And Seleucus says, that both men and maid servants are called ἄζοι; and that a female slave is often called ἀποφράση and βολίζη; and that a slave who is the son of a slave is called σίνδρων; and that ἀμφιπόλος is a name properly belonging to a female slave who is about her mistress's person, and that a πρόπολος is one who walks before her mistress.

But Proxenus, in the second book of his treatise on the Lacedæmonian Constitution, says that female servants are called among the Lacedæmonians, Chalcides. But Ion of Chios, in his Laertes, uses the word οἰκέτης as synonymous with δοῦλος, and says—

Alas, O servant, go on wings and close
The house lest any man should enter in.

And Achæus, in his Omphale, speaking of the Satyr, says—

How rich in slaves (εὔδουλος) and how well housed he was (εὔοικος);

using, however, in my opinion, the words εὔδουλος and εὔοικος in a peculiar sense, as meaning rather, good to his slaves and servants, taking εὔοικος from οἰκέτης. And it is generally understood that an οἰκέτης is a servant whose business is confined to the house, and that it is possible he may be a freeborn man.

But the poets of the old comedy, speaking of the old-fashioned way of life, and asserting that in olden time there was no great use of slaves, speak in this way. Cratinus, in his Pluti, says—

As for those men, those heroes old,
Who lived in Saturn's time,
When men did play at dice with loaves,
And Aeginetan cakes
Of barley well and brownly baked
Were roll'd down before men
Who did in the palæstra toil,
Full of hard lumps of dough . . . .

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And Crates says, in his Beasts—

A. Then no one shall possess or own
One male or female slave,
But shall himself, though ne'er so old,
Labour for all his needs.
B. Not so, for I will quickly make
These matters all come right.
A. And what will your plans do for us?
B. Why everything you call for
Should of its own accord come forth,
As if now you should say,
O table, lay yourself for dinner,
And spread a cloth upon you.
You kneading-trough, prepare some dough;
You cyathus, pour forth wine;
Where is the cup? come hither, cup,
And empt and wash yourself.
Come up, O cake. You sir, you dish,
Here, bring me up some beetroot.
Come hither, fish. "I can't, for I
Am raw on t' other side."
Well, turn round then and baste yourself
With oil and melted butter.

And immediately after this the man who takes up the opposite side of the argument says—

But argue thus: I on the other hand
Shall first of all bring water for the hot baths
On columns raised as through the Pæonium[*](The Pæonium, if that is the proper reading, appears to have been a place in Athens where there were pillars on which an aqueduct was supported. But there is a doubt about the reading.)
Down to the sea, so that the stream shall flow
Direct to every private person's bath.
Then he shall speak and check the flowing water.
Then too an alabaster box of ointment
Shall of its own accord approach the bather,
And sponges suitable, and also slippers.

And Teleclides puts it better than the man whom I have just quoted, in his Amphictyons, where he says—

I will tell you now the life
Which I have prepared for men.
First of all the lovely Peace
Everywhere was always by,
Like spring water which is poured
O'er the hands of feasted guests.
The earth produced no cause for fear,
No pains and no diseases.
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And everything a man could want
Came forth unask'd for to him.
The streams all ran with rosy wine,
And barley-cakes did fight
With wheaten loaves which first could reach
A hungry man's open mouth.
And each entreated to be eaten;
If men loved dainty whiteness.
Fish too came straight unto men's doors,
And fried themselves all ready,
Dish'd themselves up, and stood before
The guests upon the tables.
A stream of soup did flow along
In front of all the couches,
Rolling down lumps of smoking meat;
And rivulets of white sauce
Brought to all such as chose to eat
The sweetest forced-meat balls.
So that there was no lack, but all
Did eat whate'er they wanted.
Dishes there were of boil'd meat too,
And sausages likewise and pasties;
And roasted thrushes and rissoles
Flew down men's throats spontaneously.
Then there were sounds of cheesecakes too
Crush'd in men's hungry jaws:
While the boys play'd with dainty bits
Of tripe, and paunch, and liver.
No wonder men did on such fare
Get stout and strong as giants.

And in the name of Ceres, my companions, if these things went on in this way, I should like to know what need we should have of servants. But the ancients, accustoming us to provide for ourselves, instructed us by their actions while they feasted us in words. But I, in order to show you in what manner succeeding poets (since the most admirable Cratinus brandished the before-cited verses like a torch) imitated and amplified them, have quoted these plays in the order in which they were exhibited. And if I do not annoy you, (for as for the Cynics I do not care the least bit for them,) I will quote to you some sentences from the other poets, taking them also in regular order; one of which is that strictest Atticist of all, namely, Pherecrates; who in his Miners says—

A. But all those things were heap'd in confusion
By o'ergrown wealth, abounding altogether
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In every kind of luxury. There were rivers
With tender pulse and blackest soup o'erflowing,
Which ran down brawling through the narrow dishes,
Bearing the crusts and spoons away in the flood.
Then there were dainty closely kneaded cakes;
So that the food, both luscious and abundant,
Descended to the gullets of the dead.
There were black-puddings and large boiling slices
Of well-mix'd sausages, which hiss'd within
The smoking streamlet in the stead of oysters.
There too were cutlets of broil'd fish well season'd
With sauce of every kind, and cook, and country.
There were huge legs of pork, most tender meat,
Loading enormous platters; and boil'd pettitoes
Sending a savoury steam; and paunch of ox;
And well-cured chine oporker, red with salt,
A dainty dish, on fried meat balls upraised.
There too were cakes of groats well steep'd in milk,
In large flat dishes, and rich plates of beestings.
B. Alas, you will destroy me. Why do you
Remain here longer, when you thus may dive
Just as you are beneath deep Tartarus?
A. What will you say then when you hear the rest?
For roasted thrushes nicely brown'd and hot
Flew to the mouths o' the guests, entreating them
To deign to swallow them, besprinkled o'er
With myrtle leaves and flowers of anemone,
And plates of loveliest apples hung around
Above our heads, hanging in air as it seem'd.
And maidens in the most transparent robes,
Just come to womanhood, and crowned with roses,
Did through a strainer pour red mantling cups
Of fragrant wine for all who wish'd to drink.
And whatsoe'er each guest did eat or drink
Straight reappear'd in twofold quantity.

And in his Persians he says—

But what need, I pray you now,
Have we of all you ploughmen,
Or carters, mowers, reapers too,
Or coopers, or brass-founders?
What need we seed, or furrow's line?
For of their own accord
Rivers do flow down every road
(Though half choked up with comfits)
Of rich black soup, which rolls along
Within its greasy flood
Achilles's fat barley-cake,
And streams of sauce which flow
Straight down from Plutus's own springs,
For all the guests to relish.
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Meantime Jove rains down fragrant wine,
As if it were a bath,
And from the roof red strings of grapes
Hang down, with well made cakes,
Water'd the while with smoking soup,
And mix'd with savoury omelets.
E'en all the trees upon the hills
Will put forth leaves of paunches,
Kids' paunches, and young cuttle-fish,
And smoking roasted thrushes.

And why need I quote in addition to this the passages from the Tagenistæ of the incomparable Aristophanes? And as to the passage in the Acharnenses, you are all of you full of it. And when I have just repeated the passage out of the Thurio-Persse of Metagenes I will say no more, and discard all notice of the Sirens of Nicophon, in which we find the following lines—

Let it now snow white cakes of pulse;
Let loaves arise like dew; let it rain soup;
Let gravy roll down lumps of meat i' the roads,
And cheese-cakes beg the wayfarer to eat them.

But Metagenes says this—

The river Crathis bears down unto us
Huge barley-cakes, self-kneaded and self-baked.
The other river, called the Sybaris,
Rolls on large waves of meat and sausages,
And boiled rays all wriggling the same way.
And all these lesser streamlets flow along
With roasted cuttle-fish, and crabs, and lobsters;
And, on the other side, with rich black-puddings
And forced-meat stuffings; on the other side
Are herbs and lettuces, and fried bits of pastry.
Above, fish cut in slices and self-boil'd
Rush to the mouth; some fall before one's feet,
And dainty cheese-cakes swim around us everywhere.

And I know too that the Thurio-Persæ and the play of Nicophon were never exhibited at all; on which account I mentioned them last.

Democritus now having gone through this statement distinctly and intelligently, all the guests praised him; but Cynulcus said,—O messmates, I was exceedingly hungry, and Democritus has given me no unpleasant feast; carrying me across rivers of ambrosia and nectar. And I, having my mind watered by them, have now become still more exceedingly hungry, having hitherto swallowed nothing but words; so that now it is time to desist from this interminable discussion,

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and, as the Pæanian orator says, to take some of these things,

which if they do not put strength into a man, at all events prevent his dying

—

For in an empty stomach there's no room
For love of beauteous objects, since fair Venus
Is always hostile to a hungry man;

as Achæus says in Aethon, a satyric drama. An it was borrowing from him that the wise Euripides wrote—

Venus abides in fulness, and avoids
The hungry stomach.

And Ulpian, who was always fond of contradicting him, said in reply to this,—But still,

The market is of herbs and loaves too full.

But you, you dog, are always hungry, and do not allow us to partake of, or I should rather say devour, good discussion in sufficient plenty: for good and wise conversation is the food of the mind. And then turning to the servant he said, —O Leucus, if you have any remnants of bread, give them to the dogs. And Cynulcus rejoined,—If I had been invited here only to listen to discussions, I should have taken care to come when the forum was full;[*](In the Greek, ἀγορᾶς πληθυούσης, which is a phrase also commonly used in Greek for the forenoon, when the market-place was full, and the ordinary business was going on.) for that is the time which one of the wise men mentioned to me as the hour for declamations, and the common people on that account have called it πληθαγόρα:

But if we are to bathe and sup on words,
Then I my share contribute as a listener;

as Menander says; on which account I give you leave, you glutton, to eat your fill of this kind of food—

But barley dearer is to hungry men
Than gold or Libyan ivory;

as Achæus the Eretrian says in his Cycnus.