The Deipnosophists, or Banquet of the Learned of Athenaeus Part 50

69. But Alexis made a catalogue of seasonings, in his play called the Caldron, saying--

_A._ Let me have no excuses, no "I have not."

_B._ But tell me what you want--I will take all.

_A._ Quite right. Go first of all and take some sesame.

_B._ There's some within.

_A._ Take some grapes dried and cut, Some fennel, anise, a.s.saftida, Mustard and cabbage, some dry coriander, Sumach and c.u.mmin, capers, marjoram, Leeks, garlic, thyme, sage, seseli, Some new-made wine boil'd down, some rue and spinach.

And, in his Woman working all Night, or the Spinners, he introduces a cook as saying--

I must run round, and bawl for what I want; You'll call for supper when you home return, And I have got no vinegar, nor anise, Nor marjoram, nor fig-leaves, nor sweet oil, Nor almonds, nor the lees of new-made wine, Nor garlic, no, nor leeks, nor onions, No fire, no c.u.mmin seed, no salt, no eggs, No wood, no trough, no frying-pan, no rope; No pail, no cistern, neither well nor pitcher; Here I stand useless with but knife in hand, Girt and prepared for action all in vain.

And, in his Wicked Woman, he says--

First of all take a dish of goodly size, And put in marjoram and pounded herbs, Steep'd to a fair extent in vinegar, Colour'd with new made wine, and flavoured with Plenty of potent a.s.saftida.

And Teleclides used the word ?pes??e??, in his Prytanes, in this manner:--

?????? ?pes????ta, eating cheese.

And Eupolis used the word ?p?fa?e?? in his Taxiarchs--

Wishing to eat (?p?fa?e??) of nothing But just an onion and three pickled olives.

And Aristophanes, in his Plutus, says--

Once, out of poverty, he ate up (?p?s??e?) everything.

70. But there was another cla.s.s of men somewhat different from the cooks, called t?ape??p????, setters out of tables. But what their office was is plainly stated by Antiphanes, in his Sojourner--

Hither I come, and bring this table-setter, Who soon shall wash the cloths, and trim the lamps, Prepare the glad libations, and do every thing Which to his office may pertain.

And it is worth inquiring whether the t?ape?????? is the same person as the t?ape??p????. For king Juba, in his treatise on Similitudes, says that the t?ape?????? is the same person who is called by the Romans _structor_, quoting from the play of Alexander, which is ent.i.tled Potation--

Now for to-morrow I must get a flute-player, A table-setter, and a workman too.

This was my master's reason for despatching me On this commission from his country seat.

But they called him t?ape??p???? who took care of the tables, and of everything else which required order and good management. Philemon says, in his "The Uninvited Guest"--

There is no need of long deliberation About the kitchen, for the table-setter Is bound to look to that; that is his office.

They also used the word ?p?t?ape??ata, meaning by this the food which was placed upon the table. Plato says, in the Menelaus--

How little now is left of the ?p?t?ape??ata.

They also called the man who bought the meat, the ????ast??, but now they call him ?????t??, an officer whom Xenophon mentions, in the second[274:1]

book of the Memorabilia, speaking thus:--"Could we expect to get a steward and buyer of such a character for nothing?" But the same word is used in a more general sense by Menander, in his Phanius--

He was a thrifty and a moderate buyer (????ast??):

And Aristophanes calls him ??????, in his Tagenistae, saying--

How the purveyor (??????) seems to delay our supper.

Cratinus, too, uses the verb pa???????, in his Cleobulinae, where he says

And Alexis uses the verb pa?a??????, in the same sense, (to buy dainty side-dishes,) in his Dropidas.

There are people called e???at???; they are those, according to Pamphilus, who invite people to the king's table, having their name derived from ??e?? (a kitchen table). But Artemidorus calls them de?p?????t??e?.

71. They also used to call the tasters (according to the statement of the same Pamphilus) ?d?at???, because they ate of dishes before the king with a view to his safety. But now, the person called ?d?at??? is the superintendent of the whole management of the feast; and that office is very eminent and honourable. Accordingly, Chares, in the third book of his Histories, says that Ptolemy surnamed Soter, was originally appointed as the taster (?d?at???) of Alexander. And it appears that the person whom the Romans now call the taster was at that time called by the Greeks p??t?????. As Aristophanes, in the earlier of his plays, called the Clouds, says--

_A._ Why then do not the magistrates receive The prytanea on the new-moon's day, But on the day before?

_B._ They seem to me To act like tasters (p??te??a?) who in hopes to take The prytanea with all possible speed, Taste them on this account all on one day.

And Pherecrates mentions them, in his Countrymen--

Do not you marvel; we are of the number Of skilful tasters (p??t?????), but you know us not.

And Philyllus says, in his Hercules--

Must I then tell you who I am to-day?

I am that taster called Dorpia.

And I find also a decree pa.s.sed, while Cephisodorus was archer at Athens, in which the tasters are mentioned as a regular guild or college; just like the men who are called parasites. For the decree runs thus:--"Phocus proposed that, in order that the council might celebrate the Apaturia with the rest of the Athenians, in accordance with the national customs, that it should be decreed by the council, that the councillors should be released for the day, as also the other councils have been dismissed, for a holiday of five days from the day which the tasters (?? p??te??a?) celebrate." And that the ancients had people who were called "tasters" Xenophon tells us in his treatise which is ent.i.tled Hiero or the Tyrant, where he says, "The tyrant lives, never trusting either meat or drink, but they order those who minister to them to taste them first, in the place of offering libations to the G.o.ds; because they feel a distrust lest they should eat or drink something pernicious." And Anaxilas, in his Calypso, says--

First the old woman here shall taste your drink.

72. And the ancients used to call those who made sweetmeats and cheesecakes d????????. Menander, in his False Hercules, blaming the cooks as attempting what they ought not, says--

Holloa, you cook, why do you sulky seem?

'Tis the third time you've asked me what's the number Of tables which will be required to-day.

We go to sacrifice one little pig.

Eight tables are required, or two, or one; What can that be to you?--I want but one.

May we not make some candyli[275:1] and dishes Such as you're used to season; honey, eggs, And semilago; but now everything Is contrary; the cook makes cakes in moulds, Roasts cheesecakes, and boils groats, and brings on table After the salted meats fig-leaves and grapes.

And for the sweetmeat-makers, they, with duties Turn'd upside down, roast joints of meat and thrushes Instead of delicate confections; thus He who believes he sups doth feed on dainties, And when perfumed and crown'd, again doth feast On honey'd cheese-cakes interspersed with thrushes.

But that all these different duties were formerly separated, when the demiurgi, as they called them, attended to the sweetmeats, and the cooks to the regular cookery, Antiphanes shows us plainly enough, in his Chrysis, where he says--

Four female flute-players do have their wages, Twelve cooks, and just as many sweetmeat-makers, Asking for plates for honey.

And Menander, in his Demiurgus, says--