Plutarch, De sollertia animalium, Harold Cherniss (Translator), William C. Helmbold (Translator), 26

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[26] Now fishermen, observing that most fish evade the striking of the hook by such countermoves as wrestlers use, resorted, like the Persians,¹ to force and used the dragnet, since for those caught in it there could be no escape with the help of reason or cleverness. For mullet and rainbow-wrasse² are caught by casting-nets and round nets, as are also the bream³ and the sargue⁴ and the goby⁵ and the sea-bass. The so-called net fish, that is surmullet⁶ and gilthead⁷ and sculpin,⁸ are caught in seines by trawling: accordingly it was quite correct for Homer⁹ to call this kind of net a catch-all. Codfish,¹⁰ like bass,¹¹ have devices even against these. For when the bass perceives that the trawl is approaching, it forces the mud apart and hammers a hollow in the bottom. When it has made room enough to allow the net to overrun it, it thrusts itself in and waits until the danger is past.

Now when the dolphin is caught and perceives itself to be trapped in the net, it bides its time, not at all disturbed but well pleased, for it feasts without stint on the fish that have been gathered with no trouble to itself. But as soon as it comes near the shore, it bites its way through the net and makes its escape. Yet if it should not get away in time, on the first occasion it suffers no harm: the fishermen merely sew rushes to its crest and let it go. But if it is taken a second time, they recognize it from the seam and punish it with a beating. This, however, rarely occurs: most dolphins are grateful for their pardon in the first instance and take care to do no harm in the future.¹²

Further, among the many examples of wariness, precaution, or evasion, we must not pass over that of the cuttlefish¹³: it has the so-called mytis¹⁴ beside the neck¹⁵ full of black liquid, which they call ink.¹⁶ When it is come upon, it discharges the liquid to the purpose that the sea shall be inked out and create darkness around it while it slips through and eludes the fisherman’s gaze. In this it imitates Homer’s¹⁷ gods who often in a dark cloud snatch up and smuggle away those whom they are pleased to save. But enough of this.

De sollertia animalium. Plutarch. Harold Cherniss (Translator), William C. Helmbold (Translator). Cambridge, MA. 1957.

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Current edition Perseus

Whether land or sea animals are cleverer (English) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. XII. Cherniss, Harold, and Helmbold, William C., translators. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1957 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Πότερα τῶν ζῴων φρονιμώτερα τὰ χερσαῖα ἢ τὰ ἔνυδρα Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol. VI. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1895.) — 26 focus

[26]

ΦΑΙΔΙΜΟΣ.

οἱ δʼ ἁλιεῖς συνορῶντες ὥσπερ ἀλεξήμασι 15 παλαισμάτων τὰ πλεῖστα διακρουόμενα τὰς ἀπʼ ἀγκίστρου βολὰς ἐπὶ βίας ἐτράπησαν, καθάπερ οἱ Πέρσαι σαγηνεύοντες, ὡς τοῖς ἐνσχεθεῖσιν οὐδεμίαν 977f ἐκ λογισμοῦ καὶ σοφίας διάφευξιν οὖσαν. ἀμφιβλήστροις μὲν γὰρ καὶ ὑποχαῖς κεστρεῖς καὶ ἰουλίδες 20 ἁλίσκονται, μόρμυροί τε καὶ σαργοὶ καὶ κωβιοὶ καὶ λάβρακες· τὰ δὲ βολιστικὰ καλούμενα, τρίγλαν καὶ χρυσωπὸν καὶ σκορπίον, γρίποις τε καὶ σαγήναις σύρουσι περιλαμβάνοντες τῶν δικτύων οὖν τὸ γένος ὀρθῶς Ὅμηρος πανάγραν προσεῖπεν. ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς 25 ταῦτα μηχαναὶ ταῖς γαλαῖς εἰσιν ὥσπερ τῷ λάβρακι συρομένην γὰρ αἰσθανόμενος βίᾳ διίστησι καὶ τύπτει κοιλαίνων τοὔδαφος ὅταν δὲ ποιήσῃ ταῖς ἐπιδρομαῖς τοῦ δικτύου χώραν, ἔωσεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ προσέχεται, μέχρι ἂν παρέλθῃ. δελφὶς δὲ περιληφθείς, 5 ὅταν συναίσθηται γεγονὼς ἐν ἀγκάλαις σαγήνης, ὑπομένει μὴ ταραττόμενος ἀλλὰ χαίρων· εὐωχεῖται γὰρ ἄνευ πραγματείας ἀφθόνων ἰχθύων παρόντων ὅταν δὲ πλησίον τῇ γῇ προσίῃ, φαγὼν 978a τὸ δίκτυον ἄπεισιν. εἰ δὲ μὴ φθαίη διαφυγών, τὸ 10 πρῶτον οὐδὲν ἔπαθε δεινὸν ἀλλὰ διαρράψαντες αὐτοῦ περὶ τὸν λόφον ὁλοσχοίνους ἀφῆκαν· αὖθις δὲ ληφθέντα πληγαῖς κολάζουσι, γνωρίσαντες ἐκ τοῦ διαρράμματος. σπανίως δὲ τοῦτο συμβαίνει συγγνώμης γὰρ τυγχάνοντες τὸ πρῶτον εὐγνωμονοῦσιν 15 οἱ πλεῖστοι καὶ φυλάττονται τὸ λοιπὸν μὴ ἀδικεῖν. ἔτι δὲ πολλῶν τῶν πρὸς εὐλάβειαν καὶ προφυλακὴν καὶ ἀπόδρασιν ὄντων παραδειγμάτων, οὐκ ἄξιόν ἐστι τὸ τῆς σηπίας παρελθεῖν. τὴν γὰρ καλουμένην μύτιν παρὰ τὸν τράχηλον ἔχουσα πλήρη 20 ζοφερᾶς ὑγρότητος, ἣν θόλον καλοῦσιν, ὅταν καταλαμβάνηται, 978b μεθίησιν ἔξω, τεχνωμένη, τῆς θαλάττης διαθολωθείσης ποιήσασα περὶ αὑτὴν σκότος, ὑπεκδῦναι καὶ ἀποδρᾶναι τὴν τοῦ θηρεύοντος ὄψιν· ἀπομιμουμένη τοὺς Ὁμήρου θεοὺς κυανέῃ νεφέλῃ 25 πολλάκις οὓς; ἂν σῶσαι θέλωσιν ὑφαιρουμένους καὶ διακλέπτοντας. ἀλλὰ τούτων μὲν ἅλις.

Translations (1)

Which are the most crafty, water-animals or those creatures that breed upon the land? Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. V. Goodwin, William W., editor; Philips, John, translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1874.) — 26 focus

[26] Now the fishermen, observing how that most fish avoided the casts of their hooks by cunning or by striving with the tackling, betook themselves to force,—as the Persians use to serve their enemies in their wars,¹— making use of nets, that there might be no escape for those that were caught either by the help of reason or subtlety. Thus mullets and the fish called julides are taken with sweep-nets and drag-nets, as are also several other sorts of fish called mormuri, sargi, gobii, and labraces; those that are called casting-nets catch the mullet, the gilthead, and the scorpion fish; and therefore Homer calls this sort of net πανάγρα, or the all-sweeper.² And yet there are some fish that are too cunning for these nets. Thus the labrax, perceiving the drawing of the sweep-net, with the force of his body beats a hollow place in the mud, where he lays himself close till the net be gone over him. But as for the dolphin, when he finds himself taken and in the midst of the net, he remains there without being in the least perplexed, but falls to with a great deal of joy, and feasts upon the numerous fry within the meshes; but so soon as he comes near the shore, he bites his way through the net with his teeth and swims away. Or if he chance to be taken, the fishermen do him no other harm the first time, but only sew a sort of large bulrush to the finny crown upon his head, and so let him go. If they take him a second time, they punish him with stripes, well knowing him again by the prints of the needle. But that rarely happens. For having got pardon the first time, for the most part of them, they acknowledge the favor, and abstain from spoil for the future.

Moreover, among the many examples that make evident the wariness of fish in avoiding the deceits and craft of the fishermen, it would not be convenient to pass by that of the cuttle-fish. For this fish, carrying near his neck at certain black and inky sort of liquor, so soon as he perceives himself discovered, throws that liquor forth, and darkens all the water round about him in such a manner makes his escape; imitating therein Homer’s Deities, who, when they had a mind to save any of their heroes, hid them in an azure cloud. But of this enough.

Notes on the current edition

Whether land or sea animals are cleverer

1. Cf. Herodotus, vi. 31; iii. 149; Plato, Laws 698 d; Fraenkel on Aesch. Agam. 358. On kinds of nets see Mair, L.C.L. Oppian, pp. xl ff.

2. Coris iulis Gth. Cf. Thompson on Aristotle, Historia Animal. ix. 3 (610 b 7); A Glossary of Greek Fishes, p. 91; Schmid, op. cit. p. 292; Brands, op. cit. p. 157; Cotte, op. cit. pp. 59-60; Saint-Denis, op. cit. p. 52.

3. In particular, probably Pagellus mormyrus C.V. On the identification cf. Thompson on Aristotle, Historia Animal. vi. 7 (570 b 20); Glossary, p. 161; Cotte, op. cit. pp. 105-107; Saint-Denis, op. cit. pp. 65-66.

4. In particular, probably Sargus culgaris Geoff. On the identification Cf. Thompson on Aristotle, Historia Animal. v. 9 (543 a 7); Glossary, pp. 227-228; Cotte, op. cit. pp. 105-107; Saint-Denis, op. cit. pp. 99, 107-108; Keller, Die antike Tierwelt, ii, p. 370; Gossen-Steier, RE, Second Series, ii. 365.

5. A term mostly for the black goby, Gobius niger L., the most common Mediterranean species. On the identification Cf. Thompson on Aristotle, Historia Animal. viii. 14 (598 a 12); Glossary, pp. 137-139; Gossen, RE, Second Series, ii. 794-796.

6. The red or plain surmullet, Mullus barbatus L., and the striped or common surmullet, Mullus surmuletus L. On this fish cf. Cotte, op. cit. pp. 98-101; Keller, op. cit. ii, pp. 364 f.; Prechac, Revue d. Et. Lat. xiv (1936), pp. 102-105; xvii (1939), p. 279; Saint-Denis, op. cit. pp. 68 f.; Schmid, op. cit. pp. 310-312; Steier, RE, xvi. 496-503; Thompson, Glossary, pp. 264-268; Andrews, Class. Weekly, xlii (1949), pp. 186-188.

7. Chrysophrys aurata C.V., called gilthead from the golden band that runs from eye to eye. On this fish cf. Wellmann, RE, iii. 2517-2518; Keller, op. cit. ii, pp. 369 ff.; RE, vii. 1578; Schmid, op. cit. pp. 297-298; Thompson, Glossary, pp. 292-294; Cotte, op. cit. pp. 73-74; Saint-Denis, op. cit. pp. 80-81.

8. Scorpaena scrofa, L. and S. porcus L. On this fish Cf. Cotte, op. cit. pp. 111-113; Saint-Denis, op. cit. pp. 103-104; Thompson on Aristotle, Historia Animal. v. 9 (543 a 7); Glossary, pp. 245 f.

9. Iliad, v. 487; Cf. Platt, Class. Quart. v, p. 255; Fraenkel, Aesch. Agam. ii, p. 190.

10. Principally the hake and rockling, Phycis sp. and Motella sp. Not to be confused with γαλεός, a general term for sharks and dogfishes. Cf. Andrews, Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, xxxix (1949), pp. 1-16.

11. Cf. Oppian, Hal. iii. 121 ff.

12. On the alliance of dolphins and fisherman see Aelian, De Natura Animal. ii. 8; xi. 12; Pliny, Nat. Hist. ix. 29 ff.

13. Cf. Aristotle, Historia Animal. ix. 37 (621 b 28); Athenaeus, 323 d-e; Pliny, Nat. Hist. ix. 84; Horace, Sat. i. 4. 100; Aelian, De Natura Animal. i. 34; Mair on Oppian, Hal. iii. 156.

14. Aristotle, Historia Animal. iv. 1 (524 b 15); De Part. Animal. iv. 5 (679 a 1).

15. Under the mouth, says Aristotle.

16. Tholos, mud, turbidity.

17. For example, Iliad, v. 345.

Plutarch De sollertia animalium 26

Harold Cherniss (Translator), William C. Helmbold (Translator)

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