DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0723
OF THE MISCELLANY CUSTOMS OF GREECE.
696
It was also held necessary to entertain the guests with suitable dis-
courses, as well as with sports and pastimes. In the opinion of the an-
cient Greeks, to use the words of Athenaeus (1), ' it was more requisite
and becoming to gratify the company by agreeable conversation than 'vith
variety of dishes.' And in the heroical ages, it was customary to con-
sult about affairs of the greatest moment at entertainments, as hath been
observed by Plutarch (2) : hence Nestor in Homer (^) persuades Aga-
memnon to invite the Grecian commanders to an entertainment, in order
to deliberate concerning the management of the war :
Axivu S'nlra. yifisjt, "eout toi, irot c'sdier.
* # ' * *
IloXXwv cP'■i.ypnuhm 7r'tt<Ti<tl o; xev st'fiVnv
Bkxw Sou\tvry,
Banquet the elders; it shall not disgrace
Thy sov'reignty, but shall become thee well.
* * »
Thy many guests assembled, thou shalt hear
Our counsel, and shalt chuse the best. cowPEn,
It was believed, that at such times mens' invention was more quick and
fruitful, according to the saying in Aristophanes (l) :
Ohn ydp tvpci; aiv <ri trpttx-rmto'Tipov ;
Where the Greek scholiast discourseth very largely on this argument,
It was also the custom in Persia to consult at entertainments, as we
find done at that of Agamemnon, as we learn from Athemeus (5) ; and,
to use the words of Ammianus Marcellinus ^H), the Persians used to de-
liberate inter epulas de apparatu bellico et seriis rebus apud eosdem Gra-
iorum more veterum, concerning warlike preparations, and other serious
affairs, at banquets, after the manner of the ancient Greeks ; nay, if
Strabo may be believed (7), they used to' consult about affairs of the
highest importance over their wine ; and what was there determined
was held more firm and inviolable than their sober resolutions But
Herodotus's account is more particular, that those things w uch they re-
solved on (»«#ovtss) when they were sober, were canva-sed over again when
they had drank freely ; and the things which they determined (psBvtfxi-
pefoi) in their drink, were examined agai>! in their sober hours (8). Not
unlike this is what Tacitus (9) reports of the Germans, that their consul-
tations about the reconciliation of enemies, the contracting affinities, ap-
pointment of princes, and all other affairs, whether military or civil, were
for the most part held at entertainments. The way of the syssitia in
Crete was thus, according to Dosiadas 10) : supper bein» ended they first
deliberated upon civil affairs ; then the discourse is turned to war, at
whioh time they repeat the praises of illustrious persons, ngoTgttfousvai
Taj v|s£ lis «6v^faya#i'a», thereby to excite the young men to courage and bra~
very. The Lacedaemonian youth frequented the syssitia, a; }'i8n.tfxctke7ci
tfuQgo<iuvy\s, as the schools of temperance and prudence, where they heard
discourses of public affairs, and conversed with the most liberal and
best accomplished masters, as we are informed by Plutarch (11). The
same author has elsewhere observed (12), that the Cretan s7*, and the
(1.) Lib. x. cap. 5. chus Sympos. lib. vii. quaest. ix. Eustathius in
(2) Sympos, lib. vii. cap. 9. Iliad. (. p. 631, &c.
(3) Iliad, ix. v. 70. (8) Lib. i. cap. 133.
(4) Equitibus. p. 293. (9) De moribus Germauorum.
(5) Lib. v. cap. 4. (10) Rerum Creticarum, lib. iv.
r6) Lib. xviii. cap. 5. (II) Lycurgo.
(W Geograph, lib. xv. p. 734. Coaf. Plutar- (12) Sympos. lib. vii, qua>st. jbc
696
It was also held necessary to entertain the guests with suitable dis-
courses, as well as with sports and pastimes. In the opinion of the an-
cient Greeks, to use the words of Athenaeus (1), ' it was more requisite
and becoming to gratify the company by agreeable conversation than 'vith
variety of dishes.' And in the heroical ages, it was customary to con-
sult about affairs of the greatest moment at entertainments, as hath been
observed by Plutarch (2) : hence Nestor in Homer (^) persuades Aga-
memnon to invite the Grecian commanders to an entertainment, in order
to deliberate concerning the management of the war :
Axivu S'nlra. yifisjt, "eout toi, irot c'sdier.
* # ' * *
IloXXwv cP'■i.ypnuhm 7r'tt<Ti<tl o; xev st'fiVnv
Bkxw Sou\tvry,
Banquet the elders; it shall not disgrace
Thy sov'reignty, but shall become thee well.
* * »
Thy many guests assembled, thou shalt hear
Our counsel, and shalt chuse the best. cowPEn,
It was believed, that at such times mens' invention was more quick and
fruitful, according to the saying in Aristophanes (l) :
Ohn ydp tvpci; aiv <ri trpttx-rmto'Tipov ;
Where the Greek scholiast discourseth very largely on this argument,
It was also the custom in Persia to consult at entertainments, as we
find done at that of Agamemnon, as we learn from Athemeus (5) ; and,
to use the words of Ammianus Marcellinus ^H), the Persians used to de-
liberate inter epulas de apparatu bellico et seriis rebus apud eosdem Gra-
iorum more veterum, concerning warlike preparations, and other serious
affairs, at banquets, after the manner of the ancient Greeks ; nay, if
Strabo may be believed (7), they used to' consult about affairs of the
highest importance over their wine ; and what was there determined
was held more firm and inviolable than their sober resolutions But
Herodotus's account is more particular, that those things w uch they re-
solved on (»«#ovtss) when they were sober, were canva-sed over again when
they had drank freely ; and the things which they determined (psBvtfxi-
pefoi) in their drink, were examined agai>! in their sober hours (8). Not
unlike this is what Tacitus (9) reports of the Germans, that their consul-
tations about the reconciliation of enemies, the contracting affinities, ap-
pointment of princes, and all other affairs, whether military or civil, were
for the most part held at entertainments. The way of the syssitia in
Crete was thus, according to Dosiadas 10) : supper bein» ended they first
deliberated upon civil affairs ; then the discourse is turned to war, at
whioh time they repeat the praises of illustrious persons, ngoTgttfousvai
Taj v|s£ lis «6v^faya#i'a», thereby to excite the young men to courage and bra~
very. The Lacedaemonian youth frequented the syssitia, a; }'i8n.tfxctke7ci
tfuQgo<iuvy\s, as the schools of temperance and prudence, where they heard
discourses of public affairs, and conversed with the most liberal and
best accomplished masters, as we are informed by Plutarch (11). The
same author has elsewhere observed (12), that the Cretan s7*, and the
(1.) Lib. x. cap. 5. chus Sympos. lib. vii. quaest. ix. Eustathius in
(2) Sympos, lib. vii. cap. 9. Iliad. (. p. 631, &c.
(3) Iliad, ix. v. 70. (8) Lib. i. cap. 133.
(4) Equitibus. p. 293. (9) De moribus Germauorum.
(5) Lib. v. cap. 4. (10) Rerum Creticarum, lib. iv.
r6) Lib. xviii. cap. 5. (II) Lycurgo.
(W Geograph, lib. xv. p. 734. Coaf. Plutar- (12) Sympos. lib. vii, qua>st. jbc