With oligarchy, a few power took power and so all poets lived in fear. It became impossible to openly make fun of anyone, they could take you to court. Eupolis criticized Alcibiades in his work “Batpae” and decided to drown him in the sea.
This created even more fear in poets as “Baptae” means “Bathers”.
Some people in Thrace hang themselves as a game during drinking parties. They make a noose above a stone that is easily overturned if you stand on it. The noose is at just the right height. Then, a person is chosen by drawing a lot and he has to get on the stone. He is allowed only a small knife as he gets up on the stone and puts his head in the noose. Then someone from the party moves the stone so he has to quickly cut the rope or die. If he is not quick, he dies and is left hanging there. His death is considered quite amusing.
Wise men at dinner – Athenaeus.
In places like Sparta women are treated badly. This means that half the population lives without happiness.
Rhetoric – Aristotle
We know that the dead had to have a coin in their mouth to pay for their trip to the Underworld. What we forget is that in the 5th century it was also customary for living people to keep coins in their mouth! Was it because their clothes were not very practical and had no pockets?