468 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book IX. 



gius Grata, 18 who established them, at Baise, in the time of L. 

 Crassus, the orator, just before the Marsic War. This was 

 done by him, not for the gratification of gluttony, but of ava- 

 rice, as he contrived to make a large income by this exercise 

 of his ingenuity. He was the first, too, to invent hanging 

 baths, 19 and after buying villas and trimming them up, he 

 would every now and then sell them again. 20 He, too, was the 

 first to adjudge the pre-eminence for delicacy of flavour to the 

 oysters of Lake Lucrinus ; 21 for every kind of aquatic animal 

 is superior in one place to what it is in another, Thus, for in- 

 stance, the wolf- fish of the river Tiber is the best that is caught 

 between the two bridges, 22 and the turbot of Ravenna is the 

 most esteemed, the murena of Sicily, the elops of Rhodes ; the 

 same, too, as to the other kinds, not to go through all the items 

 of the culinary catalogue. The British 23 shores had not as yet 

 sent their supplies, at the time when Grata thus ennobled the 

 Lucrine oysters : at a later period, however, it was thought 

 worth while to fetch oysters all the way from Brundisium, at 

 the very extremity of Italy ; and in order that there might 

 exist no rivalry 24 between the two flavours, a plan has been 



18 He was a contemporary of L. Crassus, and was distinguished for his 

 great wealth, and his love of luxury and refinement, but possessed an un- 

 blemished character. His surname, Grata or Aurata, was given to him, it 

 is said, because he was remarkably fond of gold-fish auratse pisces 

 though, according to other authorities, it was because he was in the habit 

 of wearing two very large gold rings. 



19 it Pensiles balineas." This expression has been differently rendered by 

 various commentators, but it is now generally supposed to refer to the 

 manner in which the flooring of the bathing rooms was suspended over the 

 hollow cells of the hypocaust or heating furnace. This is called by Vi- 

 truvius, " Suspensura caldariorum." 



word ( 



up the villas with" the ""'balineie pensil 



gonizo" was to set off or trim up a thing, that it might sell again all the 



better. 



21 Varro speaks of those of Tarentum, as being the best. The Greeks 

 preferred the oysters of Abydos ; the Romans, under the empire, those of 

 Britain. 



22 It does not appear to be known what two bridges are here alluded to ; 

 the Sublician, or wooden bridge, was probably one of them, and, perhaps, 

 the Palatine bridge was the other. The former was built by Ancus 

 Martins. 



23 For some further account of the British oyster, see B. xxxii. c. 21. 

 M See B. xxxii. c. 21. 



