§12Λυκῖνος
ἅμα δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Κλεόδημος εἰρήκει καὶ ἐπεισέπαισεν ὁ Κυνικὸς Ἀλκιδάμας ἄκλητος, ἐκεῖνο τὸ κοινὸν ἐπιχαριεντισάμενος,
τὸν Μενέλαον αὐτόματον ἥκοντα. τοῖς μὲν οὖν πολλοῖς ἀναίσχυντα ἐδόκει πεποιηκέναι καὶ ὑπέκρουον τὰ προχειρότατα, ὁ μὲν τὸ ἀφραίνεις Μενέλαε, ὁ δʼ
"ἀλλʼ οὐκ Ἀτρείδῃ Ἀγαμέμνονι ἥνδανε θυμῷ,"
καὶ ἄλλοι ἄλλα πρὸς τὸν καιρὸν εὔστοχα καὶ χαρίεντα ὑποτονθορύζοντες· ἐς μέντοι τὸ φανερὸν οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμα λέγειν· ἐδεδοίκεσαν γὰρ τὸν Ἀλκιδάμαντα, βοὴν ἀγαθὸν ἀτεχνῶς ὄντα καὶ κρακτικώτατον κυνῶν ἁπάντων, παρʼ ὃ καὶ ἀμείνων ἐδόκει καὶ φοβερώτατος ἦν ἅπασιν.
Lycinus As soon as Cleodemus had said these things, the Cynic Alcidamas burst in uninvited, joking with that common saying, "Menelaus came of his own accord." To most people, therefore, he seemed to have behaved shamelessly, and they cut in with the handiest quotes: one with "You are foolish, Menelaus," another with "But it did not please the heart of Agamemnon, son of Atreus," and others muttering other witty and appropriate remarks for the occasion; however, no one dared to speak openly, for they feared Alcidamas, who was literally loud-voiced and the most noisy barker of all dogs, on which account he also seemed superior and was most fearsome to all.
§13Λυκῖνος
ὁ δὲ Ἀρισταίνετος ἐπαινέσας αὐτὸν ἐκέλευε θρόνον τινὰ λαβόντα καθίζεσθαι παρʼ Ἱστιαῖόν τε καὶ Διονυσόδωρον.
Lycinus Aristaenetus, however, welcomed him and bade him take a chair and sit by Histiaeus and Dionysodorus.
ὁ δέ,
ἄπαγε,
φησί,
γυναικεῖον λέγεις καὶ μαλθακὸν ἐπὶ θρόνου καθίζεσθαι ἢ σκίμποδος, ὥσπερ ὑμεῖς μαλακῆς ταύτης εὐνῆς μικροῦ δεῖν ὕπτιοι κατακείμενοι ἑστιᾶσθε πορφυρίδας ὑποβεβλημένοι·
But he said, "Away with it! You speak of a womanish and soft thing, to sit upon a chair or a couch, just as you feast, reclining almost on your backs on this soft bed with purple coverlets laid under you.
ἐγὼ δὲ κἂν ὀρθοστάδην δειπνήσαιμι ἐμπεριπατῶν ἅμα τῷ συμποσίῳ· εἰ δὲ καὶ κάμοιμι, χαμαὶ τὸν τρίβωνα ὑποβαλόμενος κείσομαι ἐπʼ ἀγκῶνος οἷον τὸν Ἡρακλέα γράφουσιν. οὕτως,
ἔφη,
γιγνέσθω,
ὁ Ἀρισταίνετος,
εἴ σοι ἥδιον. καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τούτου περιιὼν ἐν κύκλῳ ὁ Ἀλκιδάμας ἐδείπνει ὥσπερ οἱ Σκύθαι πρὸς τὴν ἀφθονωτέραν νομὴν μετεξανιστάμενος καὶ τοῖς περιφέρουσι τὰ ὄψα συμπερινοστῶν.
As for me, I would dine even standing up, walking around the banquet at the same time; and if I should grow tired, I will lie on my elbow on the ground with my cloak spread under me, just as they paint Heracles." "Let it be so then," said Aristaenetus, "if it is more pleasing to you." And from then on, Alcidamas went around in a circle and dined, moving from place to place like the Scythians to more abundant pasture, and wandering along with those carrying around the dishes.
§14Λυκῖνος
καὶ μέντοι καὶ σιτούμενος ἐνεργὸς ἦν ἀρετῆς πέρι καὶ κακίας μεταξὺ διεξιὼν καὶ ἐς τὸν χρυσὸν καὶ τὸν ἄργυρον ἀποσκώπτων·
Lycinus And indeed, even while eating, he was active, discoursing on virtue and vice in between, and scoffing at gold and silver.
ἠρώτα γοῦν τὸν Ἀρισταίνετον, τί βούλονται αὐτῷ αἱ τοσαῦται καὶ τηλικαῦται κύλικες τῶν κεραμεῶν ἴσον δυναμένων.
For instance, he asked Aristaenetus what was the purpose of so many and so great cups for him, since earthenware ones were of equal utility.
ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνον μὲν ἤδη διενοχλοῦντα ἔπαυσεν ἐς τὸ παρὸν Ἀρισταίνετος τῷ παιδὶ διανεύσας εὐμεγέθη σκύφον ἀναδοῦναι αὐτῷ ζωρότερον ἐγχέαντα· καὶ ἐδόκει ἄριστα ἐπινενοηκέναι οὐκ εἰδὼς ὅσων κακῶν ἀρχὴν ὁ σκύφος ἐκεῖνος ἐνεδεδώκει.
But Aristaenetus stopped him, who was already becoming troublesome, for the present by nodding to his servant to hand him a very large cup, pouring in stronger wine; and he thought he had devised an excellent plan, not knowing how many evils that cup had initiated.
λαβὼν δὲ ἅμα ὁ Ἀλκιδάμας ἐσίγησε μικρὸν καὶ ἐς τοὔδαφος καταβαλὼν ἑαυτὸν ἔκειτο ἡμίγυμνος, ὥσπερ ἠπειλήκει, πήξας τὸν ἀγκῶνα ὀρθόν, ἔχων ἅμα τὸν σκύφον ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ, οἷος ὁ παρὰ τῷ Φόλῳ Ἡρακλῆς ὑπὸ τῶν γραφέων δείκνυται.
Taking it, Alcidamas was silent for a short while, and throwing himself on the ground, lay half-naked, as he had threatened, fixing his elbow upright, holding the cup in his right hand at the same time, just as Heracles at Pholus' house is depicted by painters.
§15Λυκῖνος
ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἐς τοὺς ἄλλους συνεχῶς περιεσοβεῖτο ἡ κύλιξ καὶ φιλοτησίαι καὶ ὁμιλίαι καὶ φῶτα εἰσεκεκόμιστο.
Lycinus And by now the cup was constantly being passed around to the others, and toasts, conversations, and lights had been brought in.
ἐν τοσούτῳ δʼ ἐγὼ τὸν παρεστῶτα τῷ Κλεοδήμῳ παῖδα οἰνοχόον ὄντα ὡραῖον ἰδὼν ὑπομειδιῶντα — χρὴ γάρ, οἶμαι, καὶ ὅσα πάρεργα τῆς ἑστιάσεως εἰπεῖν, καὶ μάλιστα εἴ τι πρὸς τὸ γλαφυρώτερον ἐπράχθη—μάλα ἤδη παρεφύλαττον ὅ τι καὶ μειδιάσειε.
Meanwhile, seeing the handsome cupbearer boy standing by Cleodemus smiling slightly—for one ought, I think, to tell even the incidental occurrences of the feast, especially if anything was done toward the more entertaining side—I was already watching closely to see why he was smiling.
καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν ὁ μὲν προσῆλθεν ὡς ἀποληψόμενος παρὰ τοῦ Κλεοδήμου τὴν φιάλην, ὁ δὲ τόν τε δάκτυλον ἀπέθλιψεν αὐτοῦ καὶ δραχμὰς δύο, οἶμαι, συνανέδωκε μετὰ τῆς φιάλης·
And after a little while, the boy came up as if to receive the cup back from Cleodemus, and the latter squeezed his finger and handed over, I think, two drachmas together with the cup.
ὁ παῖς δὲ πρὸς μὲν τὸν δάκτυλον θλιβόμενον αὖθις ἐμειδίασεν, οὐ μὴν συνεῖδεν, οἶμαι, τὸ νόμισμα, ὥστε μὴ δεξαμένου ψόφον αἱ δύο δραχμαὶ παρέσχον ἐκπεσοῦσαι, καὶ ἠρυθρίασαν ἄμφω μάλα σαφῶς.
The boy smiled again at his finger being squeezed, but did not, I think, notice the coin, so that since he did not catch it, the two drachmas made a clinking noise as they fell, and both blushed very clearly.
ἠπόρουν δὲ οἱ πλησίον οὗτινος εἴη τὰ νομίσματα, τοῦ μὲν παιδὸς ἀρνουμένου μὴ ἀποβεβληκέναι, τοῦ δὲ Κλεοδήμου, καθʼ ὃν ὁ ψόφος ἐγένετο, μὴ προσποιουμένου τὴν ἀπόρριψιν.
Those nearby were puzzled as to whose coins they were, while the boy denied having dropped them, and Cleodemus, near whom the noise occurred, pretended not to have thrown them.
ἠμελήθη οὖν καὶ παρώφθη τοῦτο οὐ πάνυ πολλῶν ἰδόντων πλὴν μόνου, ὡς ἐμοὶ ἔδοξε, τοῦ Ἀρισταινέτου· μετέστησε γὰρ τὸν παῖδα μικρὸν ὕστερον ἀφανῶς ὑπεξαγαγὼν καὶ τῷ Κλεοδήμῳ τινὰ παραστῆναι διένευσε τῶν ἐξώρων ἤδη καὶ καρτερῶν, ὀρεωκόμον τινὰ ἢ ἱπποκόμον.
This was therefore ignored and overlooked, since not very many saw it, except only, as it seemed to me, Aristaenetus; for a little later, having quietly led the boy away, he removed him, and nodded to one of those already past their prime and robust—some muleteer or groom—to stand by Cleodemus.
καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ὧδέ πως ἐκεχωρήκει, μεγάλης ἂν αἰσχύνης αἴτιον τῷ Κλεοδήμῳ γενόμενον, εἰ ἔφθη διαφοιτῆσαν εἰς ἅπαντας, ἀλλὰ μὴ κατέσβη αὐτίκα, δεξιῶς πάνυ τοῦ Ἀρισταινέτου τὴν παροινίαν ἐνέγκαντος.
And this matter had turned out in this way, which would have been a cause of great shame to Cleodemus if it had succeeded in spreading to everyone, but instead was extinguished immediately, since Aristaenetus bore the drunken impropriety very tactfully.