Book 11
108
There is also the ψυγεὺς or ψυκτήρ. Plato, in his Symposium, says,—But, O boy, bring, said he, that psycter hither (for he had seen one which held more than eight cotylæ). Accordingly, when' he had filled it, first of all he drank it himself, and then he ordered it to be filled again for Socrates . . . . . as Archebulus was attempting to be prolix, the boy, pouring the wine out at a very seasonable time, overturned the psycter. And Alexis, in his Colonist, says— A psygeus, holding three full cotylæ. And Dioxippus, in his Miser, says— And from Olympicus he then received Six thericlean cups, and then two psycters. And Menander, in his play entitled The Brazier's Shop, says— And, as the present fashion is, they shouted For more untemper'd wine; and some one took A mighty psycter, giving them to drink, And so destroy'd them wretchedly. And Epigenes, in his Heroine, giving a list of many cups, among them mentions the psygeus thus— Now take the boys, and make them hither bring The thericlean and the Rhodian cups; But bring yourself the psycter and the cyathus, Some cymbia too. And Strattis, in his Psychaste— And one man having stolen a psycter, And his companion, who has taken away A brazen cyathus, both lie perplex'd, Looking for a chœnix and a cotylis. But Alexis, in his Hippiscus, uses the diminutive form, and calls it a ψυκτηρίδιον, saying— I went to see my friend while at his inn, And there I met a dark-complexion'd man, And told my slaves, for I brought two from home, To put in sight the well-clean'd drinking-cups: There was a silver cyathus, and cups Weighing two drachmas each; a cymbium, Whose weight was four; a ψυκτηρίδιον, Weighing two obols, thinner than Philippides.
