Oppian – författare

Imperial Greek epos.Oppian of Cilicia flourished in the latter half of the second century, and dedicated his Fishing (in five books) to Antoninus, presumably Marcus Aurelius. It deals with the habits and characteristics of fish as well as giving instructions for fishing: if not exactly poetical, it contains a great deal of curious information. The Chase, dedicated to Caracalla, is an inferior composition and may even be the work of a Syrian imitator. The first book gives an appreciation of the huntsman’s horses and hounds, the three remaining being devoted to the hunting of wild animals, from the lion to the hare. This edition is equipped with extensive zoological and ichthyological notes. This volume also includes the extant work of two epic poets of Egypt who wrote in the second half of the fifth century under the influence of Nonnus. The Rape of Helen of Colluthus in 394 lines is a pleasant account of the Judgement of Paris and Helen’s elopement with him; Tryphiodorus (papyri reveal the correct spelling to be Triphiodorus) deals with The Taking of Troy in 691 lines, beginning with the Wooden Horse and ending with the sacrifice of Polyxena.

A vivid new translation of an ancient epic about the art—and thrill—of fishing that seems to channel Homer and Melville as it tells the story of a sea adventure for the agesFishing in the age of Marcus Aurelius could be a heroic endeavor—and not only if you were hunting a whale. How to Fish presents the first English verse translation since the eighteenth century of selections from On Sea Fishing, a little-known Greco-Roman epic poem addressed to an avid fisherman and Stoic philosopher who also happened to be the Emperor of Rome.The author, Oppian, dramatizes the contest between anglers and their prey in lines that borrow—half-ironically and half-heroically—from the language of warfare found in Homer’s Iliad. Oppian describes many fish species and tells how to catch them. But the longest episode of his poem, a whale hunt—included here in full—displays his epic and tragic techniques at their finest. Unjustly neglected for centuries, this epic fish tale deserves to take its place on the same shelf as other fishing classics such as Walton’s Compleat Angler.James Romm, a classicist by profession and saltwater fisherman by obsession, provides a lively new translation and an introduction in which he recalls his first encounter with Oppian’s On Sea Fishing as a graduate student and weekend fishing warrior. In addition to the original Greek on facing pages, the volume features illustrations of the poem by acclaimed artist and angler James Prosek, the author of many popular fishing books, including Trout: An Illustrated History.Recreating the thrill of angling, How to Fish is sure to hook seekers of good fishing and ancient wisdom alike.