[Greek: mattyai] by other tribes of Greece. And Menippus the Cynic, in his book called Arcesilaus, writes thus:—"There was a drinking party formed by a certain number of revellers, and a Lacedæmonian woman ordered the [Greek: mattyê] to be served up; and immediately some little partridges were brought in, and some roasted geese, and some delicious cheesecakes."
But such a course as this the Athenians used to call [Greek: epidorpisma], and the Dorians [Greek: epaiklon]; but most of the Greeks called it [Greek: ta epideipna].
And when all this discussion about the [Greek: mattyê] was over, they thought it time to depart; for it was already evening. And so we parted.
BOOK XV.
1.
E'en should the Phrygian God enrich my tongue
With honey'd eloquence, such as erst did fall
From Nestor's or Antenor's lips,[1]
as the all-accomplished Euripides says, my good Timocrates—
I never should be able
to recapitulate to you the numerous things which were said in those most admirable banquets, on account of the varied nature of the topics introduced, and the novel mode in which they were continually treated. For there were frequent discussions about the order in which the dishes were served up, and about the things which are done after the chief part of the supper is over, such as I can hardly recollect; and some one of the guests quoted the following iambics from The Lacedæmonians of Plato—
Now nearly all the men have done their supper;
'Tis well.—Why don't you run and clear the tables?
But I will go and straight some water get
For the guests' hands; and have the floor well swept;
And then, when I have offer'd due libations,
I'll introduce the cottabus. This girl
Ought now to have her flutes all well prepared,
Ready to play them. Quick now, slave, and bring
Egyptian ointment, extract of lilies too,
- ↑ This is one of the fragments of unknown plays of Euripides.
