Spearing galeotes

Strabo talks about hunting the swordfish by spear. Off Sicily in the strait they hunted galeotes ( swordfish and dogfish ). According to Polybius there were two men, a rower and a spearman who would hunt them and once spotted the spear is thrust into the galeote and there is much sport until it is worn out and it is dragged ashore or put into the boat depending on its size. The spears are made of oak with a bronze barbed tip. There is a line attached a bit like a modern harpoon. The spears are sometimes discarded temporarily but they don't sink so they can easily be recovered later. The galeotes are fierce sporting fish and fight like wild boars and sometimes a fisherman is injured by the sword. The spearman stands on the prow of the boat and waits for the signal from the man stationed up in the lookout. Near the Skyllaion, in the shadow of Mt Aitna. So while Etna was rumbling and spitting rocks and smoke they were hunting galeotes! If they hunted by night they would have seen a bright light at the top of Etna.