Book 3
71
But Alexis speaks of fried fish in his Demetrius, as he does also in the before-mentioned play. And Eubulus says, in his Orthane— Now each fair woman walks about the streets, Fond of fried fish and stout Triballian youths. Then there is beet-root and canary-grass Mix'd up in forcemeat with the paunch of lamb, Which leaps within one's stomach like a colt Scarce broken to the yoke. Meanwhile the bellows Waken the watchful hounds of Vulcan's pack, And stir the frying-pan with vapours warm. The fragrant steam straight rises to the nose, And fills the sense with odours. Then comes the daughter of the bounteous Ceres, Fair wheaten flour, duly mash'd, and press'd Within the hollow of the gaping jaws, Which like the trireme's hasty shock comes on, The fair forerunner of a sumptuous feast. I have also eaten cuttle-fish fried. But Nicostratus or Philetærus says, in the Antyllus—I never again will venture to eat cuttle-fish which has been dressed in a frying-pan. But Hegemon, in his Philinna, introduces men eating the roe fried, saying— Go quickly, buy of them that polypus, And fry the roe, and give it us to eat.
