Book 3
85
To this Daphnus the Ephesian added,—Archestratus, who sailed round the whole world for the sake of finding out what was good to eat, and what pleasures he could derive from the use of his inferior members, says— And a large slice of fat Sicilian tunny, Carefully carved, should be immersed in brine. But the saperdes is a worthless brute, A delicacy fit for Ponticans And those who like it. For few men can tell How bad and void of strengthening qualities Those viands are. The scombrus should be kept Three days before you sprinkle it with salt, Then let it lie half-pickled in the cask. But when you come unto the sacred coast, Where proud Byzantium commands the strait, Then take a slice of delicate horeum, For it is good and tender in those seas. But that epicure Archestratus has omitted to enumerate the pickle-juice called elephantine, which is spoken of by Crates the comic poet, in his Samians; who says of it— A sea-born turtle in the bitter waves Bears in its skin the elephantine pickle; And crabs swift as the wind, and thin-wing'd pike, The text here is so corrupt as to be quite unintelligible.* * * * * But that the elephantine pickle of Crates was very celebrated Aristophanes bears witness, in his Thesmophoriazusæ, in these words— Sure comic poetry is a mighty food; Listen to Crates, he will tell you, how The elephantine pickle, easily made, Is dainty seas'ning; many other jokes Of the same kind he utter'd.
