226 FISH IN SACRIFICES— VIVARIA— ARCHIMEDES 



treUised Vineyard, lier Temple to Venus, her Library with its 

 floor of mosaics exhibiting a series of subjects taken from the 

 Iliad, and, lastly, in the bow by the side of the huge reservoir of 

 21,000 gallons, her water-tight well, made of planks lined with 

 lead, and filled with s^a-water, in which a great number of fish 

 were always kept — if all these wonders of a ship, launched over 

 2200 years ago, do not cause us to think a little, and to abate 

 our boasts over our Imperators and Olympics, then to the 

 cocksure conceit of the twentieth century naught is of avail, 

 not even the account given by Moschion.' 



Disregarding the practical directions of Varro (whom 

 Schneider 2 stamps, with regard to fish, etc., as a mere plagiarist 

 of Greek authors), of Columella, and in a lesser degree of Pliny 

 how to construct and conduct paying stew-ponds, and turning 

 a deaf ear to Varro 's warning that " to build, stock, and keep 

 them up was most costly," the Romans thought no money, 

 no time, too much to expend on vivaria.^ Possession and 

 cultivation of fish in vivaria, which were sometimes made in 

 the dining-room, became the one delight of these " Tritones 

 Piscinarum," as Cicero dubs two of his friends. 



The primary cause for their existence, a ready supply of 

 fresh fish in a hot climate, was forgotten. Other owners 

 resembled Hortensius, who (according to Varro) " not only was 

 never entertained by his fish at table, but was scarcely ever 

 easy, unless engaged in entertaining or fattening them." The 

 death of " his friend," the Murcena, between whom and himself 

 such a close attachment existed, almost broke his heart. ^ 



* The existence of such gigantic craft has been called in question, but is 

 proved by an inscription from the temple of the Paphian Aphrodite in Cyprus, 

 which commemorates a builder of an elKOffvpvs and a t piaKovT7\pris (W. Ditten- 

 berger, Orientis Graci Inscriptiones Selector (Lipziae, 1903), 1. 64, no. 39). See 

 also, L. Whibley, A Companion to Greek Studies (Cambridge, 1916), p. 584 f. 

 Athen., V. 40-44. Caligula built two ships for cruising and fishing up and 

 down the Campanian coast : their poops blazed with jewels. They were 

 fitted up with ample baths, galleries, and saloons, while a great variety of 

 vines and fruit trees were cultivated. Suetonius, Cal. 37. Divers have 

 discovered at the bottom of Lake Nemi two imperial house-boats of enormous 

 size, the timbers of which are decked with bronze reliefs of magnificent work- 

 manship. See V. Malfatti, Le navi romaiie del Icigo di Xemi, 1903. 



* Op. cit., p. 246. 



» Cf. Tibullus. II. 3. 45. 



" Claudit et indomitum moles mare, lentus ut intra 

 Neglegat hibernas piscis adesse minas." 



* Plinv, IX. 81. 



