Fish, fishing, ByzantineMACIEJ KOKOSZKO

From the seventh century CE the Pontic region

and the Aegean were the main sources of fish

for Byzantium. No dramatic change had

occurred in fishing technology since antiquity.

Boats were still small, operated by an oarsman

assisted by at most two fishermen, and incapa-

ble of safe open-water voyages. The equipment

consisted of fishing rods, lines, tridents, weirs,

and nets; madragues (fish pounds) were also in

operation (Koukoules 1952: 332–8; Gallant

1985: 13–25; Dagron 1995: 60–7). The produc-

tivity of fishing appears to have been reason-

ably good (Bekker-Nielsen 2006b; Curtis

2006), but fishing itself was frequently a part-

time job performed along with agricultural

activities. Fishermen were subject to regular

taxation. In Constantinople their produce

was sold to ichthyopratai (fishmongers), who

constituted a corporation operating in the

market on the Golden Horn (Dagron 1995:

69–70, 73).

Fish were consumed either fresh (Koukoules

1952: 79–86) or salted (Curtis 2006), supple-

menting the staples (cereals, fruit, vegetables).

Their value was discussed by dieticians. Their

role appears to have become gradually more

prominent due to religious regulations, which

excluded meat from the diet over prolonged

fasting periods (Koukoules 1952: 79; Thomas

2000; Koder 2007: 61).

It has not been proved that any genus of fish

has disappeared since the seventh century.

Bonito, mackerel, mullet (gray and red), perch,

and sprat were widely consumed (Koukoules

1952: 79–86; Dalby 2003: 66–9; Kokoszko

2005). The general population would eat the

most affordable small fry, while sturgeon, eel,

turbot, and the belly parts (hypogastria) of

tuna were luxury dishes. Seafood was also pop-

ular and deemed a delicacy, as was caviar and

botargo (preserved mullet roe) (Koukoules

1952: 35–7; Dalby 2003: 27, 59, 67, 191). Fresh-

water fish were caught wild or reared in ponds.

Salted fish were equally popular, although

a decline in preserve production is probable

(Curtis 2006: 31). Fish sauce was an appreci-

ated condiment (Kokoszko 2005: 373–4).

SEE ALSO: Fish, fishing, Greece and Rome; Fish,

fishing, Pharaonic Egypt; Medicine, Byzantine;

Medicine, Greek and Roman.

REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Bekker-Nielsen, T., ed. (2006a) Ancient fishing

and fish processing in the Black Sea region.

Aarhus.

Bekker-Nielsen, T. (2006b) “The technology and

productivity of ancient sea fishing.” In Bekker-

Nielsen, ed.: 87–95.

Curtis, R. I. (2006) “Sources for production and

trade of Greek and Roman processed fish.”

In Bekker-Nielsen, ed.: 31–46.

Dagron, G. (1995) “Poisson, pecheurs et

poissonniers de Constantinople.” In C. Mango

and G. Dagron, eds., Constantinople and its

hinterland: 57–73. Aldershot.

Dalby, A. (2003) Flavours of Byzantium. Totnes.

Gallant, T. W. (1985) A fisherman’s tale. Ghent.

Koder, J. (2007) “Stew and salted meat – opulent

normality in the diet of every day?” In L.

Brubaker and K. Linardou, eds., Eat, drink and be

merry (Luke 12:19): food and wine in Byzantium:

59–72. Aldershot.

Kokoszko, M. (2005) Ryby i ich znaczenie w zyciu

codziennym ludzi poznego antyku i wczesnego

Bizancjum (III-VII w.). Łodz.

Koukoules, P. (1952) Byzantinon bios kai

politismos, vol. 5. Athens.

Thomas, J. (2000) “The regulation of diet in the

Byzantine monastic foundation documents.”

In J. Thomas and A. Constantinides Hero, eds.,

Byzantine monastic foundation documents:

a complete translation of the surviving founders’

typika and testaments, vol. 5: 1696–716.

Washington.

The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,

and Sabine R. Huebner, print pages 2686–2687.

© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah03088

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