The Sea
The Romans called the Mediterranean ‘mare nostrum’ which means ‘our sea’ in Latin because they conquered all the lands around it. The sea was a means of transport and a source of food. Shellfish were harvested for luxuries such pearls and purple dye.
The sea was also a place of wonders and monstrosities. Pliny tells the story of a giant 700-pound octopus or squid that raided garum or fish sauce factories in southern Spain. He may have been present when a whale became trapped in the port of Ostia. The emperor Claudius (AD 41-54) took advantage of this to organise public games, during which the whale was killed. Pliny also repeats some unbelievable stories: he claims that a small fish called the echeneis could stop a ship at sea simply by attaching itself to the underneath of the vessel.
Food Factories
Roman mosaic showing fishermen battling a large octopus. New Archaeological Museum of Mytilene, Lesvos.
Fascinating snippets of information are scattered throughout the Natural History. One of the most memorable is an account of a giant octopus which raided the garum factories of southern Spain at night. This was where fish guts were left to ferment in brine in the sun to produce a relish or sauce that was used as a condiment throughout the Roman world. Something similar to Roman garum is used today in Thai cuisine. The workmen tried to discourage their nocturnal visitor by building a fence but without success. In the end the massive octopus – it’s said to have been the size of 15 amphorae or transport containers – was tracked with dogs and killed using tridents (what else would you use to kill a sea monster in ancient world?). The creature was then pickled and put on display in the governor’s mansion where it became a tourist attraction.
A garum factory in North Africa (Nabeul Museum, Tunisia)
Textile Factory
Murex Shell, Paul Claiff photo
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The Romans were famed for the use of Tyrian red (known as purpura in Latin from which we get the word purple), extracted from the Murex, a rare sea snail found in the Mediterranean. The dye was collected by “milking” the snails or collecting and crushing them. It took twelve thousand snails to make no more than 1.4 g of pure dye and its usage was therefore reserved for the Emperor and governors.
The Boy and the Dolphin
Ancient Greek silver coin showing a boy riding a dolphin.
Pliny the Elder relates the story of a tame dolphin living in the Lake of Lucrinus during the reign of Augustus (BC 27 -AD 14). This creature took a liking to a youngster who resided in the region. At midday the boy would go to the lake shore and fed the dolphin pieces of bread; he named the dolphin. In fact every time the boy visited the lake, he had only had to call out for the dolphin's name, and he would rise from the depth. He used to eat from his friend's hand and even ferried him about the lake on his back. The boy's school was located on the lake's opposite shore; he often rode there on the dolphin in the morning and enjoyed a return trip after the school day was over. This continued for several years until the boy contracted some unspecific childhood disease and died. Nonetheless the loyal dolphin continued to swim to the place where him and the boy customarily met - almost like a mourner according to Pliny - until the dolphin too, eventually, breathed his last.
Antonia Augusta
Antonia Augusta was the most powerful and influential Roman woman of her time. The daughter of Mark Antony, wife of Drusus, mother of Claudius, grandmother of Caligula and great-grandmother of Nero, she spent her entire life close to the seat of power and was a supremely important figure in Imperial Rome. She had a truly dramatic life, running the Imperial court with her own powerful character and status. She was a great example of the position of women in Roman society, the degree of freedom they could exercise in making moral choices, their control of property and their direct influence on public life. On the display case there is a moray eel with a coin of Antonia Augusta. Antonia attached gold jewellery to a pet moray eel that she kept in an ornamental fish pond. Many people came to see it.
Objects from The Sea
educational glass model made by Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka during the late 19th century.
1. Carved stone relief showing sea creatures. Loan from National Museums Liverpool. Second century AD.
2. Octopus in spirit and educational glass model made by Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka during the late 19th century. Pliny tells us that the head of the octopus which raided fish sauce factories in southern Spain was as large as 15 amphorae or storage containers (equivalent to 135 gallons or over 600 litres). Loan of preserved specimen from Bolton Museum.
3. Roman lamps with oyster or scallop shell design. Pliny writes about the best oysters for eating and which produced the best pearls. He is scandalised by the large sums of money spent on pearls. He considers them frivolous decoration.
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4. Murex shells. Purple dye was extracted from the shellfish. Each shellfish provided a tiny amount of purple dye and huge numbers were needed to dye a piece of clothing. Purple was an expensive colour and was a sign of importance. Includes loan from National Museums Liverpool.
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5. Oyster shells. One of them has a rectangular hole left by the tool used to open it.
6. Moray eel with coin of Antonia Augusta, daughter of Mark Antony. Antonia attached gold jewellery to a pet moray eel that she kept in an ornamental fish pond. Many people came to see it.
7. Ancient Greek plate showing different species of fish, including sea bream, sea perch, and torpedo fish. The sea was an important source of food for Greeks and Romans. From the Campanian coast of Italy.
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8. Fish known as wrasse. Elipertius Optatus, commander of the fleet under the emperor Claudius (AD 41-54), successfully transferred the scarus or wrasse, which was a good fish for eating, from Greece to the Campanian coast of Italy.
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9. Piece of Roman samian ware pottery, Roman oil lamps and fishing weights showing dolphins. People often encountered sea creatures such as dolphins and occasionally they formed friendly relationships with them.
10. Ancient Greek silver coin showing a boy riding a dolphin. Pliny tells the story of the friendship between a boy and a dolphin during the reign of the emperor Augustus (27 BC-AD 14). The dolphin is said to have carried the boy across a lake to school and back again.
11. Lamp showing the god of love, Eros, riding a seahorse; and pieces of Roman samian ware pottery showing a seahorse. Includes loan from Malton Museum.