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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    his linen pillows, lying upon them in a most friendly manner, And w’ith his left hand he kept smoothing the hair of the young man, and with his right hand he kept moving up and down a Phocsean fan, so as to please him while waving it, without force enough to brush anything away. On which account, it appears to me, that some high-born god must have been angry with him and have sent a fly to attack the young man, a fly like that with wdiose audacity Homer says that Minerva inspired Menelaus, so vigorous and fearless was it in disposition. “ So when the young man was stung, this man uttered sucli a loud scream in his behalf, and was so indignant, that on ac- count of his hatred to one fly he banished the whole tribe of flies from his house: from which it is quite plain that he appointed this servant for this especial purpose.” 71. But Leucon, the tyrant of Pontus, was a different kind of man, who when he knew that many of his fi-iends had been plundered by one of the flatterer’s whom he had about him, perceiving that the man was calumniating some one of his remaining friends, said, “ I swear by the gods that I would kill you if a tyrannical government did not stand in need or bad men.” And Antiphanes the comic writer, in his Soldier, gives a similar account of the luxury of the kings in Cyprus. And he represents one of them as asking a soldier these questions— A. Tell me now, you had lived some time in Cyprus 1 Say you not so 1 B. Yes, all the time of the war. A. In what part most especially 1 tell me that. B. In Paphos, where you should have seen the luxury That did exist, or you could not believe it. A. AVhat kind of luxury? B. The king was fann’d While at his supper by young turtle-doves And by nought else. A. How mean you? never mind My own affairs, but let me ask you this. ]J. He was anointed with a luscious ointment Brought up from Syria, made of some rich fruit Which they do say doves love to feed upon. They were attracted by the scent and flew Around the royal temples; and had dared To scat themselves upon the monarch’s head. But that the boys who sat around with sticks Hid keep them at a slight and easy distance.