I am wondering if someone could explain what the semantic value of “κεῖται” is in this context. I know the basic meaning is to “be laid up” up and can thus mean “to publish something”, or “to set up something”.
Also if someone could shed some light on what is even trying to be conveyed? It seems like a joke of some kind.
I suspect the individual nick named “Κειτούκειτος” is asking if something can be called “such and such” or if “such and such” word can be applied to “such and such” description.
Also what bearing does this all have on weather he will eat something?
Apparently Ulpianus the Tyrian is well known for incessantly asking questions (a bit like Socrates, only much worse). Based on the nature of the questions, he seems to be precursor of lexical semantics…
κεῖται in this context, by pragmatic extension something like “be applicable to…”
And yes, his nickname is obviously a pun on the type of questions he liked to ask. If he can outtalk the Cynics, well, would you like to spend time in his company?
Perhaps the idea is that he valued his questions before food?
Κειτούκειτος is something like “Dr. attested or not attested.” Athenaeus uses his pretentiousness to satirize, deliciously, the sophistry of certain overzealous Atticists, especially lexicographers.
Compare, for instance, this passage from Lucian’s ΡΗΤΟΡΩΝ ΔΙΔΑΣΚΑΛΟΣ (with a different sort of gastronomical imagery):
Thank you this makes much more sense. After going back a little ways, the part about not eating anything before asking if it is attested makes sense because Athenaeus is talking about what happened at the party not necessary how the guy comports himself in all situations in life.
Also after searching for what “μήτρα” has to do with edible food, I found that it refers to the uterus of a wild boar which was a delicatessen in Rome and can also just mean delicatessen. That must be why it comes before his questioning of weather a certain adjective is attested in reference to a wild boar.
Yes, μήτρα refers to the pig’s uterus. It comes back in one of the more memorable scenes, the row between Keitoukeitos and Cynulcus in Book 3, stuffed with silly puns:
Barry, Punisher, dikaiopolis: You guys ARE Deipnosophistae! Impressive.
Punisher: You say the uterus of a wild boar was a delicatessen [sic] in Rome. I think you mean delicacy? Unless you are punishing us and are way over my head . (Μήτρα might have been a catchy name for a delicatessen’s shop, though.)
All: I have the occasional need to look up a reference in the Deipnosophistae and have a general idea of how the work is laid out. What editions of it are you guys using and might recommend?
It appears to be his usual practice, since Athenaeus describes it as νόμον ἴδιον. His questions are also συνεχεῖς, occurring ἐν ταῖς ἀγυιαῖς, περιπάτοις, βιβλιοπωλείοις, βαλανείοις.
Does κεῖται here mean “attested in earlier literature?” in the sense of simple appearance? Certainly Ulpianus asks such questions later, Οὐλπιανὸς ἔφη ειʼ κεῖται παρά τινι τὸ πρόπομα οὕτω καλούμενον ὡς νῦν ἡμεῖς φαμεν… But even there he appears to be talking about the meaning of the word rather than simply its occurrence.
Not sure I follow the distinction. E.g., “is ὥρα attested in the sense of a part of the day?” He’s asking here, as a hyperatticist, if words occur in a specific sense in classical literature.
Randy: I usually use Olson’s LCL or Kaibel’s older ed. on the TLG. There’s also a Digital Athenaeus project that I’m less familiar with.
. (Μήτρα might have been a catchy name for a delicatessen’s shop, though.)