The Deipnosophists, or Banquet of the Learned of Athenaeus Part 87

Between th' Italian and Sicilian sh.o.r.e, Where the strait parts them with its narrow waves, Whenever that most dainty fish is caught Which men the lamprey call, be sure to buy it; For in those waters 'tis the best of food.

92. There is a fish, too, called the maenis, or sprat; and Icesius says that they are more juicy than the tench, but that they are inferior in delicacy of flavour, and also in the extent to which they facilitate the secretions of the stomach. But Speusippus, in the second book of his treatise on Things similar to one another, says that both the boax and the smaris resemble the sprat; and these two fishes are mentioned by Epicharmus, in his Earth and Sea, in the following manner:--

When you see many boaces and smarides.

And Epaenetus, in his Cookery Book, says, "The smaris, which some people call cynoseuna." But Antiphanes, in his Countryman, or Butalion, calls the sprats the food of Hecate, on account of their diminutive size; and the following is the pa.s.sage:--

_A._ Why, I did think that all these monstrous fish Were cannibals.

_B._ What can you mean, my friend?

_A._ Why, cannibals: so how would any man eat them?

_B._ That's true. But these are food of Hecate, Which he is speaking of, just sprats and mullets.

There is also one kind which is called the leucomaenis, or white sprat, which some people call the boax. Poliochus, in his Corinthiastes, says--

Let no man, in G.o.d's name I beg, persuade you, Come when he will or whence, so to mistake As to call leucomaenides boaces.

93. There is also the melanurus, or black-tail; and concerning this fish Numenius says, in his Art of Fishing:--

The scorpion or melanurus black, The guide and leader of the perch.

But Icesius says that he is very like the sargus, but that he is inferior to the latter in the quant.i.ty and quality of his juice, and also in delicacy of flavour; but that he is rather exciting food, and very nutritious. And Epicharmus mentions him in his Hebe's Marriage:--

There were sargini, there were melanuri.

Aristotle too, in his treatise on Animals, writes thus: "There are some fish which have barred or spotted tails, among which are the melanuri, and the sargi or sardine; and they have many lines on their skin, dark lines. But Speusippus affirms, in the second book of his treatise on Things similar to one another, that the fish called psyrus resembles the melanurus; but Numenius calls the psyrus, psorus, with an ?, saying--

The psorus, or the salpe, or the dragon-fish Which haunts the sh.o.r.e.

94. There is also a fish called the mormyrus, a most nutritious fish, as Icesius says. But Epicharmus, in his Hebe's Marriage, calls it the myrmes, unless, at least, he means a different fish by this name. But his expression is--

The sea-swallow, the myrmes too, And they are larger than the colias tunny.

But Dorion, in his book upon Fishes, calls them mormylus, with a ?.

But Lynceus of Samos, in his treatise on the Art of buying Fish, which he addressed to some friend of his, who was very difficult to please when making his purchases, says, "But it is not a useless plan, with reference to men who are obstinate, and who will not abate their price, when you are standing by to disparage their fish, quoting Archestratus (who wrote the book called The voluptuous Life), or some other poet, and repeating this verse:--

The mormyrus that haunts the pebbly sh.o.r.e, Is a bad, good-for-nothing, worthless fish.

And again you may quote--

Buy an amia in the autumn . . . .

'But now 'tis spring.' And again you may proceed, if it should be the proper season--

How good the cestreus is when winter comes.

'But now,' you will say, 'it is summer.' And you will go on in this way for some time; and in this way you will drive away a good many of those who are standing about, and who might become purchasers. So when you have done this, you will by this means compel the man to take whatever price you choose to give."

95. There is also the torpedo. Plato, or Cantharus, says, in the Alliance--

A boil'd torpedo is delicious food.

But Plato the Philosopher says, in the Meno, "You seem very much to resemble the sea-torpedo; for that fish causes any one who comes near it to become torpid." And an allusion to the name occurs also in Homer, where he says--

His hand was torpid (?????se) at the wrist.

But Menander, in his Pha.n.u.s, uses the termination a, and says--

A certain torpor (????a) creeps o'er all my skin;

though no one of the ancient writers ever used this form of the word.

But Icesius says that it is a fish without much nutriment or much juice in it, but that it has some cartilaginous sort of substance diffused all over it, very good for the stomach. And Theophrastus, in his book on Animals which live in Holes, says that the torpedo works its way underground because of the cold. But in his treatise on Poisonous Animals, and on Animals which sting, he says that the torpedo can send the power which proceeds from it through wood, and through harpoons, so as to produce torpor in those who have them in their hands. But Clearchus the Solensian has explained the cause of this in his treatise on Torpor; but, since his explanation is rather a long one, I do not recollect his exact words, but will refer you to the treatise itself.

But the torpedo, says Aristotle, is one of the cartilaginous and viviparous fish; and, to provide itself with food, it hunts after little fish, touching them, and causing them all to become torpid and motionless. And Diphilus of Laodicea, in his essay on the Theriaca of Nicander, says that it is not every part of the animal which produces this torpor, but only some particular parts of it; and he says that he has arrived at this fact by a long series of experiments. But Archestratus speaks of--

A boil'd torpedo done in oil and wine, And fragrant herbs, and some thin grated cheese.

Alexis, in his Galatea, says--

I counsel you to season well and stuff Torpedos whole, and then to roast them thoroughly.

And in his Demetrius he says--

Then I took a torpedo, calculating If my wife touch'd it with her tender fingers That they would get no hurt from its backbone.

96. There is also the sword-fish. Aristotle says that this fish has its lower jaw short, but its upper one bony, long, and in fact as large as all the rest of the body of the fish; and this upper jaw is what is called the sword; but that this fish has no teeth. And Archestratus says--

But take a slice of sword-fish when you go To fair Byzantium, and take the vertebrae Which bend his tail. He's a delicious fish, Both there and where the sharp Pelorian cape Juts out towards the sea.

Now, who is then so great a general, or so great a critic in dishes and banquets, as this poet from Gela[494:1] (or, I should rather say, from Catagela), who, for the sake of his epicurism, sailed through those straits; and who also, for the sake of the same epicurism, investigated the different qualities and juices of each separate part of every fish, as if he had been laying the foundation of some science which was useful to human life?

97. There is also a fish called the orphos (??f??); but the word is also spelt with an ? (??f??), as Pamphilus tells us. But Aristotle, in the fifth book of his Parts of Animals, where he says that the growth of most fish is very rapid, says, "The orphos also grows to a large fish from a little one with great rapidity; but he is a carnivorous fish, with serrated teeth, and of a solitary disposition. And there is this peculiarity in him, that it cannot be ascertained what means he has of propagating his species, and that he can live a long time after he has been cut in pieces. He is also one of those fish which bury themselves in holes during the winter season, and he is fond of keeping close to the land, rather than of going into the deep sea; but he does not live more than two years. And Numenius, speaking of this fish, says--

Now with such baits as these it is not hard To draw the lengthy scorpion from his bed, Or the rough orphus: for they're easily caught.

And in another place he says--

The grayling, or the sea-born race of orphi, Or the dark flesh'd sea-blackbird.

But Dorion says that the young orphus is called by some the orphacines.

And Archippus says, in his Fishes,--

The orphus came to them, the priest o' the G.o.d.

And Cratinus says, in his Ulysses,--