Peatland proverbs from the past: buying the marsh with the salt (Aristotle, 384–322 BCE)

Abstract

Texts from Antiquity include much valuable information on how ancient cultures perceived and utilised peatlands and other wetlands. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BCE) mentions in his work ‘Rhetoric’ a proverb “buying the marsh with the salt.” He explains that it refers to situations that have both good and bad sides. Within the context of salt production in coastal marshes - where ashes of burned plants were boiled in water until salt remained - it relates to “good” salt, and “bad” incompletely combusted plant remains. When the one was mixed with the other, there was a substance with both good and bad aspects.

Keywords

• ancient societies
• greek/latin writings
• greek/roman salt production
• past landscapes
• wetland appreciation
• wetland exploitation