5
Discoursing in this wise, all those of us present were gone. When we came to the gymnasium, we despoiled ourselves. One exercised himself at wrestling with shoulder-holds, another with neckholds, standing; one sleeked himself with unguent and essayed eluding grasps; one countered the wind-bag,He exercised with the “punching-bag.” one, grasping leaden sows, whipped his arms about. Then, once we were dressed downTo Lexiphanes, συντριβέντες is an allusion to the “rub-down”? previous mentioned; but others would infer from it that somebody had cracked their crowns for them. Cf. Athen., 98 A (Pompeianus). and had backed each other, and used the gymnasium for our sport, Philinus and I imbathed ourselves in the hot pool and emerged, while the rest, beducking their sconces in the cold plunge, swam about subaquaneous in wondrous guise.
5
Upon reversion, we imbusied ourselves with this, that or t’other. I myself indued my boots, dressed my scalp with a tined card,The regular word for comb (κτεῖς or κτένιον) was not elegant enough for Lexiphanes. for I had got shorn with the “bowl” cut, not the “bush”; for not long ago my chaps and crown had been displumed.Apparently the “bush” cut required a good head of hair, but did not need to be combed. Both styles had been for centuries out of fashion in Lexiphanes’ day. Someone else was gobbling lupines, another was evomiting his jejunity, another was. diminishing radishes and sopping up a mess of fishy pottage, another was eating flummery,In the Greek the food is different (queen olives), but the name carries a similar suggestion of rubbish. and yet another engorging barley brose.
