Chapter 547

2379Theriaca, p. 44.

2380See c.53of this Book.

2381It has not been identified. Dalechamps, without any proof, identifies it with the Tussilago petasites of modern botany.

2382See the Introduction to Vol. III.

2383See end of B. iii.

2384See end of B. ii.

2385See end of B. ii.

2386A writer on flowers and chaplets, in the time of Tiberius. Nothing whatever beyond this seems to be known of him.

2387C. Julius Atticus Vestinus, or, according to some authorities, M. Atticus Vestinus. He was consulA.D.65; and, though innocent, was put to death by Nero’s order, for alleged participation in the conspiracy of Piso.

2388See end of B. xiv.

2389See end of B. iii.

2390See end of B. iii.

2391See end of B. xiv.

2392See end of B. vii.

2393See end of B. xvi.

2394See end of B.xx.

2395See end of B.xix.

2396See end of B. xii.

2397See end of B.xx.

2398See end of B.xx. See also B. xxv. c. 5.

2399See end of B. iii.

2400See end of B. ii.

2401See end of B.xx.

2402See end of B. ii.

2403See end of B. viii.

2404See end of B.xix.

2405See end of B. viii.

2406See end of B. vii.

2407An alleged disciple of Orpheus, and probably as fabulous a personage. Many works, now lost, passed under his name.

2408One of the most celebrated of the Greek tragic writers; bornB.C.495. Of his 127 tragedies, only seven have come down to us.

2409A Pythagorean philosopher, a native of one of the cities called Larissa. Being accused of magical practices, he was banished from the city of Rome by the Emperor Augustus. The explanation of these charges is, that he probably possessed a superior knowledge of natural philosophy. See B. xxv. c. 95. B. xxviii. c. 49. B. xxxii. c. 52, and B. xxxv. c. 50.

2410A physician, a native of Athens in the fourth centuryB.C.He is supposed to have belonged to the sect of the Dogmatici, and was greatly celebrated for his classification of diseases. He wrote on diet and drink, among other subjects.

2411Probably the same writer that is mentioned at the end of B. iv.; or, possibly, a physician of that name, who was a disciple of Herophilus, and lived about the second centuryB.C.

2412A distinguished Peripatetic philosopher of Eresos in Lesbos, a disciple of Aristotle, and a contemporary of Theophrastus.

2413Of this writer, nothing whatever is known, beyond the mention made of him in c. 88 of this Book, and in B. xxii. c. 32.

2414Nothing whatever is known relative to this writer.

2415See end of B. vii.

2416See end of B.xx.

2417See end of B.xx.

2418See end of B.xx.

2419For Heraclides of Pontus, see end of B. iv. For Heraclides of Tarentum, see end of B. xii.

2420See end of B. xv.

2421See end of B. xii.

2422See end of B.xx.

2423See end of B.xx.

2424See end of B.xx.

2425See end of B.xx.

2426See end of B.xx.

2427See end of B.xx.

2428See end of B.xx.

2429See end of B.xx.

2430See end of B. vii.

2431See end of B.xx.

2432See end of B.xx.

2433See end of B. xii.

2434See end of B. xi.

2435See end of B. xii.

2436See end of B.xx.

2437See end of B. xii.

2438See end of B.xx.

2439See end of B.xx.

2440See end of B. vi.

2441See end of B.xx.

2442See end of B.xx.

2443See end of B.xx.

2444See end of B.xx.

2445See end of B. xii.

2446See end of B.xx.

2447See end of B.xx.

2448See end of B.xix.

2449See end of B.xx.

2450See end of B.xx.

2451See end of B.xx.

2452Fée remarks, that at the present day, in all savage nations in which tatooing is practised, the men display more taste and care in the operation than is shewn by the females. There is little doubt that it is the art of tatooing the body, or in other words, first puncturing it and then rubbing in various colours, that is here spoken of by Pliny.

2453“Inscribunt.” “Writing upon,” or “tatooing,” evidently.

2454Our “woad,” the Isatis tinctoria of Linnæus, which imparts a blue colour. The root of this Celtic woad is probably “glas,” “blue,” whence also our word “glass;” and it is not improbable that the name of glass was given to it from the blue tints which it presented. Julius Cæsar and Pomponius Mela translate this word “glastum,” by the Latin “vitrum,” “glass.”

2455“Conjuges nurusque.” Cæsar says thatallthe people in Britain were in the habit of staining the body with woad, to add to the horror of their appearance in battle. Pomponius Mela expresses himself as uncertain for what purpose it was done, whether it was to add to their beauty, or for some other reasons to him unknown.

2456“Granis.” What the ancients took to be a vegetable substance, is now known to be an insect, the kermes of the Quercus coccifera.

2457See B. ix. c. 63.

2458“Paludamentis.” The “paludamentum” was the cloak worn by a Roman general when in command, his principal officers, and personal attendants. It was open in front, reached to the knees or thereabout, and hung over the shoulders, being fastened across the chest by a clasp. It was commonly white or purple.

2459For an account of all these colours see B. ix. cc. 60-65.

2460The vaccinium for instance. See B. xvi. c. 31.

2461Fée thinks that the art of dyeing with alkanet and madder may be here alluded to.

2462See B. xxxv. c. 1.

2463The “good,” “ingenuous,” or “liberal” arts were those which might be practised by free men without loss of dignity. Pliny is somewhat inconsistent here, for he makes no scruple at enlarging upon the art of medicine, which among the Romans was properly not a liberal, but a servile, art.

2464“Surdis.”

2465Festus says the “verbenæ,” orpureherbs, were called “sagmina,” because they were taken from a sacred (sacer) place. It is more generally supposed that “sagmen” comes from “sancio,” “to render inviolable,” the person of the bearer being looked upon as inviolable.

2466“Clare.”

2467Or bearer of the “verbena.” See further on this subject in B. xxv. c. 59.

2468“Corona graminea.”

2469For a description of these various crowns, see B. xvi. c. 3.

2470Sometimes also, weeds, or wild flowers.

2471See Servius on the Æneid, B. viii. l. 128.

2472No doubt, the old English custom of delivering seisin by presenting a turf, originated in this.

2473See B. vii. c. 29.

2474See B. xvi. c. 5.

2475In the Samnite war. He diedB.C.340.

2476Titus Manlius Torquatus Imperiosus, consulA.U.C.414. It was he who put his own son to death for engaging the enemy against orders.

2477Q. Fabius Maximus, surnamed Cunctator, for his skill in avoiding an engagement with Hannibal, and so wearing out the Carthaginian troops.

2478Q. Minutius, the Magister Equitum.

2479See Livy, B. xxii.

2480The primipilus was the first centurion of the first maniple of the triarii; also called “primus centurionum.”

2481“Ad tibicinem.”

2482A.U.C.652.

2483The “Fortunate.”

2484A.U.C.605.

248513th of September.

2486A.U.C.723.

2487Hence we may conclude that the word “gramen” signified not only “grass,” but any plant in general.

2488By reason of the luxury and sensuality universally prevalent.

2489This is said in bitter irony.

2490Trusting to the good faith and research of the physician.

2491“Inseruisse.”

2492“Amplecti.”

2493In the Twentieth Book.

2494It has been thought by some that this is the Scolymus maculatus of Linnæus; the spotted yellow thistle. But the more general opinion is that it is the eringo, or Eryngium campestre of Linnæus. It derives its name from the Greekἐρεύγειν, from its asserted property of dispelling flatulent eructations. It is possessed in reality of few medicinal properties, and is only used occasionally, at the present day, as a diuretic. See B. xxi. c.56.

2495See B. xxvii. c. 2.

2496By the word “toxica,” Poinsinet would understand, not poisons in general, but the venom of the toad, which was called, he says, in the Celtic and Celto-Scythic languages,toussacandtossa. Fée ridicules the notion.

2497Or rather, Fée says, deep blue. He identifies this with the Eryngium cyaneum of Linnæus, the eringo, with a blue flower.

2498This, as well as the next, is identical, probably, with the Eryngium maritimum of Linnæus; our sea-holly. The species found in Greece, in addition to the above, are the Eryngium tricuspidatum, multifidum, and parviflorum.

2499Pliny probably makes a mistake here, and readsσελίνον, “parsley,” forσκόλυμος, a “thistle.” Dalechamps is of this opinion, from an examination of the leaf; and Brotier adopts it.

2500Or “hundred heads,” the ordinary Eryngium campestre of Linnæus. It is still called panicaut a cent têtes, by the French.

2501It is no longer used for this purpose; but Fée is of opinion that it owes its French name of “panicaut,” from having been used in former times as a substitute for bread—pain.

2502It is not improbable that this plant is the same as the mandrake ofGenesis, c. xxx. 14; which is said to have borne some resemblance to the human figure, and is spoken of by the commentators as male and female.

2503The root contains a small quantity of essential oil, with stimulating properties; and this fact, Fée thinks, would, to a certain extent, explain this story of Sappho. It is not improbable that it was for these properties that it was valued by the rival wives of Jacob.

2504White specks in the eye.

2505Sprengel identifies this with the Onopordum acanthium; but Fée thinks that if it belongs to the Onopordum at all, it is more likely to be the Onopordum acaulton, or the O. Græcum.

2506Or “sweet-root,” our liquorice; the Glycyrrhiza glabra of Linnæus. In reality, Fée remarks, there is no resemblance whatever between it and the Eryngium, no kind of liquorice being prickly.

2507“Echinatis;” literally, “like a hedge-hog.” Pliny, it is supposed, read here erroneously in the Greek text, (from which Dioscorides has also borrowed)ἐοικότα ἐχίνῳ“like a hedge-hog,” forἐοικότα σχίνῳ“like those of the lentisk.”

2508“Pilularum.”

2509Or Pleiades.

2510Dioscorides compares the root, with less exactness, with that of gentian.

2511The same preparation that is known to us as Spanish liquorice or Spanish juice.

2512In B. xi. c. 119. It certainly has the effect of palling the appetite, but in many people it has the effect of creating thirst instead of allaying it. Fée thinks that from the fecula and sugar that it contains, it may possibly be nourishing, and he states that it is the basis of a favourite liquor in the great cities of France. Spanish liquorice water is used in England, but only by school-boys, as a matter of taste, and by patients as a matter of necessity.

2513The Greek for “without thirst.”

2514Or “mouth medicine.” Beyond being a bechic, or cough-medicine, it has no medicinal properties whatever.

2515“Pterygiis.” The word “pterygia” has been previously used as meaning a sort of hang-nail, or, perhaps, whitlow.

2516“Scabiem.”

2517Swellings of the anus more particularly.

2518It has in reality no such effect.

2519Probably the Fagonia Cretica and the Trapa natans of Linnæus. See B. xxi. c.58. The first, Fée remarks, is a native of Candia, the ancient Crete, and a stranger to the climates of Greece and Italy. This may account for Pliny calling it a garden plant.

2520This is said. Fée remarks, in reference to the Trapa natans, the seed of which is rich in fecula, and very nutritious.

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