Lifestyle and traditions of the Greeks.

The nature of the life of the Greeks and their appearance

Let's, however, look at what Attica was like in the 8th-6th centuries BC. Let the books of Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Tacitus, Plutarch, Plato and Aristotle serve as guides for us. Attica on early stages was a society where most people still lived in rural areas, in small villages of a semi-rural or semi-urban type. But then military dangers and other reasons led to an outflow of residents from villages to cities (the Greeks called this exodus “sinoikism” - settling together). The process began already under King Theseus. As has happened more than once in history, the war had not only negative, but also positive consequences. It united the Greeks and gave them a sense of unity for a short time. In the same way, the great wars united all Russians - the Hellenes of the North.

Sh. Coypel. Achilles' Fury

In the poems of Homer and Hesiod, and other authors, one can learn about the situation of the masses. The poems give a broad idea of ​​the life and works of Greece in that era. Before us appears a country with a patriarchal structure, but which has already felt a taste for wealth and crafts. Slave ownership acts as the most important sign of wealth. Although some patriarchal features still remain in society. They are led by elders or priests, whom the Greeks call “basileus.” There is also a national assembly, which meets only in emergency cases (for example, it did not meet in Ithaca for 20 years). However, the basileus are trying to maintain at least the appearance of the people's will. In other words, the socio-political system of the Greeks could be assessed as “a type of military democracy.” But this so-called democracy is cruel, sometimes simply inhuman... The pages of the Iliad are full of scenes of outright cruelty, almost sadism... Agamemnon dishonored the daughter of the Trojan king Priam and Hecuba, Cassandra. Or the “hero” Achilles not only after the fight refuses the dying Hector the mercy of handing over his dead body to his elderly father, but he also violated the hero’s dead body. Hector may have killed Patroclus, Achilles' friend, but Patroclus and Achilles are invaders. It seems that Achilles doesn't have enough of this blood. He thirsts for revenge and kills 12 young Trojans with his own hands. The Achaeans kill the men of defeated Troy and take the women into slavery. Achilles explained the cruelty of his heart by the fact that he was born not from Peleus and Thetis, but from rocks and the sea. I believe that he was born not of rocks and sea, but of that vaunted Western civilization, which is organically characterized by cruelty.

A. Ivanov. Priam asks Achilles to give up his son's body

S. Marillier. Achilles ties Hector's body to the chariot. 1786

A lot of space in the poems is devoted to the description of weapons, clothing and household utensils. Everything suggests that Greece has entered a period of social stratification. In the Odyssey we see migrants and farm laborers. Their bitter fate is known to Homer. The Iliad talks about the plight of farm laborers (Achilles talks about this). The image of a lonely spinner flashes before us, barely able to earn bread for her children. King Agamemnon is contrasted with the poor. There are also colorful figures of beggars (the image of Iru standing in front of the feasting suitors, begging for alms, and Odysseus appeared next to him in the image of a beggar in disguise). In a word, the society we see is far from fair. That is why Zeus brings down storms and downpours on evil and unrighteous people, who “carry out their unjust judgment in the square and multiply violence, suppress the truth and are not at all afraid of the punishment of the gods” (Il. XVI, 386-388). Little is said about trade and without any respect. In the Odyssey, however, it is said about the arrival of a Phoenician ship on the island. Syria, which is full of beautiful goods. These merchants trade with the Greeks throughout the year, and Odysseus himself sometimes poses as a merchant (Od. XV, 415; IV, 222). However, when the Phaeacian Euryalus saw in Odysseus a merchant who had gone overseas to enrich himself, he was terribly offended by him and called him an insolent (Od. VIII, 159-166). Although he absolutely calmly accepted Polyphemus’ question about whether he was a robber. At that time, robbery and slavery were perceived as a worthy and commendable occupation. Odysseus, in disguise, confesses to his companions, not without obvious pride (Od. XVII, 422-423):

I had many slaves

and everything else,

Why do we live well, why

we are called rich people.

So, city-states appeared in Greece (Corinth, Megara, Thebes, Chalkis, Argos, Eretria, Aegina, Miletus, Smyrna, Ephesus, Sparta, and of course Athens). And in Asia Minor cities arose that were the most developed part of Greece (at least in the 8th century). Here were fertile lands, mineral deposits, and the main trade routes connecting Greece with the East. It was not trade, not the language of knowledge or crafts that were then the main tools, sources of wealth, but swords, daggers, robberies, and wars. With their help, the warring parties captured numerous riches. Odysseus's house is full of gold and copper, which is what attracted the suitors here (and not at all the charms of his Penelope).

J. Jordaens. Odysseus in the cave of Polyphemus. 1630s

Let us remember that in Homeric Greece there was no money yet and precious metals (bronze, iron, gold) were usually used as a means of exchange. They began minting coins in the 7th century, borrowing this art from the Lydians, where King Croesus ruled (his wealth became a household name). Barter trade also played a leading role.

D. Velasquez. Arachne weaves cloth, challenging Athena to a competition. 1657

Labor relations have also undergone changes... Until recently, Queen Nausicaä herself helped the slaves wash sheets in the river, and Penelope, Helen and Andromache with the maids were busy spinning, weaving, and embroidering. Arachne challenges Athena herself to a competition in the art of weaving. Odysseus personally, and not without pleasure, made chairs, beds and saddles. Agamemnon and Achilles themselves prepared everything for the feast and reception of guests. Andromache fed the horses. The Nausicaä brothers unharnessed the mules. Even the queen of the gods herself divine Hera, served herself independently. At first, the slaves of the ancient Greeks were almost no different from other people. However, as development public relations the situation began to change. The small free farmer, of course, could no longer compete with the rich landowner who owned many slaves. The same can be said about a small artisan who encountered the owner of a large workshop, which was based on forced slave labor. The era dating back to the 8th-7th centuries BC saw the rapid spread of slavery in Greece. “The Chians were the first of the Hellenes (after the Thessalians and Lacedaemonians),” the historian wrote, “to begin to use slaves. However, their method of acquiring slaves was not the same as that of those... for the Lacedaemonians and Thessalians enslaved the Hellenes, who previously inhabited the country that they now possess... the Chios acquired barbarian slaves for themselves for payment. In Corinth, the labor of purchased slaves was widely used (in the 7th century BC). Other nations began to use slaves later. The less wealthy did without slaves at all. Note that if early Greek society was not at all alien to labor and communal democracy, then soon, along with military victories, the Greeks tasted all the “charm of slave power.” There was an inevitable and fatal division of the people into workers and rulers, into freemen and slaves. True, there were elements of slavery before, but it was a relatively rare occurrence. Above we talked about the communal nature of life in early society. Slaves were still a luxury item (a beautiful slave cost from 4 to 20 bulls). It even happened that the king and queen fell into slavery. The queen was forced to share a bed with the winner, serve him food and clothing, wash him, in a word, please him in every possible way.

Feeding the bull. Composition on a vase

Everything changes as the winners take power. The defeated peoples found themselves in different situations. Their status was different. Some of them maintained relative freedom by cultivating the land and paying dues. All the joys of life were available to them, sometimes they took part in military campaigns and owned a certain fortune. They sat together with the Thessalians in assemblies (Perrebians, Magnetes, Achaeans). A kind of division of labor also occurred. As one of the characters in Menander’s plays will say: “Winning a war is inherent free people; cultivating the land is the work of slaves.” The emergence of slavery gave impetus to such an important phenomenon as colonization. It was said earlier that colonization has become quite common in the East. However, perhaps it was the ancient Greeks who put this process on stream. Here it is worth mentioning the Mycenaean expansion, which lasted from the 14th to the 12th centuries BC. The Mycenaeans colonized the island of Rhodes and took possession of Cyprus (beginning of the 14th century BC). Then their path ran to Syria, Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Achaeans reached Phenicia, Byblos, and Palestine. Colonization continued in the future. For two centuries (from the end of the 8th century to the 6th century BC), the Greeks colonized part of the Mediterranean (Kerkyra, Epidamnus, Syracuse, Catana, Sybaris, Tarentum and further up to Massilia, Marseille). In the western direction, their colonization collided with the colonization of the Carthaginians and Etruscans. To the east, the Greeks colonized the northern coast of the Aegean Sea, penetrating the Hellespont and Bosporus. In the 7th century BC. They founded Byzantium, from where the Byzantine Empire would later develop. Further, their path will lie on the coast of the Pontus Euxine (Black Sea), to the Scythian or Slavic regions - Sinop, Trebizond, Olbia, Chersonese, Feodosia, Panticapaeum (Kerch), Tanais. These are the ancient Greeks.

Odysseus's route

The Greeks are an exceptionally energetic, active, and talented people. Indeed, it seems simply incredible that such a small and fragmented Greece could develop such a frantic colonial expansion over the course of two centuries. However, there are reasons for this. During the concentration of land in the hands of the nobility, small producers were squeezed out and driven off the land, which led to overpopulation. Many are forced to seek happiness outside their homeland (overseas). In addition, due to the development of trade, there was a noticeable stratification in Greek society. If in Homeric Greece there were almost no local merchants (although the son of Jason is mentioned in the poem, who received good profits from supplying wine to the Achaeans, as well as a merchant who exchanged iron for copper), then already in the 7th century merchant families appeared often (for example, the Alcmaeonid family in Athens). Since trade and robbery were very closely connected, this kind of “rebirth” of merchants occurs quite quickly.

Olive collection. Image on an amphora

By the end of the 7th century BC. a clearly differentiated society is already emerging, consisting of nobility, i.e. nobles (eupatrides) and common people(demos). Aristotle unambiguously pointed out the oligarchic essence of the Athenian state (“The Athenian Polity”): “The fact is that in general the political system of Athens was oligarchic, and moreover, the poor were enslaved by the rich - themselves, and their children, and wives. They were called pelates and six-dollars, since for such a fee they cultivated the fields of the rich. All the land was in the hands of a few. And if they (i.e., the peasants) did not pay the wages, then both themselves and their children fell into bondage. Also, loans up to Solon were made against personal security.”

According to Genelli. Penelope with Odysseus' bow

According to Genelli. Death of Penelope's suitors at the hands of Odysseus

Plutarch wrote about the same thing in his biography of Solon: “The inequality of the position of the poor and the rich reached its highest degree at that time, as a result of which the state was in an extremely dangerous position. After all, the common people were in debt to the rich. He either cultivated their land, giving the nobility a sixth of the grain (according to another interpretation - five-sixths), as a result of which such people were called hectemors (six-shareholders) and fetas (farmers), or borrowed money as security for themselves. Lenders could take these people into their bondage. They either turned them into slaves or sold them abroad. Many were forced to sell even their children (Greek law did not prohibit this) and flee the city, fleeing the severity of their creditors.” The oligarchs then seized almost all the land. The people fell into debt bondage with them. The Greeks had strict debt laws. Debtors could easily be turned into slaves or sold abroad - to foreign lands. However, there was, of course, no need to talk about justice at that time. Whoever has power and strength is right. Herodotus noted how the same Athenians drove the Pelasgian tribe from the land that they themselves had once given them for hard work (building walls around the Acropolis). The Pelasgians cultivated the land, and the Athenians, under the pretext that they were pestering their girls, drove out the poor Pelasgians.

The Greeks are ardent individualists. Here is what the historian Thucydides (460-396 BC), the owner of gold mines, who was related to Miltiades, wrote about this: “In the same way, the following circumstance serves for me as a primary indication of the powerlessness of the ancient inhabitants of Hellas: before the Trojan War she obviously did nothing with her combined efforts. It even seems to me that Hellas, in its entirety, did not yet bear this name, that such a designation did not exist at all before Hellenus, the son of Deucalion, but that individual tribes, mainly Pelasgians, gave it names after their names. Only when Hellen and his sons achieved power... and they began to be called for help in other cities, only then did these tribes, one after another, and then rather as a result of contact with each other, begin to be called Hellenes, although for a long time this name was not could crowd out all others. Homer best illustrates this. After all, he lived much later than the Trojan War and, however, nowhere does he designate all the Hellenes, in their entirety, by this name, but calls Hellenes only those who, together with Achilles, arrived from Theotida - they were the first Hellenes... Homer does not use and the name of the barbarians, therefore, it seems to me that the Hellenes themselves did not separate themselves under another name, the opposite of the name of the barbarians. So, the Hellenes, who lived separately in cities, understood each other and were subsequently called by a common name, before the Trojan War, due to weakness and lack of mutual communication, did nothing together. And they set out on this campaign together after they became more familiar with the sea.” In the future we will see what troubles this will turn out for them.

Leohar. Apollo Belvedere

What did the Greeks look like? Some imagined them as sort of Apollonian handsome men: tall blond, broad-shouldered, with a straight waist, marble-white skin, slender legs and a sensual, hot gaze. Others said that the Greeks (especially those who had previously undergone the process of assimilation and gravitated towards illegal marriages) were often short and slight types with hooked and pinched noses, mouths up to the ears, with bent shoulders, large bellies and thin and crooked legs . Far from handsome men were cited as examples - Euripides and Demosthenes, Socrates and Aesop. The Greeks dressed in tunics worn directly on the body, the ends of which were fastened with a buckle. Their color and length could be different. Men chose any color except yellow (this color was given to women). Their hair was thick and lush. Long hair was usually worn by dudes, dandies and... philosophers. Sandals, sometimes boots, ankle boots or shoes, were worn on the feet. Everyone walked around barefoot at home. The hardiest and most seasoned walked barefoot and through the streets. Socrates did this even in winter. The Athenian's breakfast was rather symbolic (a piece of bread - that's all). You should walk quietly on the streets and not speak too loudly. “How do you want me to cut your hair?” – asked the barber of the king of Macedonia Archelaus. “Silently,” he answered jokingly.

And yet the Greeks were sociable and really loved to chat with friends. Therefore, more than anything else, they valued true friendship. In the Greek song enumerating the conditions for mortal happiness, after health, beauty and wealth comes friendship. Socrates said: “I would much rather have a friend than the treasures of Darius.” Therefore, they often spent their leisure time in the company of friends. Describing the joys of rural life, Aristophanes said: there is nothing more pleasant for a Greek than to say to a neighbor: “Hey, Comarchides, what should we do now? Shouldn’t we have a drink together, for the gods are favorable to us.” Friends met with pleasure and sometimes drank.

Spiritual qualities were considered more important than physical beauty. The Greeks possessed, perhaps, the best qualities of the ancient peoples: they are lively, quick to think, intelligent, acumen, brave, courageous, like Hercules, and at the same time prudent, witty and ironic, like Ulysses. Herodotus wrote that they differed from the “barbarians” by being more intelligent and lacking stupid gullibility. Over time, they became famous for their trade turnover, so much so that they even ousted the Phoenicians (who were great masters of trade) from the markets. True, Juvenal, already at the time of the decline of Greek civilization, ridiculed their resourcefulness, which sometimes crossed all lines beyond which uncleanliness, fraud and swindling began. Spartan witticisms, distinguished by their conciseness and force, enjoyed fame in Greece.

Hedonism at a feast

It is known that the Athenians did not go into their pockets for words... The German Jean-Paul wrote (19th century): “The Greeks were not only eternal children (as the Egyptian priest scolded them), they were eternal youths... The climate gave the Greek fantasy (a certain) the middle - he occupies a place between the Norman and the slave, like the calm heat of the Sun - between the moonlight and the devouring earthly fire... Freedom, where the slave, of course, is condemned to work hard, be part of a craft workshop and study for the sake of a piece of bread (whereas with us the sages and poets are slaves, and in Rome slaves were the first poets and sages), thanks to which a citizen, freed, could live doing only gymnastics and music, that is, live for the sake of educating the body and soul.” Immediately and simultaneously, the Olympic victories of body and spirit were proclaimed... Philosophy was studied not for the sake of bread, for the sake of life, and “the student grew up and grew old in the gardens of his teachers.” E. Renan said: “The Greeks, like real children, had such a cheerful attitude towards life that it never occurred to them to curse the gods or find nature unjust and treacherous towards people.” The Greek is characterized by one more quality: concern about his fate, which awakened in him with his brilliant imagination and left on his early works - “with all the energy that distinguishes them - the imprint of such deep sorrow that we do not find anything that exceeds it in strength among modern peoples.” (J. Girard).

Live scene between Greeks at the market

Another distinctive feature of the Greeks is their curiosity. The mysterious attracted them irresistibly, no matter what it was about. They wanted to see everything, understand everything, know everything. This need is found among the first natural philosophers of the Ionian Islands. An overflowing thirst for curiosity is also evident in the writings of the greatest Greek historians (Herodotus and Thucydides). She is one of the characteristic features the school of the Peripatetics, who opened many new paths in science for scientific research.

Departure of the hunters. Fresco from Tiryns

Initially, the meeting place of the Greek community was the market, and later people gathered in the squares. In Athens, the gathering place for people was a square on a wide cliff called the Pnyx. Some came to this square to have fun, others for business reasons. The Greeks knew how not only to trade, but loved to communicate with friends, have conversations, sing, dance, walk, travel, and generally indulge in entertainment. The young Anacharsis, after his visit to Greece, wrote about the behavior of the Greeks: “Almost everyone is drawn (to the square or agora) by personal or public affairs. ...The square at certain hours, freed from the bustle of the market, offers an excellent opportunity to enjoy the spectacle of the crowd or, conversely, attract the attention of others. Around the square there are shops of incense merchants and money changers, barbers, etc., where anyone can freely enter and where state affairs and events are noisily discussed family life, vices and funny characteristics of private individuals... The Athenian people are too mocking and their jokes are especially cruel, because their causticity is carefully disguised. Here and there there are companies holding instructive conversations under the various porticoes scattered throughout the city. The insatiable love of the Athenians for news, resulting from the vivacity of their minds and encouraged by the idleness of life, forces them to draw closer to each other. This is especially noticeable during war and hunting...”

Meleager and the Calydonian boar. Antique statue

Hunting is popular among various types of entertainment... There is a well-known story about the hunt for the terrible Calydonian boar. This boar literally terrorized the population of Aetolia. And then many heroes of Greece arrived in Calydon with the aim of killing the beast. They were led by the fearless Meleager, who fell in love with the beautiful huntress Atalanta. Unfortunately, the hunt ended, as often happened, with the killing of not only the boar, but also the rival. Hunting in general often turns the hunters themselves into animals.

Antonio Canova. Elena the beautiful

People have long begun to value the reliability and strength of home walls. “At home is better, because outside is dangerous,” said the ancient Greek proverb, found in Hesiod and in Homer’s Hymn to Hermes. The forests and roads of Greece at that time were infested with animals and bandits. So the English proverb: “My home is my castle” has ancient origins. It is no wonder that the deities of the hearth and home acquired special significance among them.

Athenian women

Personal and private life was of great importance, which among the Greeks became more intense around the 4th century. Personal life began to occupy an increasingly prominent place, along with politics. The Greeks began to pay more attention to their clothes, food and leisure. The wealthiest people wore purple cloaks or colorful tunics, decorated with gold items. The rich, naturally, dressed more flashily and brightly. Sometimes it was even possible to determine the political preferences of a Greek by his clothes.

Greek matron

A short, rough cloak among the laconicists meant the owner’s sympathy for the way of life of Sparta; young aristocrats preferred to wear a chlamys, a cloak decorated with gold and purple. Some dandies, like Alcibiades, lined up on their heads various compositions. The Greeks usually cut their hair, although not as short as the Romans. It was fashionable for men to have medium-sized beards. Ladies did all sorts of hairstyles, complementing them with ribbons, tiaras, scarves, and nets. Wealthy ladies dressed more colorfully and beautifully, wearing colored tunics and decorating their arms and necks with jewelry.

In caring about their appearance, men usually limited themselves to having to wash themselves daily with cold or warm water and take care of your hair. Any excess of appearance was considered a sign of effeminacy and effeminacy. The best decoration for a free man was considered long hair and beard. True, over the years fashion has changed one way or another. So, the Argives began to cut their hair after the defeat from the Spartans, and from that time the Spartans stopped cutting their hair altogether. Since Macedonian times, beards began to be shaved, hair cut short or curled into small curls. It is clear that women paid especially great attention to their appearance. At their disposal were all kinds of fabrics, jewelry, whitewash, rouge, and antimony. Hetaeras especially abused all these accessories. They rubbed their skin and hair with fragrant oils and essences, painted their hands and bodies just to lure men into the net. Women went to all sorts of tricks to appear more beautiful, slimmer, more graceful. If today rich ladies have all kinds of massage parlors, shaping salons, and beauty salons at their service, then in Ancient Greece this role was played by pimps. One of the authors (Athens. XIII, 23) says that they “recruit new girls and in a short time remake them so that it is impossible to recognize them. The one who is short in stature has her shoes lined with cork; the one who is tall is given shoes with thin soles and is forced to walk with her head down; this makes her height seem shorter. Whether her thighs are skinny, what is missing is filled with pillows, and everyone seeing her admires the fullness of her thighs. If her belly shows too much, they put fake breasts on her, like the ones actors wear, and the matter is corrected. For those with red eyebrows, soot turns them black; for those with dark skin, white helps, and for those who are too pale, cinnabar helps. Particularly beautiful parts of the body are deliberately exposed, and if she has beautiful teeth, she should laugh at the right time and at the wrong time, so that people can admire her beautiful mouth.” In addition to these tricks, they used various decorations(chains, bracelets, pins, necklaces, rings, rings, canes, etc., etc.). Men also wore rings (the Athenians – gold and silver, the Spartans – iron). Over the years, this fashion has gone away. And in general, although after the Peloponnesian War luxury spread among the Greeks, the most intelligent and enlightened part of society preferred a strict and simple style. The people openly laughed at the curled and perfumed dandies, who had several rings on their hands, and even pierced noses and ears, like monkeys or Papuans. It is clear that the poor walked in rags, as happened in the time of Homer.

Bathhouse. Bath

The food of the Greeks was simple. They bought all their provisions at the market. Some delights were allowed only in the circle of friends and comrades, when a feast was organized. The feast (symposium) was one of the main entertainments of the Greeks. Here conversations and philosophical debates were held, funny songs (often frivolous in content) were sung, and table rituals were born. A special type of philosophical presentation arose, which found expression in the literature of symposia, as well as in Plato’s immortal “Symposium”. Over time, purely philosophical and scientific feasts acquired the character of riotous pastimes, where artists performed - magicians, dancers, flutists, harpists, jugglers and acrobats. Sometimes real battles on political issues took place at the tables where supporters of various political parties gathered.

Young people from wealthy families spent time in palaestras and baths. Rich offspring often organized feasts and drinking bouts. They came to the feast having washed themselves and anointed themselves with incense. Having washed their hands and feet, they began the feast. Slaves served them food. They took food not with bare hands, but in a mannered manner, with gloved fingers. Having decorated their heads and chests with wreaths of myrtle, violets, ivy, roses or other flowers, the young men began the main feast, called the “symposium” (not to be confused with the current scientific symposium). Heterae, dancers, flutists, etc. were often invited to these feasts, so the feasts often lasted until the morning. After this kind of feasting and arguing, the women consoled the heated men as best they could; sometimes they applied lotions to their heads after heavy libations.

Conversation is a special kind of feast. These are not those wild saturnalia or drinking parties that later became established among some barbarian peoples... The Greeks loved such conversations, seeing in them the path to improvement and knowledge. On the other hand, the dining companions were selected especially carefully. Chilo believed that not a single intelligent person would allow himself to meet with just anyone at the same table. An interlocutor is much more serious than a mistress. The Egyptians even had a skeleton at their feasts, which reminded everyone present that they came here to enjoy eternal wisdom, and not to fill their stomachs. Many followed the method of teaching that Apuleius told about... One sage, having a conversation at the table, uttered these words in praise of the feasts and friendly libations of the sages: “The first cup belongs to thirst, the second to joy, the third to pleasure, the fourth to madness.” But the opposite should be said about the cups of the Muses: the more often they follow one after another, the less water is mixed into the wine, the more benefit for the health of the spirit. The first - the reading teacher's cup - lays the foundations, the second - the philologist's cup - equips with knowledge, the third - the rhetorician's cup - equips with eloquence. Most don't go beyond these three cups. But I drank in Athens from other cups: from the cup of poetic fiction, from the bright cup of geometry, from the tart cup of dialectics, but especially from the cup of all-encompassing philosophy - that bottomless nectar cup. And in fact: Empedocles created poems, Plato - dialogues, Socrates - hymns, Epicharmus - music, Xenophon - historical works, Crates - satires, and your Apuleius tries his hand at all these forms and works with equal zeal in the field of each of the nine Muses, showing, of course, more zeal than skill.” If the Athenians allowed themselves liberties during meals, then the meetings of the Spartans were simpler and stricter. 14-15 people gathered for meals (sissitii). They ate together, bringing food with them. Such meals were often attended by the children of the Spartans, since the sessions were considered as a school for educating young people. Here they had to, listening to the conversations of adults, gain intelligence themselves. During conversations, the Spartans spoke briefly and clearly. They were generally famous for their manner of expressing thoughts simply and clearly (hence “laconism, laconic”). Brevity is the soul of wit.

Athens scenes

In general, no other topic, besides politics and war, occupied the Greeks as thoroughly as everything related to food... It is no coincidence that Aristophanes’ first comedy was “The Eaters.” The food of the Greeks was very modest. The “menu” included stew, meat, vegetables, and bread. The poor were usually content with vegetables. Bread was considered a great luxury even in the time of Solon (VI century BC). It was replaced by porridge or stew. Professional bakers appeared in Athens only in the 5th century BC. Bread was worth its weight in gold (Phoenician, Boeotian, Thessalian). We baked the bread ourselves. As prosperity grew and the number of Greek colonies increased, the table also changed, becoming richer and more varied. The Spartans indulged themselves least of all, usually making do with stew. They were especially strict with wine. The Spartan Megill said: “Our law expels from the borders of the country that under the influence of which people most of all fall under the strongest pleasures, outrages and all kinds of recklessness. Neither in villages nor in cities... you will not see feasts anywhere... and everyone who meets a drunken reveler immediately imposes on him the greatest punishment, which will not be lifted under the pretext of the Dionysian festivities. And here (in Athens) I once saw carts with such revelers, and in Tarantum, among our settlers, I saw the whole city drunk during the Dionysius. Nothing like this happens here.” Another hero strongly speaks out in favor of the Carthaginian law, which prohibits the drinking of wine by soldiers in the camp, by male and female slaves, and also, first and foremost, by rulers, judges and helmsmen while they are performing their professional duties. And it must be said that the Spartans firmly adhered to the rules of sobriety... All other Greeks drank to their heart's content, day and night, with or without ladies, despite all the instructions and laws of Plato. In some ways, in this area we have firmly inherited Greek lessons.

feast

Given the frugal nature of their daily meals, the Greeks loved to talk about delicious food. Stories about feasts are found in Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Epicurus, Plutarch, Athenaeus, Perseus of Citium, Cleanthes. Although the list of authors who devoted their works to describing famous feasts, of course, is not exhausted by these names. Here it is worth adding “The Feast, or Lapiths” by Lucian. There was also a type of feast genre, feast letters. Although the more famous, perhaps, is not even Plato’s “Feast”, but the fifteen books of Athenaeus’ “Feast of the Wise Men,” which is extremely interesting both for its description of the life of the ancient Greeks and for its rich source study, for it contains more than one and a half thousand quotes from 800 authors (O. Levinskaya ). Homer already clearly understood that the strongest need among people is their natural need for food and drink, as well as the pleasure they receive as a result. Therefore, the creations of the Greeks are replete with a wide variety of pictures of how to best satisfy the needs of the stomach. The Greeks held celebrations for any occasion - birth and death, victory in war and the Olympic Games, wedding or divorce, anniversary or festival. They gathered without any reason, simply to entertain themselves and others with an interesting conversation.

The consequences of the feast. Kylik painting

How often do some of our contemporaries find themselves, after the same violent libation, in the position of the heroes of Lucian’s feast... Lucian told how gloriously the Greeks spent their time in various pleasures. At first, the sublime conversation flowed peacefully, and then a quarrel could follow. Sometimes it came to the point of massacre. You might have thought that you were seeing lapiths, satyrs or centaurs in front of you: tables were overturned, blood was flowing, cups were flying through the air. And one learned man (a philosopher, by the way) crushed another’s skull with a blow from his club, damaged someone’s jaw, and in the process injured several slaves. When Histiaeus, the grammarian, tried to separate the fighters, he himself received a noticeable kick in the teeth. In the confusion, someone knocked over a lamp. When the candles were brought in, everyone saw how another learned man, Alcidamantus, who had previously, without being ashamed of women, urinated in the middle of the room, was then “captured in the fact that, having undressed the flutist, he tried to forcefully intercourse with her.”

Feasts of aristocrats. Fresco from Pompeii

Another participant in the symposium decided to steal the cup in the confusion. Most of all, they behaved uncontrollably, swore, overeat, fought, oddly enough, gentlemen scientists... When they began to disperse, holding their sides (some from pain, some from laughter, some with tears, and some with laughter), besides those , who could no longer move, everyone decided that the feast was clearly a success. Lucian concludes that it is difficult to say how much such meetings contribute to the benefits of science or wisdom, but one thing is clear: “I only understood one thing: that it is not safe for a person who has not been in such troubles to dine with such learned people.” The last remark is very fair...

Parasite in ancient times

Recently we also had to take part in such a feast with titled scientists. At the same time, they themselves asked to be taken to the “feast”, promising to behave honestly, decently and decently. However, not only did they not contribute anything to the common pot, without lifting a finger, but they also stole the “food” brought by others. I remembered an excerpt from “The Symposium”, where Plato, through the mouth of Socrates, said that “a worthy person comes to a feast without being called to worthy people.” I also remembered the phrase Hercules said to King Keik: “Worthy people come to the feast of the unworthy without being called.” Nowadays the opposite happens. The unworthy and unworthy, those who do not know how or do not want to work with full dedication, envious people, strive to sit on the neck of the worker. Nowadays, even among some of the scientific brethren, it is considered in the order of things to deceive and, without blushing at all, to deprive a worker of the fruits of his labor. Some of them could be described in the words of the brilliant poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi:

We showed mercy to man

giving him free will.

Half became bees

half are snakes...

Some snakes heal, while others poison everything around. For some reason I remembered the lines from the Mahabharata: “Meanwhile, the offspring of the snakes multiplied. It was the custom of snakes to be treacherous.” Alas, we have never learned to see parasites (or snakes) in people, especially scientists, preferring the community of bees. Although we understand that all the calls to virtue that Homer wanted to instill in people early years for the rest of their lives, so that they spend their leisure and zeal on good deeds, and not on meanness, will reach only decent, conscientious and virtuous people. However, we must never forget the advice of the wise Khayyam, who knew well the vicissitudes of a turbulent life:

Don't be unfaithful in this world

Don’t you dare rely on those

who's around

Look with a sober eye

to your closest friend -

Friend may turn out to be

worst enemy.

Athenaeus, describing the feasts of the rich Roman Larensius, in his book describes various pleasures from food and drink. At the same time, he believes, like Antiphanes, that in order to truly enjoy the feast and company, “we do not need brilliant feasts.” Although, they say, there were also gourmets like Pyfill, nicknamed Gourmand. He allegedly even walked around with his tongue wrapped and released it only just before the treat, and after eating he cleaned it with dry fish scales so that his tongue could distinguish the taste more sharply. Among the various kinds of dishes that the Greeks and Romans served at feasts, there were those that, according to Menander, “inflame lust.” There was a special dish, its preparation required special efforts. It was called rather strangely - “a pot for libertines” (apparently, a dish with some special spices that inflamed desire). At first, the Greeks sat at a meal. Heroes and philosophers never reclined at joint feasts, but sat decorously. In Macedonia, it was generally not allowed to lie down at the table while eating. When Alexander once gave a reception in honor of 6,000 of his officers, he seated everyone on silver chairs and boxes covered with purple cloaks.

Works of ancient potters

The movement of the Greeks on a cart

Thus, as you can see, the Greeks led quite an active public and private life - they went to meetings, met with friends, visited theaters and stadiums. Plato wrote that theaters sometimes housed up to 30,000 spectators. Everyone paid two obols a day for a seat in the theater; the poor were admitted at the expense of the state. The audience reacted vividly - applauded or hissed. For the best plays, the performers (the actors were men) and poet-authors were awarded awards (for tragedy they were given a goat, for comedy - an amphora of wine and a basket of figs, then they began to award wreaths).

The most educated, enlightened part of Greek society spent time reading or listening to books. Herodotus read parts of his History at the Olympic Games. Another great historian, Thucydides, happened to be among the listeners at this time. According to him, he shed tears of delight, which prompted him to study history.

The need for large-scale colonization made the Greeks travelers. However, being easy-going, the Greeks loved to travel. People usually moved around the city and its surroundings on foot. The rich used carts or stretchers (which aroused envy among the poor, giving food to slander), or went out accompanied by a servant carrying a folding chair... Almost all men carried canes in their hands, women often walked with umbrellas. At night, the path was illuminated by a slave carrying a torch. If you were not accompanied by several servants at night, you were in danger of being robbed. The Greeks more often traveled by sea. There were very few good roads inside the country, and almost all of them were built haphazardly.

The omnipotent role of sensuality in the life of the Greeks The gods themselves, according to the ideas of the Homeric epic, are subject to desires for sensual pleasures. To help the Greeks in their desperate struggle, Hera decides to charm her husband Zeus and seduce him. She dresses up carefully and

Chapter VII Additions regarding sex life ancient Greeks 1. The attitude of the ancient Greeks to the genitals Under the name Meleager, an epigram has come to us (Ant. Pal., v, 192): “If you see Calliston naked, you will say: “Here is a double Syracusan letter, turned upside down.”