Volume 1

The Deipnosophists, or, Banquet of the learned, of Athenæus / literally translated by C.D. Yonge, B.A. ; with an appendix of poetical fragments, rendered into English verse by various authors, and a general index.

  • Athenaeus
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Deipnosophists, or, Banquet of the learned, of Athenæus / literally translated by C.D. Yonge, B.A. ; with an appendix of poetical fragments, rendered into English verse by various authors, and a general index. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    self; for that he was always large.” And he is the man of whom Machou writes in this manner:— They say that Jloschion the water drinker Once, when he was with friends in the Lyceum, Seeing a para-site who was used to live Upon a rich old woman, said to him, “ ily friend, your fate is truly marvellous ; For your old dame does give you a big belly.” And the same man, hearing of a parasite who was maintained by an old woman, and who lived in habits of daily intimacy with her, said— Nothing is strange henceforth, she brings forth nothing. But the man daily doth become big-bellied. And Ptolemy, the son of Agesai-chus, a native of Megalopolis, in the second book of his history of Philopator, says that men to dine with the king were collected from every city, and that they were called jesters. 49. And Posidonius of xVpamea, in the twenty-third book of his histories, says, “ The Cclta;, even when they make wai’, take about with them companions to dine with them, whom they call parasites. And these men celebrate their praises before largo companies a.ssembled together, and also to pri- vate individuals who arc willing to listen to them : they have also a description of people called Bards, who make them music; and these are poets, who recite their praises with songs. And in his thirty-fourth book, the s:ime writer speaks of a man whose name was Apollonius, as having been the ])arasite of Autiochus surnamcd Grypics, king of Syria. And Aristodemus relates that Bithys, the parasite of king Lysi- machus, once, when Lysimachus threw a wooden figure of a scorpion on his cloak, leaped up in a great fright; but pre- sently, when he perceived the truth, he said, “ I, too, will frighten you, 0 king!—give me a talent.” For Lysimachus was very sting3^ And Agatharchides the Cuidian, in the twenty-second book of his history of Europe, says that An- themocritus the pancratiast was the parasite of Aristomachus, the tyrant of the Argivcs. 50. And Timocles has spoken in general terms of parasites in his Boxer, when he «dls them eTrto-moi, in these words— You will find here some of the parasites (4iri<rtrtoi) Who cat at other men's tables till they burst. That you might say they give themselves to athletes To act as quintain sacks.