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

DANCES, GAMES, MEALS

laws which, in memory of Zeus Xenios, the protector of the rights of hospitality, regulated and made a duty of the friendly treatment of strangers and their hospitable reception (Law of Charondas in Stobzus, Sermones, 44, 40). Even among non-Greek peoples we find this high respect for the rights of hospitality : thus a law of the Lucanians (Elian, Var. hist., iv, 1; cf. Heracleides Ponticus, Politika, 18; Plato, Menexenus, 91), a people of lower Italy, forbade anyone to refuse a stranger, who asked for admission after sunset, and fixed a severe punishment for any who did so.

Naturally, as social intercourse developed, private hospitality did not keep pace with it; and so institutions gradually grew up corresponding to our hotels. We can catch a glimpse of the first beginnings of such in the lesché + already mentioned in Homer and Hesiod; this was a common hall, which served homeless and needy people as a nightly shelter. Here also in severe weather people sought refuge or met in idle conversation; and at such times the smithy also would serve the same purpose. It is interesting nevertheless to note that Hesiod warns people from both places as abodes of idleness, in which man, “ to protect himself from the cold of winter, warms himself comfortably and idles away his time, while at home much work remains undone.” Also, later, staying in the lesche, of which there were certainly several everywhere, at least in Athens and Boeotia, was not considered respectable and was avoided by the better class of people. This did not apply to the famous Jesche at Delphi, which was built at the expense of the people of Cnidus and served to support and shelter the countless swarms who thronged to Delphi. According to the detailed description of Pausanias (x, 25, 1) the two long sides of the building were

1 On the lesché and smithy, see Homer, Od., xviii, 328 ff. ; Hesiod., W. and D., 493, 501; Etym. Magnum, A¢oxa mapa Bowwtois Ta Kowa Sermyntypia.

176