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[107] πεσσοῖσι. Athenaeus quotes (1. 29) a description of this game as played by the suitors, “ὀκτὼ γὰρ καὶ ἑκατὸν ὄντες οἱ μνηστῆρες διετίθεσαν ψήφους ἐναντίας ἀλλήλαις, ἴσας πρὸς ἴσας τὸν ἀριθμὸν, ὅσοιπερ ἦσαν καὶ αὐτοί. Γίνεσθαι οὖν ἑκατέρωθεν τέσσαρας καὶ πεντήκοντα. Τὸ δ᾽ ἀνὰ μέσον τούτων διαλιπεῖν ὀλίγον κενόν. ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταιχμίῳ τούτῳ μίαν τιθέναι ψῆφον, ἣν καλεῖν μὲν αὐτοὺς Πηνελόπην: σκοπὸν δὲ ποιεῖσθαι εἴ τις βάλλοι ψήφῳ ἑτέρᾳ: καὶ κληρουμένων τὸν λαχόντα στοχάζεσθαι ταύτης. Εἰ δέ τις τύχοι καὶ ἐκκρούσειε πρόσω τὴν Πηνελόπην, ἀποτίθεσθαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ εἰς τὴν τῆς βληθείσης καὶ ἐξωσμένης χώραν, ἐν πρότερον ἦν. καὶ πάλιν στάντα τὴν Πηνελόπην, ἐν τὸ δεύτερον ἐγένετο χωρίῳ, ἐντεῦθεν βαλεῖν [τὴν ἑαυτοῦ]. Εἰ δὲ τύχοι ἄνευ τοῦ μηδεμιᾶς τῶν ἄλλων ψαῦσαι νικᾶν, καὶ ἐλπίδας ἔχειν πολλὰς γαμήσειν αὐτήν. Τὸν δὲ Εὐρύμαχον πλείστας εἰληφέναι ταύτῃ τῇ παιδιᾷ καὶ εὔελπιν εἶναι τῷ γάμῳ”.

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