144

Μελίλωτος (fr. 30)

Citation Context As a prelude to a discussion of cups, Athenaeus starts to
inquire whether the ancients used large cups for drinking but, before even fin-
ishing the question, becomes sidetracked into a brief account of cup-cabinets
(11.460d-f). No quotation follows the reference to Anaxandrides, and it is more
likely that it has fallen out of Athenaeus’ text than that none was provided.
Ar. fr. 106 precedes, while Eub. frr. 62; 116; 95; and Cratin. lun. fr. 9 follow.
Interpretation A κυλικεϊον is a sideboard or cabinet for storing cups, as the
name implies, although almost certainly not limited to kylixes (the stem kylik-
is used generically here for any sort of vessel, like ‘cup’ in English ‘cupboard’).
The form seems to have been somewhat similar to a table (but note Ath. 5.202e
and P.Cair.Zen. 159014b.9, where tables and sideboards are distinguished), with
an upright part on top for the storage and display of the cups; see Richter
1966. 81-4 (collection and discussion of the literary and artistic testimonia);
Andrianou 2009. 82-3 (63-85 for storage furniture generally). The testimonia
show that sideboards could be elaborately carved and decorated and could
thus be a luxury item not out of keeping with the content of fr. 29. Amyx
1945. 513 suggests that the reason for the seemingly widespread use of these
and similar items of furniture was the near total lack of suitable storage (e. g.
shelving) in the classical Greek house, although small rubble foundations in
houses at Olynthus have been identified as foundations for built-in storage
units (Olynthus VIII, pp. 97 -8)50 and the use of pegs for hanging household
items is seemingly ubiquitous in antiquity (already in Homer; e. g. II. 5.209
with Kirk 1990 ad loci).

50 Milne, CVA USA 11 (Metropolitan Museum 2), p. xiv, η. 1 rightly criticizes the use
of κυλικεϊον to refer to these built-in storage units, since the sideboards designated
as such seem to have been portable.