Ancient Corsicans, Longevity & Honey

[Pantagathus]

Recently while doing research on the Ligurians I came across an intriguing anecdote that stirred my curiosity.

 

I had decided to investigate the native Corsicans while researching the Ligurians in order to see if the ancient authors held similar opinions to mine as to the cultural affinities of these autochthonous natives. Not surprising given the proximity to Liguria, the ancients did indeed recognize the cultural similarities of these mountain pastoralists to the Ligurians and certain Iberians like the Cantabrians. So I quickly found what I was looking for and it seemed to be certain that they were indeed from Ligurian stock.

 

What piqued my curiosity however was that during the Roman period, the Corsicans where expressly noted for their remarkable longevity while at the same time were somewhat disparaged for subsisting wholly on meat, milk & honey. Being that meat & milk is quite a common diet for mountain pastoralists, many ancient writers ascribed the Corsican

Edited January 19, 2006 by Pantagathus

[Pertinax]

Propolis is indeed excellent and honey particularly that gathered from the local environment is an excellent immunisation against pathogens and allergens in that "place". The theory is that , like exposure to a low level of innoculated virus ,the honey/pollen will provoke an immune response to likewise "innoculate". So if you have hay fever -eat local honey,unpasteurised or homogenised (and from bees not fed sugar and water in "poor" months) from the comb,(ignore the odd grub as a protein snack).

The remarks on milk Ive cited before-the Romans knew : Camel is best ( a luxury for cheese) goat,sheep and last and definitley least cow.The greater the whey the more digestible to humans-the Romans scorned the Parthians and Gauls for drinking cows milk.If you have eczema (nowadays) drop cows milk and go for goat! (soy or rivce if you cant face the cultural barrier).

Did the Corsicans produce or trade for olive oil as well Pantagathus? ( same again-cold pressed ,extra virgin is the least diminished), and do you have any info on what breads they ate?

 

Nota Bene: propolis or sage for the infected throat (or balm of gilead).

Edited January 19, 2006 by Pertinax

[Pantagathus]

Did the Corsicans produce or trade for olive oil as well Pantagathus? ( same again-cold pressed ,extra virgin is the least diminished), and do you have any info on what breads they ate?

 

It seems that for whatever reason the native Corsicans never embraced agriculture. ("Ignorant of tillage" according to Diodorus. Thats why I called them 'pastoralists' and not 'agri-pastoralists'). From what I've read it would also seem that even in the Roman period, little grain was grown (or even imported) and cultivation of grapes, olives & fruit was almost completely neglected.

 

Maybe thats why they sent people like Seneca into excile there?

 

As to the milk, it would have been sheep & goat.

Edited January 19, 2006 by Pantagathus

[Neos Dionysos]

Is there any reference to other Romans or high officials who know of thier extensive use of honey, and with the longevity that they too attempted to acquire the same by devouring as much as they could in imitation? I know you said it was bitter, but to point it becomes decent and acceptable once you train yourself to eat it, so is there any reference to anyone outside the island who tried this as a way to live longer?

[Pertinax]

Interestingly that diet is somewhat (though not identical to) similar to the diet of mountain peoples in Kyrghyztan and nearby "stans", all noted for a total lack of "western" diseases ,particularly MS -the antioxidant rich diet ,lack of saturated and trans-fatty acids and a lot of fresh air keeps people going despite living in a very tough environment.

[Pantagathus]

Is there any reference to other Romans or high officials who know of thier extensive use of honey, and with the longevity that they too attempted to acquire the same by devouring as much as they could in imitation? I know you said it was bitter, but to point it becomes decent and acceptable once you train yourself to eat it, so is there any reference to anyone outside the island who tried this as a way to live longer?

 

Not that I know of but I wouldn't be surprised if at least a couple of rich, powerful folks gave it a whirl. It was a very expensive commodity if you didn't practice apiculture (bee keeping) directly.

[Andrew Dalby]

Propolis is indeed excellent and honey particularly that gathered from the local environment is an excellent immunisation against pathogens and allergens in that "place". The theory is that , like exposure to a low level of innoculated virus ,the honey/pollen will provoke an immune response to likewise "innoculate". So if you have hay fever -eat local honey,unpasteurised or homogenised (and from bees not fed sugar and water in "poor" months) from the comb,(ignore the odd grub as a protein snack).

The remarks on milk Ive cited before-the Romans knew : Camel is best ( a luxury for cheese) goat,sheep and last and definitley least cow.The greater the whey the more digestible to humans-the Romans scorned the Parthians and Gauls for drinking cows milk.If you have eczema (nowadays) drop cows milk and go for goat! (soy or rivce if you cant face the cultural barrier).

Did the Corsicans produce or trade for olive oil as well Pantagathus? ( same again-cold pressed ,extra virgin is the least diminished), and do you have any info on what breads they ate?

 

Nota Bene: propolis or sage for the infected throat (or balm of gilead).

 

I always eat local honey. I buy it from a sad-looking man who sells it in the market on Tuesdays, next to the old ladies with crates containing kids (baby goats that is), rabbits and farmy-looking eggs. If I fail to live long on this diet, Pertinax, I'll sue you.

[Pertinax]

due to some weird glitch , a fairly lengthy post I wrote about Galen and his suggestions for taking the bitternes from honey has vanished into the ether.Suffice to say honey was very well known and widely recommended for the digestion, what people consider "strong/bitter" is subjective ( many complain about tea- tree honey being "strong" ,as far as I can make out ,that being because it actually tastes of something that isnt sugar).

 

NB:ass's milk is best of all (Galen again says you must get it straight from the animal and consume at once ).

 

Do you intend to sue from a state of beatitude?

[Favonius Cornelius]

Did the Corsicans produce or trade for olive oil as well Pantagathus? ( same again-cold pressed ,extra virgin is the least diminished), and do you have any info on what breads they ate?

 

It seems that for whatever reason the native Corsicans never embraced agriculture. ("Ignorant of tillage" according to Diodorus. Thats why I called them 'pastoralists' and not 'agri-pastoralists'). From what I've read it would also seem that even in the Roman period, little grain was grown (or even imported) and cultivation of grapes, olives & fruit was almost completely neglected.

 

Maybe thats why they sent people like Seneca into excile there?

 

As to the milk, it would have been sheep & goat.

 

 

Corsica does not strike me to be a very fertile land...more a rock than a field. I'm sure if the growing was good some Roman would have started a latifundia there at some point.

[Onasander]

NB:ass's milk is best of all (Galen again says you must get it straight from the animal and consume at once ).

 

[Pantagathus]

Now that my Loeb Diodorus has come in I thought I'd add this to the thread:

 

"The inhabitants of Cyrnus use for there food milk and honey and meat, the land providing all those in abundance, and among themselves they live lives of honour and justive, to a degree surpassing practically all other barbarians.

 

Any honeycomb for instance, which may be found in the trees on the mountainside belongs to the first man to find it, no one disputing his claim..." - Diodorus, 5.14

 

^_^