CHAPTER XV 



THE FEELERS OF THE BARBED MULLET 



The ancient Romans were exceedingly fond of fish. 

 In this way they made up for the frugality of their 

 ordinary diet which, for the most part, consisted of 

 bread, cooked pastry, vegetables, fruit, and milk. 

 Like all southern peoples, they did not eat much 

 meat, keeping it for great occasions, religious feasts, 

 and banquets. Fish gave their vegetarian menu a 

 touch of delicacy which they appreciated and sought, 

 as the inhabitants of Mediterranean towns still do. 

 In the year 701 of the Roman era, that is about half 

 a century before the birth of Christ, Titus Annius 

 Papianus Milo, Sulla's son-in-law, was accused of 

 having caused a riot accompanied by bloodshed. 

 He entrusted his defence to his friend Cicero; but 

 the latter, alarmed by the posting of armed soldiers 

 round the Forum on the day of the trial by Pompey's 

 orders, did not dare to plead the cause as cogently 

 as he might have done. Milo was exiled and fled to 

 Marseilles. Later, Cicero, having made out his case 

 in full — the famous Oratio pro Milone — sent a copy of 

 it to the exile. After reading it, Milo said: " It is a 

 pity that my lawyer never made this excellent speech, 

 for I should assuredly have been acquitted. But, then, 

 I should never have come to live at Marseilles, where 

 I have such excellent fish to eat every day." 



Later, under the emperors after the time of Cicero 

 and his client, wealth poured down on Rome, and the 

 art of cooking became more luxurious. The simple 

 dishes of earlier days developed into something more 

 elaborate. Fresh supplies of sea fish were continually 



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