The whole company being satisfied with Thales and his [Sidenote: E] acumen, Cleodorus observed: ‘It is questions and answers of this kind, Niloxenus, that are proper for kings. On the other hand, the barbarian who gave Amasis the sea to drink, required the short answer made by Pittacus to Alyattes, when he wrote the Lesbians a letter containing an arrogant command. The reply was merely a recommendation to eat onions and hot bread.’[31]
Here Periander joined in; ‘I may remind you, Cleodorus, that even in old times the Greeks had a habit of posing each [Sidenote: F] other with similar difficulties. We are told, for instance, that there was a gathering at Chalcis of the most distinguished poets among the wise men of the day, in order to celebrate the funeral of Amphidamas—a great warrior who had given much trouble to the Eretrians and had fallen in the fighting for Lelantum. The verses composed by the poets were so well matched, that it became a difficult and troublesome matter to judge between them, and the reputation of the competitors—Homer and Hesiod—caused the jury much diffidence and [Sidenote: 154] embarrassment. Thereupon they had recourse to questions of the present kind, and Homer—as Lesches tells us—propounded the following:
_Tell me, Muse, of such things as neither before have befallen, Nor shall hereafter befall?_
_When in eager pursuit of the prize the chariots, one ’gainst the other Are dashed by the ringing-hoof’d steeds round the tomb where Zeus lieth buried._
This answer, it is said, won particular admiration and secured him the tripod.’
‘But pray what is the difference,’ asked Cleodorus, ‘between such questions and Eumetis’s riddles? It is no doubt right [Sidenote: B] enough for her to set women such puzzles by way of amusement, constructing them as other women plait their bits of girdles or hair-nets. But for sensible men to treat them with any seriousness is absurd.’ Eumetis would apparently have liked to make some retort, but she was too shy, and checked herself, her face mantled with blushes. ‘Nay,’ said Aesop, by way of championing her, ‘it is surely more absurd to be unable to solve them. Take for example the one she set us just before dinner:
_I saw a man glue bronze on a man; with fire did he glue it._