Sexual life in ancient Greece : with thirty-two full-page plates

Tue THEATRE

is represented offering himself for sale, and in frag. 265 we read his complaint: “ By Poseidon, the door will never rest,” that is, because of the number of visitors, who are pressing to see him. Demos, the son of Pyrilampes, a rich Athenian friend of Pericles, appears in Aristophanes as a celebrated favourite (Wasps, 97; cf. the play on words in Plato’s Gorgias, 481d). In the play there also occurred a conversation of Alcibiades with B., an unknown person, in which Alcibiades is ridiculed for some blameable innovations, the more so as he still boasts of them. By dAdaKkwrifew the simplicity of Spartan meals would be meant, while “to roast in the pan” points to something more luxurious, such as Alcibiades was fond of. But B. seems to give the word a sensual meaning ; Nakwifew, according to Suidas, means “ to be fond of boys” (aatdeKots ypjoba), so that Alcibiades comes out with a further one of his merits: he has taught people to drink, quite early (that is, modestly).1 Now the Athenians considered a drink begun too early as certainly objectionable ; interesting on this account is a passage of Baton, in which a father complains bitterly that his son was tempted by a lover to indulge in this bad habit, so that he can never give it up. Pliny also mentions Alcibiades as the inventor of this innovation.

3. ARISTOPHANES

We cannot discuss the importance of the poet Aristophanes and his prominent position im the history of Greek comedy beyond a brief consideration

1 Frag. 351—AAKIB. pod Naxwvilev, raynvitew 5é Kav mptatuny.

B. moAdds 8... olpar viv BeBuvjoda...

A. ... 6s 8¢ mp&ros ekedpev ro mpd > mumivew ;

B. zo\Ajv ye Aaxkompwrtiay Huiy emorar” evpwv.

A. elev. rts elev ‘auida mai’ mpa&ros petakd miven ;

B. alapndicdv ye robo rovéevpyua Kat codov cov. On early drinking cf. Baton in Ath., iii, 103¢; also the commentators on Aristoph., Birds, 131 ; Pliny, Nat. Hist., xiv, 143; Ath., xii, 519e.

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