Symposium

They say you had all kinds of sport yesterday, Lycinus, at the house of Aristaenetus, at dinner, and that several speeches on philosophy were made, out of which quite a quarrel arose. Unless Charinus was lying, the affair even ended in wounds and the party was finally broken up by the shedding of blood.

LYCINUS Now how did Charinus know that, Philo? He did not dine with us.

PHILO He said that Dionicus, the doctor, told “him. Dionicus, I suppose, was one of the guests.

LYCINUS Yes, to be sure ; but even he was not there for all of it, from the very beginning: it was late and the battle was about half over when he came on the scene, a little before the wounds. So I am surprised that he could give a clear account of any of it, as he did not witness what led up to the quarrel that ended in bloodshed.

PHILO True, Lycinus; and for that very reason Charinus told us, if we wanted to hear the truth of it and all the details, to come to you, saying that Dionicus

LYCINUS It was rather a silly affair, Philo, and yet you want me to publish it abroad and tell what happened when heads were turned with wine, when it all should be forgotten and the whole business put down'to a god— . Dionysus, I mean, who scarcely permits anyone to remain uninitiated in his rites and a stranger to his revels. Don’t you think it rather bad form to enquire into such matters minutely? The proper thing is to leave them behind you in the diningroom when you go away. As you know, there is a saying from the poets: “I hate to drink with him that hath a memory.” [*](Author unknown : quoted also by Plutarch (Prooemium to Quaest. Sympos.). See also Index to Corpus Paroemiogr. Gr.) And Dionicus did not do right, either, to blab it all to Charinus and besprinkle philosophers with the copious dregs of their stale cups. As for me—get out with you! I shan’t tell you anything of the kind !

PHILO That is all put on, Lycinus. But you needn’t have acted that way with me, for I know very well that

LYCINUS Don’t get angry! I will tell you, since you are so anxious, but don’t you tell a lot of people.

PHILO If I have not forgotten all I know of you, Lycinus, you will do that better than I can, and you will lose no time in telling everybody, so that I shan’t be needed.

But first tell me one thing—was it to celebrate the wedding of his son Zeno that Aristaenetus entertained you ?

LYCINUS No, he was marrying his daughter Cleanthis to the son of Eucritus the banker, the lad who is studying philosophy.

PHILO A very good-looking lad, to be sure; still immature, though, and hardly old enough to be married.

LYCINUS But he could not find anyone who suited him better, I suppose. As this boy seemed to be mannerly and had taken an interest in philosophy,

PHILO You give a very good reason in saying that Eucritus is rich. But come, Lycinus, who were the people at dinner ?

LYCINUS Why should I tell you all of them? The philosophers and literary men, whom, I suppose, you are most eager to hear about, were Zenothemis, the old man of the Porch, [*](The Porch: where Zeno the Stoic used to teach.) and along with him Diphilus, whom they call “Labyrinth,” tutor of Aristaenetus’ boy Zeno. From the Walk [*](The Walk (xepfxaros) in the Lyceum, where the Peripatetics had their meeting-place.) there was Cleodemus— you know him, the mouthy, argumentative fellow, whom his pupils call “Sword” and “Cleaver.” Hermon the Epicurean was there too, and as he came in the Stoics at once began to glower at him and turn their backs on him; it was clear that they loathed him as they would a parricide or a man under a curse. These men had been asked to dinner as Aristaenetus’ own friends and associates, and also the grammarian Histiaeus and the rhetorician Dionysodorus.

Then, too, on account of Chaereas, the bridegroom, Ion the Platonic philosopher, who is his teacher, shared the feast—a grave and reverend person to look at, with great dignity written on his features. Indeed, most people call him “Rule,” out of regard for the straightness of his thinking. When he came in, they all arose in his honour and received him like a supernatural being; in short it was a regular divine visitation, the advent of Ion the marvellous.

By that time we had to take our places, for almost everyone was there. On the right as you enter, the women occupied the whole couch, as there were a good many of them, with the bride among them, very scrupulously veiled and hedged in by the women. Toward the back door came the rest of the company according to the esteem in which each was held.