CHAPTER VIII 
THE TWO PLINYS—MARTIAL—WAS THE ROD 
JOINTED ? 
AFTER Theocritus we reach the period which chronologically 
might perhaps be termed that of the Roman writers, although 
our two greatest authorities on Fish Lure and Lore wrote in 
Greek, some three to four centuries after Plautus (c. 254- 
184 B.C.) had produced his Rudens. 
This, the first Latin play, I believe, introducing fishermen 
on the stage, re-echoes the Greek note of poverty and misery. 
In Act II., Sc. 2, Trachalio asks, “‘ Shellfish-gatherers, and hook- 
fishers, hungry race of men, how fare ye? ”’ and receives the 
answer, ‘‘ Just as befits fishermen; with hunger, thirst, and 
expectation.’”” The wretchedness of their calling is made 
further manifest in Act II., Sc. 1. 
Descriptions of fishermen are found in Latin adaptations 
of Greek plays. The Latin mimes, as did the Greek, often 
display fishermen as characters. The Latin references to 
actual fishing not only far outnumber the Greek, but also, 
unlike the Greek, which are almost solely concerned with sea 
fishing, frequently treat of river and lake fishing. Plautus, 
Cicero, Horace, Ovid,! Juvenal, Tibullus, Pliny the Elder and 
the Younger, Martial, and Ausonius, by no means conclude the 
list of our Roman authors. 
It may be fairly asked, why I omit any special notice of so 
valuable and voluminous work as the Natural History of 
Pliny the Elder. 
1 Ovid has, I believe, more piscatory passages than any other poet, 
except professional writers, such as Oppian. His ten years’ banishment to 
Tomi at the mouth of the Danube and on the shores of the fishful Euxine no 
doubt added to his love and his mention of Fishing. 
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