Symposiarch is the manager of symposia , events of an entertaining character among ancient Greek men with a clearly established order of conduct and plentiful libations of wine. Symposia were arranged on various occasions: birth, wedding, burial, as well as returning home or parting of a noble person or family member before a long trip, as well as simply honoring famous people of the city. During the symposium, philosophical questions were often discussed, as, for example, in Plato's "Feast" . Plutarch describes the symposia "as a pleasant pastime for wine, which ends with friendship . " The accuracy of the observance of the established rituals, considered almost as a sacred action, was answered by the symposiarch.
The names of the guests invited to the symposium along with the date and time of its holding were indicated on wax tablets that the slave carried around the houses of the guests. Typically, the onset of symposium was scheduled for nine hours. The number nine was an ideal number for the number of symposium participants, including the owner of the house. Nine was considered the number of perfection, since it is three times three, which, in turn, was considered in many cultures to be a "divine number." Only those present at the masculine symposium were taken into account. Women were not allowed there, the exception was only getters , whose duties included playing kifaras and flutes , dances and chants.
The value of symposia increased in the IV century. BC e., in connection with which the formal rules for their implementation have become more complicated. Symposia began to take place in a separate room on the male side - the andron , for symposia special vessels for drinks were provided. They began to drink while lying down. The symposiarch was responsible for the proper level of communication in the andron. As Plutarch describes, the ideal symposiarch is never drunk, while never refusing to drink, and is a real "quintessence of fun." He must be sincere and friendly to everyone, always remain within the bounds of decency, but at the same time, by the power of his authority, keep him from breaking the rules. For example, the symposium participants could be expelled from the event for stubbornly continuing the private conversation forbidden at the symposia among themselves.
Symposiarch Functions
At the beginning of the symposium, his manager established the ratio of wine to water in mixed drinks, since the ancient Greeks never drank undiluted wine. It set the tone for the whole evening. Symposiosarch made wine from each crater a sacrifice to the gods of Olympus , the heroes and Zeus the Savior, and performed traditional hymns , mainly Dionysius .
Further, the symposiarch set the number of cups that was allowed, but at the same time was charged with the obligation to drink the symposium to the participants. Drinking without rules did not meet the traditions of symposia, because all symposiasts should have been on the same level of intoxication, which, however, was not always possible to achieve due to differences in the constitution of the guests. Symposium guests were forgiven for everything, whatever they said at the symposium while intoxicated, as the proverb "I hate drinkers with a good memory" testified to. The symposiarch should have done his utmost to welcome the desire of the symposiasts to make a toast or to give a speech and spontaneity of actions in general, taking care that others would not be offended. The unleashed language of the drinking symposiasts was nothing more than what is called brainstorming in the modern language, and philosophers only had to develop the thoughts expressed in the symposia. The duties of the symposiarch also include the organization of communication and the care that all guests participate in games, exercises and competitions held at the symposium equally.
Symposium belonged to ritual utensils, a kilik from which guests drank, a vessel for mixing wine and water - a crater , and a vessel for cooling drinks - psikter . Wine was poured into the crater from oinohoya , and water from hydria .
The size of the dishes for drinks varied. At Plato, it is indicated that at the symposia at Alcibiades and Socrates they drank a huge glass, each of which contained eight cauldrons , which is almost two liters . Sometimes such glasses were drained in one gulp. A glass of wine passed around in a clockwise circle. The same order of priority was followed at symposia in conversations and games.
According to some sources, the symposiarch was chosen by lot by throwing bones. Other sources attributed the religious functions to the symposiarch.
See also
- Symposium
- Cottab
- Komos
- Toastmaster