92
Aeginetan stater. All the citizens are divided among these guildz
which they call andreia. A woman takes care of the syssitia with
three or four of the common people to help in waiting; and each
of these has two attendants, called xaXo$dpor, to carry wood for
him. Everywhere in Crete there are two buildings for the syssitia,
one called the andreion, the other, which is used for the reception
of strangers, the dormitory (KOLpTr<pIOV). And first of all they set
out two tables in the room for the syssitia, called “strangers’ tables,”
at which any strangers who are present take their place. Next to
these come the tables for the rest. An equal portion is set before
every man : the children receive a half portion of meat, but touch
nothing else. On every table a large vessel is set full of diluted
wine : from this all who sit at that table drink in common ; and
xhen the meal is finished another cup is put on. The children too
drink in common from another bowl. The elders may, if they
like, drink more. The best of the viands are taken by the woman
who superintends the syssitia in the sight of all, and placed before
those who have distinguished themselves in war or council. After
dinner their habit is first of all to consult about state affairs, and
then to recount their deeds in battle and tell the praise of their
heroes.A RlS TO TL E’S POLlTICS.
Thus they teach the youth to be valiant.’
- &UT’ 1~ woivoir rpiq5cu9ar nivras, xai yvvaLas ~al aai8as Ka‘r aXu8pas.
ix KOIVO~, ‘ out of a common stock ’ ; not necessarily at common
tables. The syssitia or common meals of women are said by
hristotle in chap. 12 to be an invention of Plato in the Laws, and
if so they could hardly have existed at Crete. Nor is there any
allusion to them in the fragment of Dosiades (supra). The name
&8pm or iv8pcia also affords a presumption against the admission of
women to the public tables. But if the words ;x KWO~ are inter-
preted as above, there is no reason that with Oncken (Staatslehre
der hrist. ii. 366) we should suppose the words pvaiKas xai naih
on this ground to be spurious; nor is such a mode of textual
criticism legitimate.
- &UT’ 1~ woivoir rpiq5cu9ar nivras, xai yvvaLas ~al aai8as Ka‘r aXu8pas.
- nppds Ci itjv AXiyourriav.
The connexion appears to be as follows : ‘ And as there were
so many mouths to feed,’ the legislator had many devices for
- nppds Ci itjv AXiyourriav.