Antagoras of Rhodes
Encyclopedia
Antagoras born on Rhodes
about 270 B.C., known for his writings and cookery.
He wrote a Theban
epic whilst in Pella
perhaps entitled
Thebais, and (extant) epigrams. Also one of two attendant in the court of Antigonas Gonatas, ruler of Macedonia
"Whilst on campaign in the Balklans a king (Antigonos Gonatas),who had journeyed with Antagoras found him inside camp to be cooking congor eels.When asked as to the likelihood of Homer being able to produce the Iliad should he have decided instead to use his time in cookery,he replied that he thought it unlikely that Agammemnon would have involved himself in any exploits at all if he had chosen to wander around his camp looking for men cooking conger eels."
In an account of the same story Plutarch
first writes of the value of seafood above the common staple(lentils) and,showing the relative cost's of foods against each other, uses the examples of the person's Philoxenus
the son of Eryxis, Androcydes
the painter and Antagoras as examples for the preference of fish (a delicious food):
"all Antigonus the king, surprising Antagoras the poet in the habit of a cook, broiling congers in his tent, said to him: Dost thou think that Homer was dressing congers when he writ Agamemnon's famous exploits? And he as smartly replied: Do you think that Agamemnon did so many famous exploits when he was inquiring who dressed congers in the camp?"
Famed for his repartee he had been described as "a terrible fellow to coin strange words"
ingredients for sauce of baked congor eel:Pepper, lovage, oregano, onion, pitted raisins, wine, honey, vinegar, fish sauce, and olive oil
In the modern world the tradition of eating eels is found in France (Matelote), whilst in Spain elvers are usually deep-fried, elsewhere in Europe eels are hot-smoked, in the of East-End of London, eels are jellied.
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
about 270 B.C., known for his writings and cookery.
He wrote a Theban
Thebes, Greece
Thebes is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain. It played an important role in Greek myth, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and others...
epic whilst in Pella
Pella
Pella , an ancient Greek city located in Pella Prefecture of Macedonia in Greece, was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia.-Etymology:...
perhaps entitled
Thebais, and (extant) epigrams. Also one of two attendant in the court of Antigonas Gonatas, ruler of Macedonia
Congor eels account
an altogether well documented account upon the WWW is this; (Athenaeus (8. 340e-f) (a fragment showing))"Whilst on campaign in the Balklans a king (Antigonos Gonatas),who had journeyed with Antagoras found him inside camp to be cooking congor eels.When asked as to the likelihood of Homer being able to produce the Iliad should he have decided instead to use his time in cookery,he replied that he thought it unlikely that Agammemnon would have involved himself in any exploits at all if he had chosen to wander around his camp looking for men cooking conger eels."
In an account of the same story Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
first writes of the value of seafood above the common staple(lentils) and,showing the relative cost's of foods against each other, uses the examples of the person's Philoxenus
Philoxenus of Eretria
For other uses, see PhiloxenusPhiloxenus of Eretria was a painter from Eretria, the disciple of Nicomachus of Thebes, whose speed in painting he imitated and even surpassed, having discovered some new and rapid methods of colouring Nevertheless, Pliny states that there was a picture of his which...
the son of Eryxis, Androcydes
Androcydes (painter)
Androcydes of Cyzicus was a Greek painter of the 4th century BC, whose Battle of Plataea became involved in a political controversy. Plutarch's remarks concerning this work are of interest to art historians who study history painting as a genre.According to Plutarch, Androcydes received a...
the painter and Antagoras as examples for the preference of fish (a delicious food):
"all Antigonus the king, surprising Antagoras the poet in the habit of a cook, broiling congers in his tent, said to him: Dost thou think that Homer was dressing congers when he writ Agamemnon's famous exploits? And he as smartly replied: Do you think that Agamemnon did so many famous exploits when he was inquiring who dressed congers in the camp?"
Famed for his repartee he had been described as "a terrible fellow to coin strange words"
Ancient cookery of eel
ApiciusApicius
Apicius is the title of a collection of Roman cookery recipes, usually thought to have been compiled in the late 4th or early 5th century AD and written in a language that is in many ways closer to Vulgar than to Classical Latin....
ingredients for sauce of baked congor eel:Pepper, lovage, oregano, onion, pitted raisins, wine, honey, vinegar, fish sauce, and olive oil
Legacy:The modern comparison
These are for the cookery of eels within Europe :In the modern world the tradition of eating eels is found in France (Matelote), whilst in Spain elvers are usually deep-fried, elsewhere in Europe eels are hot-smoked, in the of East-End of London, eels are jellied.
Description
The appearance varies depending on the age; the stage in life-cycle they are obtained at.Very young eels are the size of small worms or shoe-laces.An eel still fresh fresh from salt water is darkly silver coloured, whilst in fresh water likely to be green.See also
- CongerCongerConger is a genus of marine congrid eels. It includes some of the largest types of eels, ranging up to 3 m in length, in the case of the European conger...
- region of ancient Egypt called ThebaidThebaidThe Thebaid or Thebais is the region of ancient Egypt containing the thirteen southernmost nomes of Upper Egypt, from Abydos to Aswan. It acquired its name from its proximity to the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes....
- poem called Thebais by Publius Papinius StatiusThebaid (Latin poem)The Thebaid is a Latin epic in twelve books written in dactylic hexameter by Publius Papinius Statius . The poem deals with the Theban cycle of mythology and treats the assault of the seven champions of Argos against the city of Thebes.-Composition:Based on Statius' own testimony, the Thebaid was...
- poem - ΘηβαΐςThebaid (Greek poem)The Thebaid or Thebais is an Ancient Greek epic poem of uncertain authorship sometimes attributed by early writers to Homer. It told the story of the war between the brothers Eteocles and Polynices, and was regarded as forming part of a Theban Cycle. Only fragments of the text...