The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-05

| SlDOu Wy awaiting LIE 6le
nal to begin.
When this signal was given, the flutes
struck up, and the players, Selling cups
and dipping them into a large vase con-
| tanning wine, stepped forward one by
| one to the chalk line, with the intention
| of throwing the wine through the air
into the metal basin afloat on the water.
| This was a great feat to accomplish
| successfully. An unskiled thrower
would so handle his wine that it would
fly out in a broad sheet and be all scat
tered in the air long before it reached its
mark. An unsteady thrower would per-
haps hurl the wine, but deposit it in the
water instead of in the basin. The
crack cottabos player avoided both these
faults "grasped the cup" we are told,
with well crooked fingers, like flute
player holding his flute" directed his
wine through the air in a compact col
lected cloud, and landed it full in the
metal basin which was the mark he
aimed at
The flutes, which were Warbling all the
time the players were getting ready,
stopped directly a throw was made, and
all ears were eagerly intent to hear what
sort of splash the wine made in the
basin-for the beauty and music Of the
splash determined the success of the
player. '
He whose wine, coming in a firm and
swelling cloud, fell with full sound on
the silver producing a crisp, sharp mu-
steal note of fine tfnbre, was accounted
better player than, the thrower whose
wine made, an uncertain poise, or being
too much shaken out, splashed like fall
ing rain on the metal, giving only the
pitterpatter of doizzle
Not only was the skill of the thrower
concerned in the extraction of pure
musical tone from the metal vase, but
the quality of the wine had something
to do with 1t. The Pramnian wine was
reputed to give a crisper plash than tho
Chan Wine. The wine of Lesbos like
wise was said to have more body in it's
tone than the wines Of Thasos. Every
thing was studied, all arts were enlisted
and made use of to achieve a pure and
brilliant musical note when the wine fell
and sent the sound ringing from the sill
Yer. And considering what countless
variations of timbre there must have
been, and what untold delicacies of mod
ulation In the ring, we may well be sur
prised that such niceness of ear should
have been SO common thing, and that
in game which, in its repute and its as
sociatons, was entirely popular, so much
acoustic acumen could have been exer-
csed.
But the Greeks We're a musical nation.
They could find music in the tricRle of a
IVot arfa1l which ,t-n, 1,yr,
The song of birds SO charmed them that
all the legends and all the chosen ability
of these sylvan singers We're invented
and conferred by the Greeks They de-
lighted in hearing a musical voice, and a
main part of their education was devo- |
ted to acquiring a round and clear deliv-
cry. And In the same way they could |
listen to and detect the discrepancies Of |
the cottabos, which our duller cars
would fail to recognize.
Plato, the comic poet, tells us that the |
popularity of the game was so great |
that not content with playing 1t in !
courts and in public, people must needs /
be always at it in private houses-after /
dinner or even before it," In one Of his
plays he gives whole scene Of this pri- |
waite cottabos, which perhaps we might |
do worse than reproduce here.
"All the guests have finished dinner"
says the master of the house. Come
the tables. and bring water for
them to wash their hands in, and have
the floor swept. Then we will have the
Are the girls ready with the flutes?"
yes"
Very well, then, we are just on the
point Of beginning and they must come
n to accompany us
MY friend, will you please pour some
perfume into the wine while / go and
distribute garlands among the guests
II will do just as you want, and at
end to all your directions"
The master Of the house then takes a
up of wine and pours out libation to
}acchus. The scolum-which was
ort of short and pithy epigrammatic
ong-was next sung by some Of the
company Then, Everybody is ready"
lie says, land the young men are toeing
he line. And here Is the girl with her
lutte striking up a Carian song, and an
'ther girl will be here in moment with
N eastern harp, to join her"
Now the players have filled their cups,
md they begin throwing in turn. And
8 each throws, he pronounces the name
f his lady-love. Here's for Glycera!
This one for Scione!" This throw for
Here goes for Phanostra-
aI
And how do they manage to throw it
o cleverly, and how do they hold ito"
SKIS a novice of bystander. "Why. |
on must crook your fingers round the
up, like flute-player holds his fingers
ound his flute. Then pour in little
'ine-not much. And then let fly" !
yes, but how?"
''Why, look herein this way"
ooh, Neptune! what a. height you
lrow it."
In private houses this musical game {
as played for prizes. In Athenaeus' l
anquet we are told that the prize of {
ne cottabos which he describes was a
Tree ribbons, five apples and nine kiss T
), And kisses We're a very general c
rlze, it seems. For in the comic poet U
ratinus a guest coming late to ban
net Is made to say: "Holloal I hear Q
lie sound of kissing, so ! suppose the C
)nqueror of the cottabos is getting his t
i've" L
Next in celebrity and popularity to the
,autiful game which has entirely van c