Audiobook Fishing from the Earliest Times

The work surveys the pedigree of fishing from the Old Stone Age through classical antiquity, challenging the traditional notion that fishing was merely a sordid, utilitarian trade devoid of skill. The author analyzes the earliest fishing implements, discussing the debated evolution from the primitive spear and gorge to the net, the line, and the hook. Special attention is given to Homeric and Hesiodic references, exploring the historical transition from the early Greek abstention from fish to the extravagant opsophagy of the later Roman Empire. Detailed examinations of classical authors such as Aristotle, Pliny, Oppian, and Ælian illuminate the natural history of marine life, the habits of the tunny and the scarus, and the early origins of artificial fly fishing in Macedonia. Throughout, the text weaves together archæological data, folklore, and literary criticism to present a comprehensive study of ancient piscatorial culture.