The following curious passage of Meletius de Natura Hominis, in which that author, probably following Galen, describes the expansion of the optic nerves, mentions the casting-net as "an instrument used by fishermen": (
Greek characters)(Transliteration from Greek: Diaschizontai de ta neura eis tous thalamous, hôsper ên tis labôn papyron, tautên eis lepta diatemôn kai diaschizôn anaplekêtai palin, kai poiê chitôna legomenon amphiblêstroeidê, homoion amphiblêrtrô. organon de touto thêreutais ichthyôn chrêsimon.)—Salmasius, in Tertull. de Pallio, p. 213. The (Greek characters)(Transliteration from Greek: chitôn amphiblêstroeidês), or tunica retina, was so called on account of its resemblance in form to the casting-net. As we learn from Herodotus that the casting-net was universally employed by the fishermen of Egypt, we shall not be surprised to find it mentioned in the Alexandrine, or, as it is commonly called, the Septuagint version of the Psalms and Prophets:— (Greek characters)(Transliteration from Greek: Pesountai en amphiblêstrô autou amartôloi,) i. e. "Sinners shall fall in his casting-net."—Psalm cxli. 10. Cadent in retiaculo ejus peccatores.—Vulgate Version.
"Let the wicked fall in their own nets."—Common English Version.
The word in the original Hebrew is (Hebrew characters), which Gesenius
translates "Rete," a net. This word must have been more general in its meaning than the Greek (Greek characters)(Transliteration from Greek: amphiblêstron), and included the purse-net, or (Greek characters)(Transliteration from Greek: arkys). The Chaldee and Syriac versions use in this passage a word, which denotes snares in general. See Isaiah li. 20, where the same word is used in the Hebrew, but applied to the catching of a quadruped, and where consequently the purse-net must have been intended. (Greek characters)(Transliteration from Greek: Kai hoi ballontes sagênas, kai hoi amphiboleis penthêsousi.) i. e. "And they who throw seans, and they who fish with the casting-net, shall mourn."—Isa. xix. 8. Et expandentes rete super faciem aquarum emarcescent.—Vulgate Version.
"And they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish."—Common English Version.
It is to be observed, that this prophecy relates to Egypt. The
Hebrew verb (Hebrew characters), here translated "expandentes," "they that spread," is exactly applicable to the remarkable expansion of
the casting-net just as it reaches the surface of the water. In
