And when some one said that a cock dressed with a sauce of oil and vinegar (ὀξυλίπαρον) was a very good bird, Ulpian, who was fond of finding fault, and who was reclining on a couch by himself, eating little, but watching the rest of the guests, said—What is that ὀξυλίπαρον you speak of? unless indeed you give that name to the small figs called κόττανα and lepidium, which are both national food of mine. —But Timocles, he replied, the comic poet, in his play called The Ring, mentions ὀξυλίπαρον, saying—
And sharks and rays and all the other fish,And Alexis has called some men ἀκρολίπαροι, fat on the surface, in his Wicked Woman, saying—
Which may be dressed in sauce of ὀξυλίπαρον.
Fat on the surface, but the rest of their bodyAnd once when a large fish was served up in sour pickle (ὀξάλμν), and somebody said that every fish (ὀψάριον) was best when dressed in this kind of pickle, Ulpian, picking out the small bones, and contracting his brows, said,—here do you find the word ὀξάλμη̣ And as to ὀψάριον, I am quite sure that that is a word used by no living author. However, [p. 606] at that time the guests all desired him to settle that as he pleased, and themselves preferred eating; while Cynulcus quoted these lines out of the Breezes of Metagenes—
Is all as dry as wood.
But, my friend, now let us dine,But Myrtilus in a pleasant manner declared that he subscribed to Ulpian's sentiments, so as to be willing to have nothing to eat, as long as he might talk; and said;—Cratinus, in his Ulysseses, has mentioned ὀξάλμη, in the following lines—
After that ask what you choose;
For at present I'm so hungry,
I can't recollect a thing.
And in return for this I now will takeAnd Aristophanes, in his Wasps,—
All you my brave companions; and will pound,
And boil, and broil, and roast you thoroughly,
In pickle, sour pickle (ὀξάλμη), garlic pickle,
Soaking you thoroughly in each by turns.
And that one which does seem most fairly roasted
I'll do the honour to devour myself.
Breathe on me, and then put me in hot pickle (ὀξάλμη).
