Nature and Art, August 1, 1866.] 
ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN FIELD SPORTS. 
(17 
“ My son,” said he, with a smile on his counte- 
nance, “you so far resemble Socrates, that whereas 
he chose the most ill-tempered woman for his wife, 
in order that if he gained the ascendancy over her 
he would have no difficulty in subduing all other 
women, so you seem to think that your subjuga- 
tion of a high-mettled horse will enable you to deal 
with the rest.” “ Precisely so,” responded Gryl- 
lus. “But,” answered Xenophon, “you must be 
careful to hit upon the right means of doing this ; 
you must ascertain whether your animal is obsti- 
nately vicious, or whether his intractability may 
be due to some cause independent of his disposition. 
In any case, such a contest with him as you just 
now indulged in is a mistake, and unbecoming a 
generous mind.” 
“ Did you give orders to the huntsman to put 
doAvn the traps for the deer 1 ” asked Diodorus of 
his father. “ I did,” was the reply. The party 
now moved away in search of a stag, accompanied 
by live or six Indian dogs, led in couples, and 
several men with hunting-spears ; they proceeded 
to some hilly land adjoining Mount Plioloe. 
Whilst they are on the way, let us endeavour 
to describe the method of capturing deer as 
practised in the time of Xenophon. If it savours 
a little of what modem English sportsmen would 
regard as poaching, we must remember that before 
the days of gunpowder it was no easy matter to 
take wild animals in a thickly- wooded country 
without the adoption of various devices in the 
shape of nets and snares. The wary stags, even 
now-a-days not easily stalked with dog and rifle, 
could seldom be taken in a thickly-wooded country 
in a fair chase. Besides, as I have said in a pre- 
vious paper, the flesh of wild animals was more 
important as an article of diet than it is in modern 
England. V enison is now a luxury for the rich ; 
in ancient times sporting was not only a pastime, 
but a means of subsistence. At any rate, on the 
occasion in question, Philesia, the placeus uxor of 
the old general of Scillus, required venison for the 
great entertainment she was .so busy providing. 
So the huntsman (rur^ye'rjje) had received especial 
orders to set a number of traps in places frequented 
by the deer. These necessary paraphernalia of a 
Greek sportsman were used principally in the cap- 
ture of deer and wild boars. They appear to have 
been of the form depicted in the accompanying 
illustration, though, owing to want of perspicuity 
in the description which Xenophon has given of 
them, it is not possible to speak positively as to 
all their details. These traps, then, which were 
called podostrabas, i. e. literally, “nooses for the 
feet,” consisted of a circular crown of yew twigs, 
twisted strongly together-. In this were fixed 
several spikes of tough yew-wood and iron alter- 
nately, the latter being the lal-ger ; these spikes 
probably radiated towards the centre of the circle, 
but we have no accurate information on this point. 
We are not told what was the ordinary diameter of 
these circular crowns of yew-wood, but I appre- 
hend it was about two feet. The spikes were equi- 
distant, and so arranged that they permitted the foot 
of the animal to pass between them, and then closed 
upon the leg. To the periphery of the p>odostrabe, 
a strong noose, or eye, of 
twisted hemp was firmly 
attached, to which again 
was fastened a rope of the 
same material, bearing at 
its other end a clog of oak 
timber, perhaps about 22 
inches long and I inches 
broad, with the bark still 
adhering to it. Such was 
the fashion of this instru- 
ment, and it was set as 
follows : — A round hole 
was dug in the ground 
about 1^ foot deep, equal 
in diameter at the top to 
the crown of the podostrabe , 
and gradually narrowing 
below ; another hole was 
made for the clog, and a 
channel for the rope. The 
circular part of the snare 
was then placed in the 
round hole, and the clog 
and rope each in their re- 
spective places, and all was 
covered over with leaves 
and earth. 
Several of these snares, 
then, were placed, the night 
previously, in localties fre- 
quented by the deer, and 
many eager eyes were 
watching for indications that an animal had been 
caught by msyj or other of them. It is necessary to 
state that the deer was never retained by the snare 
in the spot where he had been hampered, but that he 
always pulled it up, the trap having fastened itself 
to one of his legs. The mingled feelings of terror and 
rage which a noble stag would exhibit as he rushed 
wildly onwards, the snare grasping his limb, and it 
caught by a fore foot, the clog beating against his 
face, may be easily imagined. The party had not 
long to search for a snare which had been turned up. 
Diodorus* was the first to summon his companions, 
who ran quickly up to him. “ See here, he cried, 
with great glee, “ an animal is in a trap somewhere 
hereabouts, if we can only find him ; and a fine 
stag he is, too,” he added, as his sharp eyes detected 
the print of a deer’s foot on a narrow pathway on 
the hill. Two large dogs were immediately loosed, 
and began to try to pick up the scent. Then all 
joined in the pursuit, the huntsman cheering on 
the hounds. “ At him, good dogs ! Bravo, Thymus ! 
Well done, Alee! Forward, forward, clogs !” The 
scent, howevei*, was not very good, and the dogs 
were often at fault. Then the numerous party 
dispersed seeking the track of the clog along the 
* As the huntsman knew where the traps were set, of 
course he would, point out the place to the hunters, and 
enjoin caution. 
F 
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