Opsophagos: A Fish Addict, and an Athenian Comic Type
According to legend, the ancient Greek poet Philoxenus wished for a throat as long as a crane's so he could stretch out the time he spent swallowing. An opsophagos is a fish addict—someone whose desire for seafood becomes a self-destructive obsession. The root of the word is opson, which originally referred to anything that might accompany a starchy, grain-based staple but came more and more to signify fish. In memory, Philoxenus became a stock character out of Athenian comedy: the opsophagos.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
Ioannis M. Konstantakos writes that Philoxenus caused his own death by devouring a gigantic octopus; the deathbed scene has the doctor called, his affairs in order, his life's work complete, and one last wish—to finish the final bite of octopus and take it with him to the Underworld.
Calling that resignation is generous. The man is packing a snack for the afterlife.