«Symposion» and «Philanthropia» in Plutarch - Bad Request ...

Lluís Gonzàlez Juliàrhetor has praised the function of rhetoric in conversation, attributing torhetoric the same importance in conversation as it has in front of the jury orin deliberations (IX 14.1, 743d).For Herodes, the ideal diner was a good ὁμιλητικός, a person able tospeak well when attending an “entretien” 13 . Throughout the QC, the success ofa banquet depends not so much on the food served but on the conversationand the company. Plutarch tells Sosius Senecio of a comment once made byan amiable man:Χαρίεντος ἀνδρός, ὦ Σόσσιε Σενεκίων, καὶ φιλανθρώπου λόγον ἔχουσιῬωμαῖοι διὰ στόματος, ὅστις ἦν ὁ εἰπών, ἐπεὶ μόνος ἐδείπνησεν, ‘βεβρωκέναι,μὴ δεδειπνηκέναι σήμερον’, ὡς τοῦ δείπνου κοινωνίαν καὶ φιλοφροσύνηνἐφηδύνουσαν ἀεὶ ποθοῦντος. (QC VII Praef. 1, 697c).The Romans, Sossius Senecio, are fond of quoting a witty and sociable personwho said, after a solitary meal, ‘I have eaten, but not dined to-day,’ implyingthat a ‘dinner’ always requires friendly sociability for seasoning. 14For this man, the banquet context always represented tolerance andcordiality. Plutarch also explains that the most important aspect of the banquetis the presence of a friend, family member or acquaintance – not to eat anddrink with us, but to take part in the give-and-take of conversation (QC VII,Praef., 1, 697d) 15 . In fact, the first of the questions posed in the second book triesto establish whether it is better for the food at a banquet to be served to eachguest or on common trays from which each guest should serve himself (QCII 10, 642e-644e). Hagias favours the use of common trays, since, in his view,the banquet is an occasion that invites the company to general fellowship (QCII 10.1, 642f-643a), manifested not only in sharing a common meal but alsoin singing, entertainments and conversation (QC II 10.1, 643b). Conversationis the sustenance that feeds the soul once the body has had its fill of food anddrink (QC V Praef., 1, 673a); men of wit and taste devote themselves to it andfeed the soul once they have eaten, in order to enjoy the pleasure that derivesfrom talk (QC V Praef., 1, 672e).So it is not only the body that should be satisfied at the banquet. Guestscome to share not only meat, wine and dessert, but also entertainments such asconversation and the amiability that leads to friendship (QC IV Praef., 660b).For Dicaearchus, it is important to obtain the empathy of all, especially thatof well-bred people; the banquet is a better setting than the market place – aplace where people go to discuss their business – since people normally attendparties in order to make new friends or to give a good time to the old (QC IVPraef., 659e-660a). Dicaearchus is not alone; significantly, in the preface to the13Cf. L. Pernot, 1993b, pp. 428-29.14Translation taken from E. L. Minar et al., 1961, p. 5.15P. A. Stadter, 1999 stresses the importance of conversation in the banquet, whichPlutarch compares with the enjoyment of fine food (see also L. Romeri, 2002, pp. 183-9).66