In
process of time however, regulations began to be introduced, and
quarrels to be prevented, by the institution of the office of a divider
or distributer of the feast, who should carve the food into equal
portions, and help every individual to his proper share. Hence the terms
[Greek: Aatfrn] or equal feast, which so frequently occur in Homer, and
which were in use in consequence of the division just mentioned, were
made use of to shew, that the feasts, then spoken of by him, were
different from those of former times. When Homer wishes to describe
persons as more civilized than others, he describes them as having this
equal feast. That is, men did not appear at these feasts, like dogs and
wolves, and instantly devour whatever they could come at, and tear each
other to pieces in the end; but they waited till their different
portions of meat had been assigned them, and then ate them in amity and
peace.
At the time when we find the custom of one man carving for all his
guests to have been in use, we find also that another had been
introduced among the same people. The Greeks, in the heroic ages,
thought it unlawful to eat, till they had first offered a part of their
provision to the gods. Hence oblations to Vesta, and afterwards to
others, whom their superstition had defied, came into general use, so
that these were always made, before the victuals on the table were
allowed to be tasted by any of the guests.
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