142 PLINY— MARTIAL— WAS THE ROD JOINTED? 



My reasons are three. First, my book contains numberless 

 references to or quotations from it. Second, none of its 

 thirty-seven Books presents any controversial questions of 

 angling interest — such as " Where is to be found the first 

 mention of the Rod, or Fly ? " — questions which demand for 

 Martial and /EHan a full discussion. Third, my notice of 

 Aristotle, on the principle that the greater includes the less, 

 renders any lengthy comment on Pliny almost superfluous. 



The Natural History of the latter, at any rate as far as fish 

 and fishing are concerned, for the most part repeats the Natural 

 History of the former, except in such instances as the caudal 

 losses caused by the enmity between the Lupus and the Mugil, 

 and between the Conger and the Murcsna, where it exactly 

 reverses Aristotle's statement. i • 



These and other instances, in addition to his words (IX. 88), 

 " Nigidius auctor est," and (X. 19) " Nigidius tradit," led 

 J. G. Schneider 2 to conclude that it is open to grave doubt, 

 whether Pliny ever read Aristotle at all in the original Greek. 

 The probabilities, indeed, point to his having used for his 

 Natural History the translation into Latin of Aristotle, which 

 Nigidius Figulus, a friend of Cicero's and (according to Gellius) 

 next to Varro the most learned of the Romans, published with 

 additions apparently of his own.3 



In Pliny the Younger, and Martial (perhaps Ovid in a lesser 

 degree) one finds what among our classical writers seems the 

 nearest approach to our English sportsm.an, delighting in his 

 own place, however small, in the country, and in country 

 pursuits. These writers, in spite of living half the year 

 or more in Rome, fall within our conception of country 

 sportsmen. 



Most of the others seem more intent on bringing the scent 

 of the hay before the footlights than on making us realise any 

 real joy of fishing. They resemble more the week-enders of 



* Arist., N. H., IX. 13., Pliny, IX. 88. Hardouin suggests that Pliny may 

 have learned this fact from the works of Nigidius Figulus. 



- Cf. J. G. Schneider, Petri Artedi Synionymia Pisciiim, etc., Lipsiae, 1789. 

 This work is an excellent example of the learning and industry of this most 

 versatile editor and commentator : in nearly all points that are matters of 

 doubt or dispute I have followed him. 



* Ibid., p. 70. 



