for you, and you see how little he shares in the conversation. Besides, the sun is already nigh setting, and I have had another triclinium lighted up for us 23. If no one will take more of the dessert, we may as well, I think, repair thither at once. Perhaps the cloud which shades the countenance of our friend may disappear under the garland. Leave the Falernian alone at present, Earinos, and await us in the other saloon.' The youth did as his lord commanded, and just at that moment Calpurnius entered, pouting discontentedly at the servile souls of the company he had left, because he could no longer endure their Hail to the father of our fatherland!' The party now rose, to meet again after a short time in the brilliant saloon, the intervening moments being spent by some in sauntering along the colonnades, and by others in taking a bath. 23 Petron. 73: Ebrietate discussa in aliud triclinium deducti sumus. SCENE THE TENTH. THE THE DRINKERS. HE lamps had been long shining on the marble panels of the walls in the triclinium, where Earinos, with his assistants, was making preparations, under the direction of the tricliniarch, for the nocturnal comissatio1. Upon the polished table between the tapestried couches stood an elegant bronze candelabrum, in the form of a stem of a tree, from the winterly and almost leafless branches of which four two-flamed lamps, emulating each other in beauty of shape, were suspended. Other lamps hung by chains from the ceiling, which was richly gilt and ingeniously inlaid with ivory, in order to expel the darkness of night from all parts of the saloon. A number of costly goblets and larger vessels were arranged on two silver sideboards. On one of these a slave was just placing another vessel filled with snow, together with its colum, whilst on the other was the steaming caldarium, containing water kept constantly boiling by the coals in its inner cylinder, in case any of the guests should prefer the 1 The comissatio was a convivium also, and the Greek ovμóolov answers better to it, but it must not be confounded with the cœna. The name (derived from κῶμος, κωμάζειν) denotes a carousal, such as frequently occurred after the repast. In Livy, xl. 7, Demetrius inquires of his guests after a cœna at his own house: Quin commissatum ad fratrem imus? And hence it is said of Habinnas, who after the cœna at another house went to Trimalchio's. Petron. 65; comissator intravit. Suet. Dom. 21: Convivabatur frequenter ac large, sed pæne raplim; certe non ultra solis occasum, nec ut postea comissaretur. These comissationes began late, and were frequently kept up till far into the night, and attended with much noise and riot. Martial alludes to this, when addressing his book, x. 19, 18, Seras tutior ibis ad lucernas. Hæc hora est tua, cum furit Lyæus, Cum regnat rosa, cum madent capilli : Tunc me vel rigidi legant Catones. and iii. 68, .deposito post vina rosasque pudore, Quid dicat, nescit saucia Terpsichore. They were not in good odour, and the name was connected with the idea of all sorts of debauchery. calda, the drink of winter, to the snow-drink, for which he might think the season was not sufficiently advanced. By degrees the guests assembled from the bath and the peristylum, and took their places in the same order as before on the triclinium. Gallus and Calpurnius were still wanting. They had been seen walking to and fro along the cryptoporticus in earnest discourse. At length they arrived, and the gloom seemed dissipated from the brow of Gallus; his eyes sparkled more brightly, and his whole being seemed to have become more animated. I hope, my friends, you have not waited for us,' said he to Pomponius and Cæcilianus, who reproached him for his long absence. How could we do otherwise,' responded Pomponius, as it is necessary first to choose the king2 who shall reign supreme over the mixing bowl and cyathus? Quick, Lentulus, let us have the dice directly, or the snow will be turned to calda before we are able to drink it. On a signal from Lentulus, a slave placed upon the table the dice-board, of Terebinthus-wood, the four dice made from the knuckles of gazelles3, and the ivory turret-shaped dice-box. But first bring chaplets and the nardum,' cried the host; roses or ivy, I leave the choice to each of you.' Slaves immediately brought chaplets, both of dark-green ivy and of blooming roses. 'Honour to the spring,' said Gallus, at the same time encircling his temples with a fragrant wreath; ivy belongs to winter; it is the gloomy ornament with which nature The custom, common to both Greeks and Romans, of choosing a symposiarch, magister, or rex convivii, arbiter bibendi, who prescribed the laws of the drinking, is well known. He fixed not only the proportions of the mixing, but also the number of cyathi each person was to drink. Hence the leges insane, Hor. Sat. ii. 6, 69. Cic. Verr. v. 11, Iste enim prætor severus ac diligens, qui populi Romani legibus nunquam paruisset, illis diligenter legibus, quæ in poculis ponebantur, obtemperabat. He was generally elected by the throw of the dice, tali, and of course the Venus decided it. Hor. Od. ii. 7, 25. Quem Venus arbitrum dicet bibendi ? 3 We find a tabula terebinthina mentioned in Petron. 33; dorρaɣáλoi Aiẞuкns doрkos in Lucian, Amor. 884. decks her own bier.' 'Not so,' said Calpurnius, 'the more sombre garland becomes men. I leave roses to the women, who know nothing but pleasure and trifling.' No reflection on the women,' cried Faustinus, from the lectus summus; for they, after all, give the spice to life, and I should not be at all grieved if some gracious fair one were now at my side. Listen, Gallus; you know that I sometimes attempt a little poetry; what think you of an epigram I have lately made? Let woman come and share our festal joy, 'Very good,' said Gallus; but the last doctrine will apply as well to men; I will continue your epigram :— And you, O men! who larger goblets drain, And let the morn night's dangerous secrets hide". 'Exactly so,' cried Pomponius, whilst a loud oops resounded from the lips of the others; let the word of which the nocturnal triens was witness, be banished from our memory, as if it had never been spoken. But now to business. Bassus, you throw first, and he who first throws the Venus is king for the night.' Bassus collected the dice in the box, and shook it. 'Cytheris for me,' cried he, as he threw; it was an indifferent cast. Who would think of making so free with the name of his beloved!' said Faustinus, as he prepared for his chance. To the beautiful one of whom I am thinking; take care, it will be the Venus.' He threw; loud laughter succeeded; it was the dog. The dice passed in this manner from hand to hand till they came to Pomponius. Ah!' exclaimed Lentulus, as Pomponius seized the box, now I am anxious to know which, out of the number of his loves, he will invoke,-Chione or Galla, Lyde or Neæra?' 'Neither of them,' answered Pomponius. 'Ah! one, three, four, six; here's the Venus! but as all have not yet thrown, another may be equally fortunate.' He handed the dice to Gallus, who, however, as well as the Perusians, having declined the dignity, Pomponius was hailed as lord over the crater and cyathus. 6 'Do not let us have too much water in the mixture,' said Cæcilianus; for Lentulus, you know, would not be sulky even should we drink the wine neat.' 'No, no,' replied Pomponius; we have had a long pause, and may now well indulge a little. Three parts of water and two of wine is a fair proportion", that shall be the mixture 6 Plautus frequently mentions that the person about to throw the dice invoked the name of his mistress or some deity. Capt. i. 1, 5. Amator, talos cum jacit, scortum invocat. Arg. Jace, pater, talos, ut porro nos jaciamus. Dem. Admodum. Te, Philenium, mihi atque uxori mortem: hoc Venereum est. Curc. ii. 3, 77. Cur. Provocat me in aleam; ut ego ludam, pono pallium, Ille suum annulum opposuit: invocat Pla nesium. Ph. Meosne amores? Cur. Tace parumper: jacit vulturios quatuor. Talos arripio: invoco almam meam nutricem From these passages, however, we Cum jaciat, Te ne dicat; nomen nominet. Nevertheless, these passages from co- 7 The proportions of the wine and water, differed according to the |