The public repasts were called by the Cretans Andria; but the
Lacedæmonians styled them Phiditia, either from their tendency to
friendship and mutual benevolence, _phiditia_ being used instead of
_philitia_; or else from their teaching frugality and parsimony, which
the word _pheido_ signifies. But it is not all impossible that the first
letter might by some means or other be added, and so _phiditia_ take
place of _editia_, which barely signifies eating. There were fifteen
persons to a table, or a few more or less. Each of them was obliged to
bring in monthly a bushel of meal, eight gallons of wine, five pounds of
cheese, two pounds and a half of figs, and a little money to buy flesh
and fish. If any of them happened to offer a sacrifice of first fruits,
or to kill venison, he sent a part of it to the public table: for after
a sacrifice or hunting, he was at liberty to sup at home: but the rest
were to appear at the usual place. For a long time this eating in common
was observed with great exactness: so that when king Agis returned from
a successful expedition against the Athenians, and from a desire to sup
with his wife, requested to have his portion at home, the Polemarchs
refused to send it: nay, when, through resentment, he neglected, the day
following, to offer the sacrifice usual on occasion of victory, they set
a fine upon him. Children also were introduced at these public tables,
as so many schools of sobriety. There they heard discourses concerning
government, and were instructed in the most liberal breeding. There they
were allowed to jest without scurrility, and were not to take it ill
when the raillery was returned. For it was reckoned worthy of a
Lacedæmonian to bear a jest: but if any one's patience failed, he had
only to desire them to be quiet, and they left off immediately. When
they first entered, the oldest man present pointed to the door, and
said, "Not a word spoken in this company goes out there." The admitting
of any man to a particular table was under the following regulation.
Each member of that small society took a little ball of soft bread in