Abstract

In recent translations of Athenaeus the title is rendered as The Learned Banqueteurs, thereby it loses the traditional sense of a controversy between sophists and philosophers. However, the deipnosophists were learned men or scholars neither in the ancient nor in the modern understanding of the term. Unfortunately, almost all translations erroneously render the instructive remark of the Byzantine Epitomator that “Athenaeus imitates Plato in his dramatization of the dialogue” . As a matter of fact, the Epitomator refers to the fact that Athenaeus jealously competes with Plato’s mimetic dramatization and aims completely to overcome it. We may, therefore, highlight here the entire anti-philosophical message of this spectacular and sophisticated dialogue