When the wine was mixed, the slave filled the oinokhoe from the krater and used it to fill the symposiasts' cups. He started at the couch farthest from Menedemos and his father and worked his way toward them. When Menedemos' cup was full, he lifted it by the handles. Even watered, the wine was sweet and strong. Everyone drank along with him. Where he led, they would follow. When he'd emptied the cup, he pointed to the slave, who filled the oinokhoe from the krater and then refilled the cups. Before drinking this time, Menedemos said, 'Let's have a bit of a song or a speech from everyone.' The speeches ran in the same direction the wine had. As soon as Xanthos began to declaim, Menedemos knew he'd made a mistake: the merchant delivered, word for word - and there were a great many words - the speech he'd presented to the Assembly not long before. 'I've heard it today twice now,' Lysistratos said, draining his own cup faster than was required of him. 'I'm sorry, Uncle,' Menedemos said. 'I didn't expect - that.' Sostratos gave Brasidas' speech at Amphipolis, explaining, 'Great things happened there before Kassandros' day.' Lykon said, 'That's an Athenian writer putting words in a Spartan's mouth, or I'm an Egyptian. Spartans aren't used to speaking in the Assembly, and they grunt and stammer instead of coming out with everything just so.' 'It could be.' Sostratos courteously dipped his head to the older man. 'No one but Thoukydides ever knew how much of what was really said went into his speeches, and how much of what he thought men should have said.' 'And what will you say, Uncle?' Menedemos asked Lysistratos. Sostratos' father took a lyre down from the wall and accompanied himself as he sang a poem of Arkilokhos', in which he promised the girl he was seducing that he would spend himself on her belly and pubic patch, not inside her. The symposiasts loudly clapped their hands. 'Sure, you always tell 'em that beforehand,' somebody called, and everyone laughed. Lysistratos waved to Menedemos. 'Your turn now.' 'So it is.' Menedemos got to his feet. 'I'll give you the Iliad, the section where Patroklos kills Sarpedon.' The Greek he recited was even older, and more old-fashioned, than that which Arkilokhos used: 'Then Sarpedon missed with his shining spear. The spearpoint passed over Patroklos' left shoulder, But did not strike him. Patroklos made his Second attack with the bronze. No vain cast left his hand, But it struck just where the heart throbbed in his chest.
Вы читаете Over the Wine Dark Sea
