Athenaeus, The Deipnosophists
C. D. Yonge, B.A., Ed.

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When Democritus had said this, Ulpian, looking towards Cynulcus, said—

To what a great philosopher has Fate
Now join'd me here!

As Theognetus the comic poet says, in his Apparition,—

You wretched man, you've learnt left-handed letters,
Your reading has perverted your whole life;
Philosophising thus with earth and heaven,
Though neither care a bit for all your speeches.

For where was it that you got that idea of the Chorus of the Syrbenians? What author worth speaking of mentions that musical chorus? And he replied:—My good friend, I will not teach you, unless I first receive adequate pay from you; for I do not read to pick out all the thorns out of my books as you do, but I select only what is most useful and best worth [p. 1072] hearing. And at this Ulpian got indignant, and roared out these lines out of the Suspicion of Alexis—

These things are shameful, e'en to the Triballi;
Where they do say a man who sacrifices,
Displays the feast to the invited guests,
And then next day, when they are hungry all,
Sells them what he'd invited them to see.

And the same iambics occur in the Sleep of Antiphanes. And Cynulcus said:—Since there have already been discussions about garlands, tell us, my good Ulpian, what is the meaning of the expression, “The garland of Naucratis,” in the beautiful poet Anacreon. For that sweet minstrel says—

And each man three garlands had:
Two of roses fairly twined,
And the third a Naucratite.

And why also does the same poet represent some people as crowned with osiers? for in the second book of his Odes, he says—

But now full twice five months are gone
Since kind Megisthes wore a crown
Of pliant osier, drinking wine
Whose colour did like rubies shine.

For to suppose that these crowns were really made of osiers is absurd, for the osier is fit only for plaiting and binding. So now tell us about these things, my friend, for they are worth understanding correctly, and do not keep us quibbling about words.