Page:The Deipnosophists (Volume 2).djvu/303



person had recited a verse, the others were bound to quote the verse following; or if any one had quoted a sentence from some poet, the rest were bound to produce a sentence from some other poet expressing the same sentiments. After that, every one was bound to repeat an iambic. And then, each person was to repeat a line of such and such a number of syllables precisely; and so on with everything that related to any acquaintance with letters and syllables. And in a similar manner they would be bound to repeat the names of all the commanders in the army which attacked Troy, or of all the Trojan leaders: or to tell the name of some city in Asia beginning with a given letter; and then the next person was to tell the name of a city in Europe: and then they were to go through the rest according as they were desired to give the names of Grecian or barbarian cities; so that this sport, not being an inconsiderate one, was a sort of exhibition of the ability and learning of each individual. And the prizes given were a garland and applause, things by which love for one another is especially sweetened."
 * logies. They preferred such plays as these;—when the first

87. This, then, was what Clearchus said; and the things which he says one ought to propose, are, I imagine, such as these. For one person to quote a line in Homer beginning with Alpha, and ending with the same letter, such as—

[Greek: Anchou d' histamenê epea pteroenta prosêuda. All' age nyn mastiga kai hênia sigaloenta. Aspidas eukyklous laisêaï te pteroenta.]

And, again, they quoted iambics on a similar principle—

[Greek: Agathos anêr legoit' an ho pherôn t' agatha. Agathos an eiê kai ho pherôn kalôs kaka.]

Or lines in Homer beginning and ending with [Greek: e], as—

[Greek: Heure Lykaonos huion amymona te krateron te. En polei hymeterê epei ouk ar' emellon egôge.]

And iambics on the same principle—

[Greek: Eukataphronêtos esti penia, Derkyle; Epi tois parousi ton bion diapleke.]

And lines of Homer beginning and ending with [Greek: ê] as—

[Greek: Hê men ar' hôs eipous' apebê glaukôpis Athênê; Hê d' en gounasi pipte Diônês di' Aphpoditê.]

And iambics—

[Greek: Hê tôn philôn soi pistis estô kekrimenê.]