[Greek: GRIPHOI. ]
Crashing, as one upon the other press'd;
But when the noise has ceased they yield their juice,
Divinest nectar, which to mortal men
Is ever the sole remedy for care,
And common cause of joy and cheerfulness.
Parent of feasts, and laughter, and the dance,
Wine shows the disposition of the good,
And strengthens all their noble qualities.
Hail! then, O Bacchus, president of feasts,
Dear to all men who love the wreathed flowers;
Give us, kind God, an age of happiness,
To drink, and play, and cherish just designs.
But Amphis, in his Philadelphi, praising the life of those who are fond of drinking, says:—
For many causes do I think our life,
The life of those who drink, a happy one;
And happier far than yours, whose wisdom all
Lies in a stern and solemn-looking brow.
For that slow prudence which is always busy
In settling small affairs, which with minuteness,
And vain solicitude, keeps hunting trifles,
Fears boldly to advance in things of weight;
But our mind, not too fond of scrutinising
Th' exact result of every trifling measure,
Is ever for prompt deeds of spirit ready.
69. And when Ulpian was about to add something to this Æmilianus said,—It is time for us, my friends, to inquire in some degree about [Greek: griphoi], that we may leave our cups for a little while, not indeed in the spirit of that work which is entitled the Grammatical Tragedy of Callias the Athenian: but let us first inquire what is the definition of what we call a [Greek: griphos]. . . . And we may omit what Cleobulina of Lindus has proposed in her Epigrams; for our companion, Diotimus of Olympia, has discussed that point sufficiently; but we must consider how the comic poets have mentioned it, and what punishment those who have failed to solve it have undergone. And Laurentius said,—Clearchus the Solensian defines the word thus: "[Greek: Griphos]," says he, "is a sportive problem, in which we are bidden to seek out, by the exertion of our intellect and powers of investigation, what is proposed to us, which has been uttered for the sake of some honour or some penalty." And in his discussion on these griphi, the same Clearchus asserts that "there are seven kinds of griphi. In the letter, when we say that there is a certain name of a fish or plant, beginning with [Greek: a]. And similarly,
