HALIEUTICA, I. 457-4-88 



the great depth protects the fishes from the pangs of 

 cold and the cruel assault of whiter. But when the 

 flower>- hours of spring smile brightly on the earth 

 and with fine weather the sea has respite from winter 

 and there is calm water vrith a gentle swell, then 

 from this quarter and from that the fishes come 

 trooping joyfully nigh the land. As when, happily 

 escaped from the cloud of ruinous war, some city 

 dear to the deathless gods, which long time the 

 brazen storm of foemen beset as with a flood, at last 

 ceases gladly from strife and recovers her breath ; 

 she rejoices and takes her delight in the eager labours 

 of peace and in cahn weather holds festival, full of 

 the dancing of men and women ; even so the fishes, 

 gladly escaped from sorrowful affliction and rough 

 seas, rush exultant over the wave, leaping like 

 dancers. And in spring the sweet goad of compelUng 

 desire and mating and mutual love are in season 

 among all that move upon the fruitful earth and in 

 the folds of air and in the bellowing sea. In spring ** 

 the Birth-goddesses deliver most part of the fishes 

 from the hea\y travail of spa\\Tiing. The female, in 

 their desire to ffive birth and to bring: forth, rub 

 their tender belUes in the sand ; for the eggs do not 

 part easily but are closely entangled together within 

 the belly, confusedly cohering — how could they bring 

 forth the mass ? — and, painfully straitened, they 

 with diificulty pass their spawn. So not even on the 

 fishes have the Fates bestowed easy birth, and not 

 alone to women upon earth are there pains, but 

 everywhere the birth-pangs are grievous. As for 

 the males, on the other hand, some hasten to approach 



° A. 570 b 11 oi d( TOACOt yivovrai rots fiiv pvafftv tov eapos, Kai 

 Totj irXtiffTots 5€ irepi tt]v eapivriV iffrj/jLepiav. Cf. Plin. ix. 162. 



253 



