Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

,O04 COENA. COENA.
sBit down together, " a woman," like unto a god-?pte-rov, was from nine o'clock till noon. This
dess, sets before them a polished table, with a agrees with the account of Aristophanes (Vesp.
brazen tray, e7rl 3e tcp6,lov, 7rdTCO i ov. Then she 605-612), who introduces Philocleon describing
mningles a cup of Pramnian wine in Nestor's own the pleasure of returning home after attending the
goblet, and cuts the cheese of goat's milk with a courts, and partaking of a good ptLo'To. The
steel knife, scattering white flour over it. The courts of justice could scarcely have finished their
guests drank to one another: thus the gods (IW. iv. sittings by nine o'clock. Timaeus also defines
4) ELrE`XaTr' &AAh7Xovs, and Ulysses pledged 8eiXl 7rpcwta, which we know to have been the
Achilles, saying, Xap','AXINeD (Ii. ix. 225). Wine early part of the afternoon [Dles], as the time
was drawn from a larger vessel [CRATER] into before the?p:T-rov. The &pioroz, was usually a
the cups from which it was drunk, and before simple meal, hut of course varied according to the
drinkinlg, libations were made to the gods by pour- habits of individuals. Thus Ischomachus, in deIng some of the contents on the ground. (11. vii. scribing his mode of life to Socrates, who greatly
480.) approves of it, says,'Aptmcr o'o-a f.r'e icevbs 1cu7'rE
Thi interesting scene between Ulysses and the i.yav'7rX'pr-s 3rnJepEseuv (Xen. Oecon. xi. 18).
swineherd (Od. xiv. 420) gives a parallel view of The principal meal, however, was the 5e77rvov.
early manners in a lower grade of life. After a It was usually taken rather late in the day, frewelcome has been given to the stranger, " The quently not before sunset.. (Lysias, c. EEratostlh.
swineherd cleaves the wood, and they place the p. 26.) Aristophanes (Ecel. 652) says,
swine of five years old on the hearth. In the:el 8E ILPEXiOEI,
goodness of his heart, Eumaeus forgets not the im- Be reral... 0................ rap, a} tcdKrouv Tb GrotxEo, Xt7rapbv Xwop-~7
mortal gods, and dedicates the firstling lock with a
prayer for Ulysses's return. He next smites the
animal with a piece of cleft oak, and the attend- But in order to ascertain the time meant by
ints singe off the hair. He then cuts the raw meat aEItCcrovu 7'b OTOLXezoi, the reader is referred to
all round from the limbs, and laying it in the rich the article HOROLOvIUM.
fist, and sprinkling flour upon it, throws it on the The Athenians were a social people, and were
fire as an offering (&IrapXy) to the gods, the rest very fond of dining in company. Entertaillments
the attendants cut up and pierce with spits, and were usually given, both iii the heroic ages and
having cooked it with cunning skill, draw off all, latter times, when sacrifices were offered to the
and lay the mess on the tables. Then the swine- gods, either on public or private occasions; and
herd stands up to divide the portions, seven por- also on the anniversary of the birthdays of niemtions in all, five for himself and the guests, and hers of the family, or of illustrious persons, whether
one apiece to Mercury and the nymphs." living or dead. Plutarch (Syrpm. viii. 1. ~ 1)
There is nothing more worthy of remark in the speaks of an entertainment being given on the
Homeric manners than the hospitality shown to anniversary of the birthdays both of Socrates and
strangers. Before it is known who they are, or Plato.
whence they come, it is the custom of the times to When young men wished to dine together they
give them a welcome reception. (Od. i. 125, &c,) frequently contributed each a certain stun of money,
When Nestor and his sons saw the strangers, called o-vmuoA7i, or brought their own provisions'They all came in a crowd and saluted them with with them. When the first plan was adopted,
tilhe hand, and made them sit down at the feast on they were said &iurb ovuCtGo~Xh aervme7?, and one
the soft fleeces by the sea shore." individual was usually entrusted with the money
The Greeks of a later age usually partook of to procure the provisions, and make all the nlecesthree meals, called aKcpcrirVmua,plr'ov, and 3e7rrov. sary preparations. Thus we read in Terence
The last, which corresponds to the ao'prov of the (Ezunuch, iii. 4) -
HIomeric poems, was the evening meal or dinner; " aliquot adolescentuli coimus in Pirneo,
the 6pto'roV was the luncheon; and the a&KpdT1'ta.
the pnsro' waers to the Epluncheon; and the &icpd) In hunc diem ut de symbolis essemus. Chacream
which answers to the?topprom, of Homer, was the ei rei
early meal or breakfast. Praefecimus: dati annuli: locus, tempus constiThe a&cKp'rTITa was taken immediately after.1, taturn est."
rising in the morning (et elovs', Iem'Ve, Aristoph.
Aves, 1286). It usually consisted of bread, dipped This kind of entertainment in which each guelst
in unmixed wine (tricparos)5 whence it derived contributed to the expense, is mentioned in Homer
its name. (Plut. Syemp. viii. 6. ~ 4; Schol. ad (Od. i. 226) under the name of epavos.
Tleoc?. i. 51; Athenaeus, i. p. 1 1.) - An entertainment in which each person brought
Next followed the 6ipwTrov or lunncheon; but the his own provisions with him, or at least contime at which it was taken is uncertain. It is tributed something to the general stock, was called
frequently mentioned in Xenophon's Analbasis, es-nvov ao&'b orupil8os, because the provisions were
and appears to have been taken at different times, brought in baskets. (Athen. viii. p. 365.) This kind
as would niaturally be the case with soldiers in of entertainment is also spoken of by Xenophon
active service. Suidas (s. i. Aersvov,) says that it (A3les. iii. 14. ~ 1).
was taken about the third hour, that is about nine The most usual kind of entertainments, howo'clock in the morning; but this account does not ever, were those in which a person invited his
agree with the statements of other ancient writers. friends to his own house. It was expected that they
We may conclude from many circumstances that should come dressed with more than ordinary care,
this meal was taken about the middle of the day, and also have bathed shortly before; hence, when
and that it answered to the Roman p'ransdizen7 as Socrates was going to an enltertainment at AgaPlutarch (Synmp. viii. 6. ~ 5) asserts. Besides thon's, we are told that he both washed and put
which the time of the wrXiOovcoa U.'yop', at which on his shoes, -things which he seldom did. (Plato,
provisiois seem to have been bought for the Sy1np. c. 2. p. 174.) As soon as the guests arrived