What was night-life like in Ancient Greece?

by AndreNow1000
hadrianx

The Athenian orator, Isocrates, mentions the recreational activities of young Athenian men in his speech, "On the Antidosis." This speech is basically Isocrates being angry at the authorities for censoring his school, Isocrates dissing the sophists, and Isocrates lamenting the supposed degeneracy of Athens.

"Yes, and you have brought it about that the most promising of our young men are wasting their youth in drinking-bouts, in parties, in soft living and childish folly, to the neglect of all efforts to improve themselves; while those of grosser nature are engaged from morning until night in extremes of dissipation which in former days an honest slave would have despised. You see some of them chilling their wine at the “Nine-fountains”; others, drinking in taverns; others, tossing dice in gambling dens; and many, hanging about the training-schools of the flute-girls. And as for those who encourage them in these things, no one of those who profess to be concerned for our youth has ever haled them before you for trial, but instead they persecute me, who, whatever else I may deserve, do at any rate deserve thanks for this, that I discourage such habits in my pupils." Sections 286-287. Translation by RC Jebb

Edit: The Nine-Fountains was a famous and sacred spring in Athens. I always thought it had the significance of something like the Reflecting Pool in Washington, to put it in our terms

cloudleopard

The symposium is an example of Athenian night-life around 415 BC.

"The symposium was an institution of upper-class Athenian life. The literal translation of the word, ‘drinks party’, has misleading connotations for an English reader, so it is best simply to transliterate The consumption of alcohol was indeed the main purpose of the party, but the evening meal would have been eaten first. The guests would all be men; their host would provide them with chaplets and perfume, and they would recline in a half-lying position on couches. Their left arms rested on cushions and supported the upper half of their bodies, so that their right hands were free for eating and drinking from the table in front of them, and for whatever other activities might occur later on. After dinner religious libations were poured and a hymn of praise to the gods was sung. A sip of neat wine consecrated the drink and initiated the actual symposium. The drink was wine diluted with water, and, unless or until things got out of hand, the proportion of water and the quantity of alcohol consumed would have been regulated by a president. During this phase of the party the host would probably have provided entertainment, if he could afford to, in the form of hired female pipe-players, and/or dancers, acrobats, and mimes. It was not at all uncommon for the pipe-players to double as sexual partners for any guests who felt so inclined: the pipe-players would be slaves, and that was one of the acknowledged uses to which Greek men could put female slaves. Otherwise, the guests would follow up the entertainment by amusing themselves with conversation, songs, riddles, and party-games. It was very much an all-male preserve, and it would be an unusual symposium which catered for the presence of respectable women." From the Robin Waterfield translation's introduction to Plato's Symposium

If my citations are inadequate I can delete the comment.

Agrippa911

It should be noted that a night-life was something for the elites. The average person's 'night-life' was sleeping. Lighting is a luxury, wood's needed for cooking while oil lamps give off a minuscule amount of light. Once it got dark, the less affluent went to bed.