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

Dances, GAMES, MEALS

which is only to be regarded as an episode, but yet contributed its part in making the banquet more interesting. I had seen a beautiful young slave, who was appointed to act as cupbearer and stood behind Cleodemus, smiling, and I was interested to know the reason. I therefore watched him closely, and as the beautiful Ganymede soon drew near again to take back the drinking-cup from Cleodemus I noticed that the latter stroked his finger and, as it seemed to me, together with the cup pressed a couple of drachmz into his hand. The boy smiled again at his finger being stroked, but I thought he did not notice the money. Consequently the two drachmz fell rattling on the floor, at which the philosopher and the boy became very red. His nearest neighbours asked to whom the money belonged; but it remained uncertain, for the boy denied that it had fallen out of his hand, and Cleodemus, near whom the rattling was heard, did nothing to show that he was interested in the matter. Consequently, nothing more was done and the matter was allowed to rest, since only a few persons had noticed what had taken place. Yet I believe that Aristanetus was one of these. For soon afterwards he took the opportunity to remove the boy from the hall, without its being noticed, and beckoned to one of the strong lads, who had passed the dangerous age, a mule-driver or groom, to take his place behind Cleodemus instead of the boy. So this little incident passed, which might have turned out much to Cleodemus’ disgrace,! if it had become known, and had not been suppressed on the spot by the cleverness of Aristznetus, who attributed what had happened to the wine.”

During the drinking-bout a letter is handed to the host from the philosopher Hetzmocles, which

1 Seeing that Cleodemus had forgotten his dignity as a philosopher, since he was, or should have been, able to control his passions ; above all, it was beneath his dignity to have anything to do with a slave.

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