[251] ῥάβδῳ is here a fishing rod; not, as some suppose, a fishing spear, which would not be used for “ὀλίγοι ἰχθύες”, nor would a fisher with a spear ‘throw in food as bait.’ The ‘line’ is not alluded to in so many words here, but is spoken of in Il.16. 406 foll. “ἕλκε . . ὡς ὅτε τις φῶς”
“πέτρῃ ἔπι προβλῆτι καθήμενος ἱερὸν ἰχθὺν”“ἐκ πόντοιο θύραζε λίι ῳ καὶ ἤνοπι χαλκῷ”. In Iliad 24. 80 the fishing-line is described as ending in a plummet, “μολυβδαίνῃ . . ἥ τε κατ᾽ ἀγραύλοιο βοὸς κέρας ἐμβεβαυῖα”
“ἔρχεται ὠμηστῇσιν ἐπ᾽ ἰχθύσι κῆρα φέρουσα”. This is parallel with the present passage, on which Schol. Q. says, “κέρας, Ἀρίσταρχος τὸ κεράτινον συρίγγιον ὃ ἐπιτιθέασι πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐσθίεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἰχθύος τὴν ὁρμιάν” [the line of hair]. This little pipe or collar of horn protected the line just at its junction with the hook, and served the same purpose as the ‘gimp,’ on a trolling-line. We gather from Il.16 sup. that the “ἄγκιστρον” itself was of “χαλκός”.
