Page:The Deipnosophists (Volume 2).djvu/35

 *

placed them all on the centre couch, which was adorned in the loftiest and most holy-looking and beautiful manner. And he had a table placed before them on which there was an altar and first-fruits of the different productions of the earth. And whenever eatables were placed before the other guests, the slaves placed incense before Menecrates, and poured libations in his honour. And at last, the new Jupiter, with all his subordinate gods, being laughed at by every one, ran away and fled from the banquet, as Hegesander relates. And Alexis also makes mention of Menecrates in his Minos.

35. And Themiso the Cyprian, the friend of Antiochus the king, as Pythermus the Ephesian relates in the eighth book of his History, not only used to have his name proclaimed in the public assemblies, "Themiso, the Macedonian, the Hercules of Antiochus the king;" but all the people of that country used to sacrifice to him, addressing him as Hercules Themiso; and he himself would come when any of the nobles celebrated a sacrifice, and would sit down, having a couch to himself, and being clad in a lion's skin, and he used also to bear a Scythian bow, and in his hand he carried a club. Menecrates then himself, though he was such as we have said, never made such a preposterous boast as the cook we have been speaking of,—

I am immortal, for I bring the dead, By the mere smell of my meat, to life again.

36. But the whole tribe of cooks are conceited and arrogant, as Hegesander says in his Brothers. For he introduces a cook, saying—

A. My friend, a great deal has been said already By many men on the art of cookery, So either tell me something new yourself, Unknown to former cooks, or spare my ears. B. I'll not fatigue you; know that I alone Of present men have sounded all the depths Of culinary science and invention; For I have not been just a short two years Learning my art with snow-white apron girt, But all my life I have devoted anxiously To the investigation of each point Of moment; I have inquired into all The different kinds of herbs and vegetables; I know the habits of the bembrades, I know the lentils in their various sorts; In short, this I can say—Whene'er I am