The Deipnosophists; or, Banquet of the Learned of Athenæus, Vol. 3 (of 3)

"The Deipnosophists; or, Banquet of the Learned of Athenæus, Vol. 3 (of 3)" is a classical philosophical text written in the early 3rd century AD. This work is a collection of dialogues that explores various themes related to dining, culture, and philosophy through lively discussions among a group of learned men at a banquet. The text provides insights into the social and intellectual life of ancient Athens, especially reflecting on frivolities and luxury in connection with pleasure and moral philosophy. The opening of this volume begins with a conversation initiated by Timocrates, who prompts a discourse on individuals notorious for their luxurious lifestyles and indulgent practices. The speaker elaborates on the nature of pleasure, linking it to appetite and luxury, and references various historical figures and cultural practices that exemplify the pursuit of pleasure in ancient societies, particularly the Persians, Lydians, and Sybarites. The dialogue weaves through philosophical reflections and historical anecdotes, illustrating how luxury and pleasure intertwined with morality, leading to both admiration and critiques of indulgent lifestyles. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Athenaeus of Naucratis was an ancient Greek rhetorician and grammarian, flourishing about the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd century AD. The Suda says only that he lived in the times of Marcus Aurelius, but the contempt with which he speaks of Commodus, who died in 192, implies that he survived that emperor. He was a contemporary of Adrantus.