Ancient History of Diving

[John C. Ratliff]

This link just appeared in the "Resources" area of ScubaBoard, but I thought it should also be here.

Ancient history of diving

Text: Ralf StrandellA translation from Finnish Preface This article has been written in an attempt to sched some light on diving in ancient times. To maintain quality, critical translations with facing original text have been sought when possible, or else other credible sources have been used...

www.sukellushistoriallinenyhdistys.fi

Ilias, verses 906-915:
Patrocles sees how Kebriones suffers a fatal blow and plunges down from his chariot. Patrocles then throws a mocking comment (old english translation):

He diver-like, from his exalted stand [906]
Behind the steeds pitch’d headlong, and expired;
O’er whom, Patroclus of equestrian fame!
Thou didst exult with taunting speech severe.

Ye Gods, with what agility he dives! [910]
Ah! it were well if in the fishy deep
This man were occupied; he might no few
With oysters satisfy, although the waves
Were churlish, plunging headlong from his bark
As easily as from his chariot here.[915]
So then—in Troy, it seems, are divers too!

References

1. Homeros, “Ilias”, english translation by William Cowper (1731-1800), published on-line by Ted Garvin, Melissa Er-Raqabi, Fred Robinson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net), url: The Iliad of Homer by Homer