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It was a custom, among the Athenians, of newly-bought slaves entering first into the house, or simply of those for whom they wanted to presage something good, and they used to pour out sweetmeats for a bridegroom by the hearth as a symbol of plenty. So says Theopompus in Hedychares: "Come on you, hurry up and pour out the outpourings on the bridegroom, and on the bride. -- Great idea!".[1] The outpourings consisted of dates, biscuits, titbits and dried figs and nuts, which the assembled slaves would try to snatch. Aristophanes in Plutus [writes]: "I will go inside and fetch the outpourings, as if for his newly-bought eyes".[2]

*kataxu/smata: e)/qos h)=n par' *)aqhnai/ois tw=n newnh/twn dou/lwn tw=n prw/tws ei)sio/ntwn ei)s th\n oi)ki/an, h)\ a(plw=s tw=n e)f' w(=n oi)wni/sasqai/ ti a)gaqo\n e)bou/lonto, kai\ tou= numfi/ou para\ th\n e(sti/an tragh/mata kate/xeon ei)s shmei=on eu)ethri/as: w(s kai\ *qeo/pompo/s fhsin e)n *(hduxa/rei: fe/re su\ ta\ kataxu/smata taxe/ws kata/xei tou= numfi/ou, kai\ th=s ko/rhs. eu)= pa/nu le/geis. su/gkeitai de\ ta\ kataxu/smata a)po\ foini/kwn, kollu/bwn, trwgali/wn kai\ i)sxa/dwn kai\ karu/wn, a(/per h(/rpazon oi( su/ndouloi. *)aristofa/nhs *plou/tw|: i)ou=s' ei)/sw komi/sw ta\ kataxu/smata w(/sper newnh/toisin a)/ndrasin.

See already kappa 877. The present, more detailed entry derives in part from Harpokration s.v. (commenting on Demosthenes 45.74); see also Photius, Lexicon kappa398 Theodoridis.
[1] Theopompus fr. 14 Kock (15 Kassel-Austin).
[2] Aristophanes, Plutus [Wealth] 768-9 (which does have "eyes" -- the whole point of the joke -- and not, as here, "men" - see web address 1).

Catharine Roth (added link) on 9 September 2003@22:59:34.
David Whitehead (added a keyword; cosmetics) on 10 September 2003@03:11:07.
David Whitehead on 11 July 2011@05:03:04.
David Whitehead on 6 February 2013@07:20:52.
David Whitehead on 29 April 2016@09:33:05.

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