Piscinae: Artificial Fishponds in Roman Italy

Studies in the History of Greece and Rome

by James Arnold Higginbotham

Pisciculture--the process of raising fish--held a lasting fascination for the people of ancient Rome. Whether bred for household consumption, cultivated for sale at market, or simply kept in confinement for reasons of aesthetic appreciation, fish remained an important commodity and prominent cultural symbol throughout the periods of the Roman Republic and early Empire. Roman pisciculture reached its greatest level of sophistication, though, between the first century b.c. and the first century a.d. with the development of a highly specialized architectural the piscina , or artificial fishpond. Based on a thorough examination of the archaeological record and complemented by site plans, maps, and photographs, James Higginbotham's work represents the most comprehensive study of the fishponds of Roman Italy. Higginbotham covers the technical aspects of Roman fishponds--their design, construction, and operation--and places the piscinae within their social, political, and economic context. He argues that in a society fascinated by pisciculture, ownership of a fishpond was a powerful display of wealth and social status and, ultimately, a manifestation of the intense competition between aristocratic Roman families that would eventually lead to civil war.

Originally published in 1997.

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312 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 1997

Reviews

[Augustus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about the design and use of artificial fishponds by the ancient Romans along the west coast of Italy. I expected it to be excessively esoteric, but it actually turned out to be surprisingly interesting.
The author, who has obviously accumulated extensive knowledge of his topic, explains that private stocks of eels and fish were a status symbol among wealthy Romans. There was a preference for saltwater fish, and the owners of seaside villas would design scenic fishponds that could be viewed by guests while dining on outdoor platforms.
The fishponds themselves developed ingenious designs. Clever use of marine concrete and rock-cut channels maintained water flow for aeration and connected fishponds to the sea. Roman engineers embedded terracotta amphorae in poured concrete walls of the ponds so that fish could take shelter from hot weather and the predations of other fish. In fact, rows of embedded amphorae help identify ponds as being designed for fish (e.g., the Grotto of Tiberius at Sperlonga).
What makes the book special is a gazetteer of more than 150 pages, richly illustrated with photographs and site plans. A reader can imagine guests at a villa enjoying a Tyrrhenian sunset over a glass of wine while admiring the host's elaborate fishponds. Many of the surviving ruins are beautiful in themselves but become more interesting when their functional purpose is understood. The author includes examples from numerous sites, including well known tourist destinations like Pompeii and Herculaneum.