PREFACE

Despite Francis Bacon’s dictum that “prefaces are great wastes of time, and, though they seem to proceed of modesty, they are bravery,” I hazard a few words as to this book, which, like Topsy, “growed, I ’spects,” from a chance request for a quotation from Homer on Fishing with a Rod for my sister’s game-book.

It is, as far as I can discover, the first attempt to examine classical and other ancient writers on Fishing from the standpoint of one who has not only been a practical Pisciculturist for many years and an Angler all his life, but has also been taught (though somewhat forgotten) his Greek and Latin.

If my work, in the main, is necessarily based on the compilations of others, it yet by serendipity (to adopt Horace Walpole’s mintage) has unearthed some rare authors, who, judging from lack of mention, were unknown to previous writers on the subject. It contains also—if I may venture a “bravery”—several points which are apparently original.

Instances of these are:—

(1) The definite establishment of Aristotle as our first, if through lack of microscope primitive, scale-reader;

(2) The acquittal without a stain on his character of Plutarch from the charge, under which he has lain for centuries, of libelling and contemning Fishing;

(3) The discussion by whom, Martial or Ælian, was the use of (a) the natural, or (b) the artificial fly first suggested or implied;

(4) The examination whether the crescens harundo of Martial was a jointed Rod, somewhat like our own;

(5) The conclusion that the Rod was apparently never employed by the Ancient Assyrians or the Israelites, despite their long connection with Egypt, where as early as c. 2000 b.c. it is depicted in actual use;

(6) The point which, if not original, is rarely made or insufficiently pressed, that the Line of both the ancients and moderns down till the seventeenth century was a tight, as opposed to a running Line.

May I, as a last “bravery,” state that apart from articles in Magazines and Encyclopædias, I do not know, with the exception of Bates’s Ancient Egyptian Fishing, of any work in English on Fishing, not Fish, in ancient Egypt, Assyria, Palestine, or China, nor, with the exception of Mainzer’s magazine article on Jewish Fishing, have I come across one in French or German?

If any object that I have cast my net too wide and enclosed a few things that are neither Fish nor Fishing, I must insist that as these waters are not, as yet, adequately charted, it is well-nigh impossible to avoid some infringement of the three miles’ territorial limit. To drop metaphor, in the present state of archæological research, it is notorious that no one subject can be fully investigated without trenching here and there on allied topics. This indeed is not merely necessary, but desirable, unless important side-lights are simply to be ignored.

Moreover, every good Waltonian prefers the discursive to the cursive style, and would rather take part in a leisurely exploration of his preserves than skim the surface in a manner hasty and in-Compleat.

Whatever the demerits of my volume, written at intervals between war-work and illness, I do trust that of the three counts of the indictment brought against Nicander’s Theriaca, “longa, incondita, et nullius farrago fidei,” the verdict of my readers will, at any rate as regards the last, be “Not Guilty,” for on this head I have stoutly striven to avoid conviction.

Reference to aid from any book or person is usually set forth in my pages; but here and at once I acknowledge with glad gratitude the debt I owe for counsel and help to certain of my friends, whose names I yet hesitate to state, “pour ne point leur donner une part de responsabilité dans les fautes que je suis seul coupable d’avoir laissé subsister.”

They are: Mr. A. B. Cook, Reader in Classical Archæology at Cambridge; Dr. Bernard Grenfell, Professor of Papyrology at Oxford; Dr. A. R. S. Kennedy, Professor of Hebrew and Semitic Languages at Edinburgh; the late, alas! Dr. Leonard W. King, of the Assyrian Department of the British Museum; Dr. S. Langdon, Professor of Assyriology at Oxford; Dr. J. W. Mackail; Dr. A. Shewan; and last, but very far from least, Mr. H. T. Sheringham.

CONTENTS

page

Preface vii

Introduction 3

GREEK AND ROMAN FISHING

chap.

I. Homer. Position of Fishermen 63

II. Homer. Methods of Fishing 74

III. Contest between Homer and Hesiod. Homer’s Death 86

IV. The Dolphin. Herodotus. The Ichthyophagi. The Tunny 90

V. Plato. Aristotle the First Scale Reader. Senses of Fish 106

VI. Characteristics of Fishermen in Greece and Rome. Deities of Fishing 116

VII. Theocritus. The Greek Epigrammatists 133

VIII. The Two Plinys. Martial. Was the Rod Jointed? 141

IX. The First Mention of a Fly 152

X. The Scarus. The First Notice, “Fishing Prohibited” 159

XI. Plutarch: Charge against Him of contemning Fishing False. Cleopatra’s Fishing. Oppian. The Torpedo for Gout. Athenæus 169

XII. Ælian. The Macedonian Invention, or the First Mention of an Artificial Fly 185

XIII. Ausonius. Salmo. Salar and Fario. First Mention of the Pike in Classical Literature 194

XIV. Infatuation for Fish. Extravagant Prices. Costly Entertainments. Vitellius. Cleopatra. Apicius. Cooks. Sauces 201

XV. Fish in Sacrifices. Pickled Fish. Vivaria. Oysters. Archimedes 215

XVI. Legal Regulations of Rome as regards Fishing 231

XVII. Tackle. Curious Methods of Fishing for the Sargus, the Skate, the Silurus, and the Eel. What was the Silurus? Wild Theories as to the Propagation of Eels 235

XVIII. The Nine Fish most highly prized 254

XIX. Fish in Myths, Symbols, Diet, and Medicine 270

XX. Diocletian’s Edict, 301 a.d. Prices of Fish and other Articles Then and Now 285

XXI. Difference between Roman and Modern Pisciculture 289

XXII. The Ring of Helen 295

EGYPTIAN FISHING

XXIII. “The Nile is Egypt” 301

XXIV. Tackle 307

XXV. Abstention from Fish 319

XXVI. Sacred Fish 327

XXVII. Fisheries. Attempted Correlation of the Price of Fish Then and Now. Spawning 333

XXVIII. Fishing with the Hair of the Dead 340

XXIX. The Ring of Polycrates 344

ASSYRIAN FISHING

XXX. No Rod, although close intercourse with Egypt 349

XXXI. Fishing Methods 355

XXXII. The Earliest Recorded Contract of Fishing 360

XXXIII. Fish-Gods. Dagon 363

XXXIV. The Legends of Adapa, and of the Flood 369

XXXV. Fish. Vivaria. The First Instance of Poaching 373

XXXVI. Fish in Offerings, Magic Auguries 382

XXXVII. The Fight between Marduk and Tiāmat 391

JEWISH FISHING

XXXVIII. Rod not employed in spite of Close Intercourse with Egypt. Reasons suggested for Absence 397

XXXIX. Fish with and without Scales. Methods of Fishing. Vivaria 414

XL. Ichthyolatry improbable. Fish not in Sacrifices or Auguries 424

XLI. The Fish of Tobias. Demonic Possession 431

XLII. The Fish of Moses. Jonah. Solomon’s Ring 438

CHINESE FISHING

XLIII. “Plus un pays produit des poissons, plus il produit d’hommes” 449

INDEX 470

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

page

The Fish Avatar of Vishnu, with Scenes Illustrating Life of Krishna Frontispiece

The Oldest (save one) Representation of Angling, c. 1400 b.c. Title page

Poseidon, Heracles, and Hermes Fishing 11

Aztec Fishing 22

Aztec Boating 23

Palæolithic Engravings: Seals, Dead Trout, and (?) Eels 26

Alaskan Hook with a Wizard’s Head 28

Bone Gorges 32

(1) The Eurycantha latro. (2) Hook made from its Leg Joints facing 34

Barbed Harpoons 37

Broken Harpoon from Kent’s Cave 37

Fishing Net spun by Spiders facing 42

Fishermen on the Vase of Phylakopi ” 63

“In at the Death” ” 72

Methods of Fishing, from Roman Mosaic 75

Mr. Minchin’s Explanation of κέρας 83

The Dolphin and the Boy of Iasos 96

Cutting up the Tunny 100

Artemis with a large Fish painted on her Dress 127

“The Happy Fisherman” 131

The Fowler’s Rod 149

Venus and Cupid Angling 168

Torpedo Fish facing 180

(1) Fisherman and Son. (2) Son saluting Wayside Hermes 186

The Naked Fisherman of the Vatican facing 201

Two Men Fishing 220

Arethusa 221

A Greek Angler facing 235

Mycenæan Hooks 238

Angling with Wine, from a Mosaic at Melos facing 240

Fish on a Pompeian Mosaic in the Naples Museum ” 254

Head of Tiberius. Temple with two Columns in shape of Fish, from a Coin of Abdera 273

The Rape of Helen, from a Fifth Century b.c. Scyphos 294

The Return of Helen ”” ”” 296

Egyptians carrying a large Fish 300

Early Harpoons 308

An Egyptian Reel facing 309

Spearing Fish ” 309

Senbi Spearing Fish 310

The Earliest Representation of Angling and Hand-lining facing 314

A Fishing Scene ” 318

The Oxyrhyncus taking the place of the Bird Soul 328

Fisherman wading with Creel round Neck facing 349

Men Fishing astride Goatskins ” 355

The Net of Ningirsu (so-called) ” 358

Fish-God 365

Gilgamesh carrying Fish 367

The Demon of the South-west Wind 370

The Fight between Marduk and Tiāmat facing 392

Tobias, in La Madonna del Pesce, by Raphael ” 397

A pre-Inca Fishing Scene 399

Atargatis, from a Coin of Hierapolis 426

Jonah entering the Whale’s Mouth, from a 14th Century MS. 439

Jonah leaving ”” ””” 442

Chinese Angling facing 449

Chinese Fishing ” 458

ANCIENT FISHING