“The third division, that of keeping fish, had its origin in simple fresh water ponds in which fish taken in the streams were kept.

“There have been two steps in the development of each of these three conveniences; the earlier distinguished by the ancient simplicity, the later by our modern luxury.  The earlier stage was that of our ancestors, who had but two places for keeping poultry:  one the court yard of the steading in which chickens were fed and their profit derived from eggs and pullets, the other above ground, for their pigeons were kept in the dormers or on the roof of the farm house.

“Now-a-days, on the contrary, what our ancestors called hen-houses are known as ornithones, and serve to house thrushes and pea-cocks to cater to the delicate appetite of the master:  and indeed such structures now have larger roofs than formerly sufficed to cover an entire farm house.

“Such has been the progress in respect of warrens also:  your father, Axius, never saw any game but rabbits, nor did there exist in his time any such extensive enclosures as now are made, many jugera in extent, to hold wild boars and roe bucks.  You can witness,” he said, turning to me, “that you found many wild boars in the warren of your farm at Tusculum, when you bought it from M. Piso.”

In respect of the third class, who was there who used to have any kind of a fish pond, except of fresh water, stocked merely with cat fish and mullets, while today our elegants declare that they would as soon have a pond stocked with frogs as with those fish I have named.  You will recall the story of Philippus when he was entertained at Casinum by Ummidius:  a pickerel caught in your river, Varro, was put before him, he tasted it and forthwith spat it out, exclaiming “May I perish, but I thought it was fish!"[167]

As the luxury of this age has enlarged our warrens, so has it carried our fish ponds even to the sea itself and has herded shoals of sea fish into them.  Have not Sergius Orata (goldfish) and Licinius Murena (lamprey) taken their cognomens from fishes for this reason?  And who does not know the fame of the fish ponds of Philippus, of Hortensius, and of the brothers Lucullus?

“Where, then, Axius, do you wish me to begin?”

Of aviaries

IV.  “I prefer,” replied Axius, “that you should begin with the sequel—­postprincipia, as they say in the camps—­that is, with the present day rather than with the past, because the profits from pea-cocks are greater than those from hens, I will not dissemble that I wish to hear first of ornithones because the thrushes which are kept in them make the very name sound like money:  indeed, the 60,000 sesterces of Fircelina have consumed me with avarice.”