Near Sicyona, a city of the Peloponnesus,[XXI-113] they formerly caught conger-eels of such immense size, that it required a waggon drawn by oxen to carry a single one.[XXI-114] The body, the whole of the head, and even the intestines[XXI-115] were eaten. This dish, worthy of being offered by Neptune to his divine colleagues, was capable, like ambrosia, of bestowing immortality on those who had the good fortune of tasting it, and the dead would return to life, had it been possible to serve them with a piece of this exquisite fish.[XXI-116] These childish exaggerations have not prevented Galen from treating the conger-eel with very little respect: he affirms, that nothing is more hard or indigestible.[XXI-117] And, indeed, epicureans of some repute allowed only the head to appear on their tables;[XXI-118] and then only at rare intervals, and under the auspices of a relishing sauce which assured its reception. The Romans had still less esteem for this too highly praised fish. However, sometimes a fried conger-eel occupied on the _sigma_ an obscure place, in the midst of a seasoning flavoured highly with pepper, alisander, cummin, wild marjoram, dried onion, and hard yolks of eggs; with which a skilful hand carefully mixed to the whole, vinegar, sweet wine, garum, and cooked wine.[XXI-119] EEL. In some parts of Egypt the eel was not eaten, because it was thought indigestible.[XXI-120] In other places it received religious worship.[XXI-121] They were ornamented, whether they liked it or not, with silver, gold, and precious stones, and priests daily offered them the entrails of animals and cheese.[XXI-122] The Greeks thought highly of eels. “Behold the Helen of feasts!” cried Eidicastes, at the moment when one was served; “I will be her Paris!”[XXI-123] and the glutton seized and devoured it immediately. Bœotia--where this fish was immolated to the gods[XXI-124]--the straits of Sicily,[XXI-125] and the Copian lake, furnished eels remarkable for their delicacy and size;[XXI-126] these were served fried and enveloped in beet leaves.[XXI-127] They enjoyed a high reputation among the Sybarites, a choice nation, who would have invented cookery if the art had not already existed, and among whom a repast was so serious a matter, that a whole year was not thought too long in order to meditate upon it and get it ready.[XXI-128] But Hippocrates did not like the eel, and he forbade it to his patients, and to persons attacked with a pulmonary affection.[XXI-129] So that this Queen of Luxury, as Archestrates calls it,[XXI-130] met with as many enemies as partisans. Egypt adored it, Greece was enamoured of it, Rome despised it, and the plebeian alone reserved it to the humiliation in his brutal orgies.[XXI-131] Apicius, however, has condescended to notice this fish. Mix, says he, pepper, alisander, parsley seed, dill, and dates; add to this honey, vinegar, garum, oil, mustard, and cooked wine;[XXI-132] serve this sauce with the eel.