Nature and Art, December 1, 1866.] 
ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN FIELD SPORTS. 
239 
lair, it begins to bark, which, however, does not often rouse 
the boar. It will be necessary, therefore, to take the dog 
and tie him up with the others at some distance from the 
lair, and stretch the nets at the entrance to the thicket, 
hanging the meshes upon the forked branches of the wood. 
The net must be spread in a circuit extending outwards 
to some distance, placing branches of trees as supports on 
each side within, in order that the rays of light may 
penetrate through the meshes as much as possible into that 
circuit, and that the part within it may be as clear as 
possible for the animal when he rushes towards the nets. 
The rope that runs round each net must be fastened to some 
strong tree, and not to bushes. The open passages hard by 
must be stopped up, in order that the boar may rush into 
one or other of the nets.” (Xen. de Apris Venandis, cap. x.) 
The hunters are then told to return to the dogs, 
and unloose them, and to proceed with javelins and 
spears in hand. One of the most experienced is 
to go ill advance and cheer on the dogs, the rest to 
follow at short intervals between each of the party, 
for if the enraged animal made an attack upon a 
close body, he would be sure to wound some of them. 
The dogs are then to .start the boar from his lair ; 
and the hunters to throw their javelins at him, and 
to pelt him with stones, and to try to drive him 
into one of the nets. If the boar refuse to push 
forward into the net, some of the most skilful of 
the hunters are to go up to him and press on him 
with their javelins, and try to make him pull the 
rope that went round the net to its utmost stretch. 
If, notwithstanding all their efforts, the animal 
refuses to stretch the rope, and is resolved to turn 
back, then one of the party must take his boar- 
spear and go up to him, “holding the spear with 
the left hand on the fore part and his right on the 
hinder, for the left directs it, and the right impels 
it ; the left foot must be in advance, corresponding 
with the left hand, while the right is behind in 
accordance with the other hand.” The feet are 
to be placed about as far apart as in wrestling, and 
in this way the hunter is to advance with left side 
forward, “ looking straight into the very eye of the 
boar, and watching every movement of his head.” 
There is danger lest the animal by a side thrust of 
his head should wrest the spear out of the hunter’s 
hand ; should such a catastrophe occur, the hunter 
is recommended to throw himself flat on his face, 
clinging to whatever is below him ; for if the boar 
fall upon him in this position he will be unable to 
seize liis body, on account of his tusks being turned 
up (!) ; but if he attacks him standing erect, lie 
must neceesarily be wounded. We are next told 
that the boar will endeavour to raise the hunter up, 
and that if he cannot do so, he will trample upon 
him with his feet. At this critical juncture 
another hunter must come up close to the animal, 
and, by irritating him, draw his attention off 
from his prostrate companion on to himself. The 
other must then jump up, spear in hand, and try 
to thrust it in above the shoulder-blade of the boar, 
pressing against it with all his might ; the spear- 
guards will prevent the boar from reaching the 
hunter. 
“ So hot are the boar’s tusks,” adds Xenophon, “ when 
he is just dead, that if a person lays hairs upon them, the 
hairs shrivel up, and when the boar is alive they are 
actually red hot ( Biairvpoi ) when he is irritated, for other- 
wise he would not singe the tips of the dog’s hair when he 
misses a blow at their bodies ! ” 
Perhaps no poet of classical antiquity surpasses 
Ovid in the animated description he gives of the 
famous Calydonian Hunt. The picture of the 
wild boar which the angry Diana sent to ravage 
the country round Calydon, because (Eneus, king 
of that city, had neglected to sacrifice to the god- 
dess, is drawn with much spirit in a few striking 
lines. The mighty forest rising from the plain, its 
trees growing for ages, never thinned by man — 
“ Silva frequens trabibus quam nulla ceciderat setas,” 
amid whose tangled brushwood the great wild 
boar had his lair ; the neighbouring valley, with 
its rivulets of water, and pool surrounded by 
willows, ridges, rushes, and tall reeds, to which 
place Meleager and his comrades, lecta manus 
juvenum, tracked the monster ; the placing of 
the nets, the unleashing of the dogs, the search for 
foot tracks, the ardour which filled the hearts of 
the hunters, the sudden rush of the wild boar from 
the marshy places of the pool, the breaking and 
crashing of the trees of the wood by the animal’s 
impulse, the shout or “view halloo” of the party as 
he started off, the casting of javelins, the dispersion 
of the dogs, the accidents to the hunters, are all 
most charmingly described by this prince of Latin 
poets.* 
The flesh of the wild boar was held in very high 
estimation both by the ancient Greeks and Romans. 
It was the chief dish of a grand Roman supper 
(caput ccence), and was often placed whole upon the 
table. P. Servilius Rullus is said to have intro- 
duced this fashion, which in Pliny’s time was in 
use daily. It is alluded to in the well-known lines 
of Juvenal : — 
“ Quanta est gula, quae sibi totos 
Ponit apros, animal propter convivia natum.” 
Sat. i. 140. 
“ How great is that appetite which places before itself 
whole boars, animals especially created for banquets.” 
The wild boars from Umbria, fed on acorns, 
were in high repute for their excellent flavour, as 
were those of Lucania and Tuscany. Still there 
was difference of opinion as to the respective gusta- 
tory merits of this animal. Horace says, Lauren- 
tine boars were bad which had been fattened on 
reeds and aquatic plants. 
“ Nam Laurens malus est, ulvis et arundine pinguis.” 
Sat. ii. 14, 42. 
But Martial speaks of them approvingly. Pliny 
informs us that the rich Romans kept wild boars 
in Vivaria. (“Hat. Hist.” viii. 78.) The flesh of 
the wild boar was considered superior to that of 
the domestic hog, though anything in the shape of 
pig delighted the eyes of the old Romans. Martial 
(Ep. viii. 22) is very angry with Gallicus for 
asking him to dine off wild boai', and setting 
before him a home-fed pig. 
“ Invitas ad aprum ; ponismihi, Gallice, porcum, 
Hybrida sum, si das, Gallice, verba mihi.” 
# “ Quarterly Review” for October, 1865. 
