In Vol. ii., p. 286., an allusion is made by a correspondent to the
following verses of the comic poet Crobylus, in reference to the antiquity
of smoking:
[Greek: A. "Egô de pros ta therma tauth' huperbolêi]
[Greek: Tous daktulous dêpouthen idaious echô,]
[Greek: Kai ton larung' hêdista puriô temachiois.]
[Greek: B. "Kaminos, ouk anthrôpos."]
Athen I. p. 5. F.
The two last verses are thus rendered in the passage referred to:
"And I will sweetly burn my throat with cuttings;
A chimney, not a man."
Athenæus is describing the fondness of the ancient gourmands for eating
their food extremely hot. As they had no forks, but, like the modern
Orientals, carried their food to their mouth with their fingers, one
Pithyllus used gloves in order to avoid burning his fingers. (_Ib._ I. p.
6. D.)
In the second line there is a pun upon the word [Greek: idaios] which is
explained to mean "cold"--the allusion being to the Idæan Dactyli. (See
Meineke, _Fragm. Com. Gr._, vol. iv. p. 568. Lobeck, _Aglaoph_. p. 1181.)
The passage is to be translated thus:
A. My fingers are fire-proof against these exceedingly hot morsels, and I
delight in burning my throat with slices of fish.