Vlll INTRODUCTION. 



a mark of such disrespect, that he banished him to 

 the island of Malta. Oppian, with filial piety, accom 

 panied his father in his exile, and there wrote his 

 Halieuticks ; or, the nature of Fishes, and Fishing ; 

 thought to he one of the finest remains of antiquity. 



According to the custom of those times, Oppian 

 recited his Halieuticks in a public theatre, before the 

 emperor, who was so delighted with the sweetness of 

 the composition, the novelty of the subject, and pro 

 bably the flattery of himself, and his son Caracalla, 

 who reigned jointly with his father, diffused through 

 out the whole poem, that in order also to support his 

 character as a patron of learning, of which he was 

 proud, he desired Oppian to ask what he would, 

 nothing should be denied to him. Oppian prayed 

 for the restoration of his father to liberty, and to his 

 country ; the emperor not only granted this, but pre 

 sented him with 3,506 staters of gold, each stater 

 being about 16s. 4.d., or together then of the value of 

 2863 2s. 8d. The munificent gift at the present 

 time would be enormous in value. 



Oppian was, no doubt, personally engaged in the 

 diversions he so well describes, and also availed him 

 self of all the knowledge of more ancient philosophers 

 in the prosecution of his studies as a naturalist ; he 

 united the utile et duke, the philosopher with the 



