Book 6
41
But Alexis, in his Trophonius, mentions a certain Moschion, a parasite, calling him a messmate of every one, and saying— Then comes Moschion, Who bears the name of messmate in the world. And in his Pancratiast, Alexis, giving a regular catalogue of the dinner hunters, says— A. First then there was Callimedon the crab; Then Cobion, and Corydus, and Cyrebion, Scombrus and Semidalis. B. Hercules! This is a list of dishes, not of guests.The preceding names are the names of eatables, in the genitive case, though here used as nominatives, for persons; κώβιον means a sort of tench; κόρυδος (as has been said before), a lark; κυρήβια are husks, bran; σκόμβρος is the generic name for the tunny fish; σεμίδαλις is fine wheat flour, semilago. But Epicrates was nicknamed Cyrebion, and he was the son-in-law of Aeschines the orator, as Demosthenes tells us in the oration about the False Embassy. And Anaxandrides, in his Ulysses, mentions such epithets as these, which the Athenians used to affix to people out of joke; saying— For ye are always mocking one another; I know it well. And if a man be handsome You call him Holy Marriage . . . . If a man be a perfect dwarf, a mannikin, You call him Drop. Is any one a dandy? He is called Ololus; you know an instance. Does a man walk about all fat and heavy, Like Democles? you call him Gravy Soup. Does any one love dirt? his name is Dust. Does any one bedaub his friends with flattery? They call him Dingey. Does one want a supper? He is the fasting Cestrinus; and if One casts one's eye upon a handsome youth, They dub one Ceenus, or The Manager. Does one in joke convey a lamb away? They call one Atreus: or a ram? then Phrixus: Or if you take a fleece, they name you Jason.
