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The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 3 (of 6)

BOOK XII. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF TREES. (continued 2)

John Bostock translation

CHAP. 56.—GALBANUM.

Syria produces galbanum too, which grows upon the same mountain of Amanus: it exudes from a kind of giant-fennel598 of the same name as the resin, though sometimes it is known as stagonitis. The kind that is the most esteemed is cartilaginous, clear like hammoniacum, and free from all ligneous substances. Still, however, it is sometimes adulterated with beans, or with sacopenium.599 If ignited in a pure state, it has the property of driving away serpents600 by its smoke. It is sold at five denarii per pound, and is only employed for medicinal purposes.

CHAP. 57. (26.)—PANAX.

Syria, too, furnishes panax,601 an ingredient used in unguents. This plant grows also at Psophis in Arcadia, about the sources of the Erymanthus, in Africa also, and in Macedonia. This is a peculiar kind of giant-fennel, which stands five cubits in height: it first throws out four leaves, and then six, which lie close to the ground, round, and of very considerable size; those, however, which grow towards the top resemble the leaves of the olive. It bears its seed in certain tufts, which hang down, just as in the fennel. The juice is obtained by incisions made in the stalk at harvest-time, and in the root in autumn. When in a coagulated state, it is esteemed according to its whiteness. The next in value is that of a pallid colour, while the black is held in no esteem. The price of that of the best quality is two denarii per pound.

CHAP. 58.—SPONDYLIUM.

The difference between this kind of giant-fennel and that known as spondylium,602 consists only in the leaf, which is smaller, and divided like that of the plane-tree. It grows in shady places only. The seed bears the same name as the plant, and has a strong resemblance to that of hart-wort: it is only employed in medicine.

CHAP. 59.—MALOBATHRUM.

Syria produces the malobathrum603 also, a tree which bears a folded leaf, with just the colour of a leaf when dried. From this plant an oil is extracted for unguents. Egypt produces it in still greater abundance; but that which is the most esteemed of all comes from India, where it is said to grow in the marshes like the lentil. It has a more powerful odour than saffron, and has a black, rough appearance, with a sort of brackish taste. The white is the least approved of all, and it very soon turns musty when old. In taste it ought to be similar to nard, when placed under the tongue. When made luke-warm in wine, the odour which it emits is superior to any other. The prices at which this drug ranges are something quite marvellous, being from one denarius to four hundred per pound; as for the leaf, it generally sells at sixty denarii per pound.

CHAP. 60. (27.)—OMPHACIUM.

Omphacium604 is also a kind of oil, which is obtained from two trees, the olive and the vine, by two different methods. It is produced from the former by pressing the olive while it is still in the white state. That is of an inferior quality which is made from the druppa—such being the name that is given to the olive before it is ripe and fit for food, but already beginning to change its colour. The difference between them is, that the latter kind is green, the former white. The omphacium that is made from the vine is extracted from either the psythian605 or the Aminean grape, when the grapes are about the size of a chick-pea, just before the rising of the Dog-star. The grape is gathered when the first bloom is appearing upon it, and the verjuice is extracted, after which the residue606 is left to dry in the sun, due precautions being taken against the dews of the night. The verjuice, after being collected, is put into earthen vessels, and then, after that, stored in jars of Cyprian copper.607 The best kind is that which is of a reddish colour, acrid, and dry to the taste. The price at which it sells is six denarii per pound. Omphacium is also made another way—the unripe grape is pounded in a mortar, after which it is dried in the sun, and then divided into lozenges.

CHAP. 61. (28.)—BRYON, ŒNANTHE, AND MASSARIS.

Bryon608 also bears an affinity to these substances, being the clusters of berries produced by the white poplar. The best kinds grow in the vicinity of Cnidos, or in Caria, in spots that are destitute of water, or else in dry and rugged localities. A bryon of second-rate quality is produced from the cedar of Lycia.609 Œnanthe, too, bears an affinity to these substances, being the clusters of the wild vine: it is gathered when it is in flower, or, in other words, when it has the finest smell: after which it is dried in the shade upon a linen sheet spread beneath it, and then stored away in casks. The best sort is that which comes from Parapotamia;610 the next best kinds are those made at Antiochia and Laodicea in Syria; and that of third-rate quality, comes from the mountainous parts of Media; this last, however, is preferable for medicinal purposes. Some persons give the preference over all to that grown in the island of Cyprus. As to that which comes from Africa, it is solely used for medicinal purposes, being known by the name of massaris.611 Whatever country it may happen to be, the white wild vine produces an œnanthe of superior quality to the black.

CHAP. 62.—ELATE OR SPATHE.

There is another tree612 also, that contributes to the manufacture of unguents, by some persons known under the name of elate, but which we call abies; others again call it a palm, and others give it the name of spathe. That of Hammonium is the most esteemed, and that of Egypt next, after which comes the Syrian tree. It is only odoriferous, however, in places that are destitute of water. The tears of it are of an unctuous nature, and are employed as an ingredient in unguents, to modify the harshness of the oil.

CHAP. 63.—CINNAMON OR COMACUM.

In Syria, too, is produced that kind of cinnamon which is also known as comacum.613 This is a juice which is extracted from a nut, and very different from the extract of the real cinnamomum, though it somewhat resembles it in its agreeable smell. The price at which it sells is forty asses per pound.

Summary.—Remarkable facts, narratives, and observations, nine hundred and seventy-four.

Roman authors quoted.—M. Varro,614 Mucianus,615 Virgil,616 Fabianus,617 Sebosus,618 Pomponius Mela,619 Flavius,620 Procilius,621 Hyginus,622 Trogus,623 Claudius Cæsar,624 Cornelius Nepos,625 Sextus Niger626 who wrote a Greek treatise on Medicine, Cassius Hemina,627 L. Piso,628 Tuditanus,629 Antias.630

Foreign authors quoted.—Theophrastus,631 Herodotus,632 Callisthenes,633 Isigonus,634 Clitarchus,635 Anaximenes,636 Duris,637 Nearchus,638 Onesicritus,639 Polycritus,640 Olympiodorus,641 Diognetus,642 Nicobulus,643 Anticlides,644 Chares645 of Mitylene, Menæchmus,646 Dorotheus647 of Athens, Lycus,648 Antæus,649 Ephippus,650 Dion,651 Demodes,652 Ptolemy Lagus,653 Marsyas654 of Macedon, Zoilus655 of Macedon, Democritus,656 Amphilochus,657 Aristomachus,658 Alexander Polyhistor,659 Juba,660 Apollodorus661 who wrote on Perfumes, Heraclides662 the physician, Archidemus663 the physician, Dionysius664 the physician, Democlides665 the physician, Euphron666 the physician, Mnesides667 the physician, Diagoras668 the physician, Iollas669 the physician, Heraclides670 of Tarentum, Xenocrates671 of Ephesus, Eratosthenes.672

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · A shrub of the family of Ombelliferæ, belonging to the genus bubon. It is a native of Asia Minor and Syria.Note 2 · See B. xix. c. 52, and B. xx. c. 75.Note 3 · This was a common notion with the Romans. Virgil, Georg. B. iii. l. 415, says:— “Galbaneoque agitare graves nidore chelydros.” Though considNote 4 · The produce of the Pastinaca opopanax of Linnæus, or the Panax Copticum of Bauhin, an umbelliferous plant which abounds in the East, and is Note 5 · The umbelliferous plant known as the Heracleum spondylium of Linnæus. It is commonly found in France, where it is called Berce-branc-ursine.Note 6 · Some suppose this tree to be the Laurus cassia of Linnæus, or wild cinnamon; others take it for the betel, the Piper betel of Linnæus. ClusiNote 7 · From the Greek ὀμφάκιον, being made of unripe grapes. As Fée remarks, that made from the olive is correctly described as a kind of oil, but Note 8 · These grapes are described in B. xiv. c. 4 and c. 11.Note 9 · “Reliquum corpus.” It is not clear what is the meaning of this. The passage is either in a corrupt state, or defective.Note 10 · A singular metal, one would think, for keeping verjuice in.Note 11 · From the Greek βρύον, “moss.” He speaks again of these grapes of the white poplar in B. xxiv. c. 34; also in c. 51 of the present Book. HardNote 12 · The bud, probably, of the Juniperus Lycia.Note 13 · See B. vi. c. 31.Note 14 · Said to have been a surname given by some nations to the god Bacchus.Note 15 · It is generally supposed by the commentators, that Pliny makes a mistake here, and that the elate or spathe was not a tree, but the envelopeNote 16 · Bauhin thinks that this juice or oil was extracted from the nutmeg, the Myristica moschata of Thunberg, and Bonastre is of the same opinion.Note 17 · See end of B. ii.Note 18 · See end of B. ii.Note 19 · See end of B. vii.Note 20 · Fabianus Papirius: see end of B. ii.Note 21 · See end of B. ii.Note 22 · See end of B. iii.Note 23 · The son of a freedman; some further particulars are given of him by Pliny in B. xxxiii. c. 1. By his talents and eloquence, he attained consNote 24 · See end of B. viii.Note 25 · See end of B. iii.Note 26 · See end of B. vii.Note 27 · See end of B. v.Note 28 · See end of B. ii.Note 29 · Probably the same as the Niger mentioned by Dioscorides as a writer on Materia Medica. He is also mentioned by Epiphanius and Galen; but DioNote 30 · A compiler of Roman history, who wrote at the beginning of the second century before Christ. He wrote Annals of Rome from the earliest to hiNote 31 · See end of B. ii.Note 32 · C. Sempronius Tuditanus, consul of Rome, B.C. 129. He wrote a book of historical Commentaries. He was maternal grandfather of the orator HorNote 33 · See end of B. ii.Note 34 · See end of B. iii.Note 35 · See end of B. ii.Note 36 · A native of Olynthus. His mother, Hero, was a cousin of the philosopher Aristotle, under whose tutelage he was educated. It is generally supNote 37 · See end of B. vii.Note 38 · See end of B. vii.Note 39 · A native of Lampsacus, and disciple of Diogenes the Cynic. He accompanied Alexander the Great in his Asiatic expedition. He wrote a history Note 40 · See end of B. vii.Note 41 · See end of B. vi.Note 42 · See end of B. ii.Note 43 · There was a native of Mendæ, in Sicily, of this name, who wrote a history of Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse. It was, probably, a differenNote 44 · Nothing seems to be known of this writer; but it is suggested that he may have accompanied Nearchus and Onesicritus in the East.Note 45 · See end of B. vi.Note 46 · Nothing is known of him; but Hardouin suggests that he may have accompanied Alexander the Great in his Eastern expedition.Note 47 · See end of B. iv.Note 48 · An officer at the court of Alexander the Great, who wrote a collection of anecdotes respecting the private life and reign of that emperor, sNote 49 · See end of B. iv.Note 50 · He is supposed to have been the same with the person of that name who wrote a history of Alexander the Great; but nothing further is known oNote 51 · A physician of Neapolis, who is supposed to have lived in the early part of the first century after Christ.Note 52 · A writer on medicine, of whom all further particulars have perished.Note 53 · Possibly Ephippus of Olynthus, a Greek historian of the reign of Alexander the Great.Note 54 · See end of B. viii.Note 55 · An ancient Greek historian, mentioned also by Strabo; but no further particulars are known of him.Note 56 · The founder of the dynasty of the Egyptian Ptolemies, which ended in Cleopatra, B.C. 38: he wrote a narrative of the wars of Alexander, whicNote 57 · A native of Pella, who wrote a history of Macedonia down to the wars of Alexander the Great. There was another writer of the same name, a naNote 58 · A native of Amphipolis, though some make him to have been an Ephesian. The age in which he lived is not exactly known. He attacked the writiNote 59 · See end of B. ii.Note 60 · See end of B. viii.Note 61 · See end of B. xi.Note 62 · See end of B. iii.Note 63 · See end of B. v.Note 64 · See end of B. xi.Note 65 · A physician of Heraclea, near Ephesus. He wrote commentaries on the works of Hippocrates.Note 66 · Nothing is known of him; but it has been suggested that he may have been the author of a few fragments on veterinary surgery which still exiNote 67 · There were many physicians and surgeons of this name, but probably Dionysius of Samos is meant, or else Sallustius Dionysius, quoted by PlinNote 68 · Also called Democedes, a physician of Crotona, who practised at Ægina. He was afterwards physician to Polycrates, the tyrant of Samos, and KNote 69 · Nothing whatever is known of this writer.Note 70 · Nothing is known relative to this writer.Note 71 · Nothing is known of him.Note 72 · Or Iölaus, a native of Bithynia, who wrote a work on Materia Medica. He was probably a contemporary of Heraclides of Tarentum, in the third Note 73 · A physician of Tarentum, who belonged to the Empiric sect. He wrote several medical works, and is highly commended by Galen. Only a few fragNote 74 · An historical and geographical writer, frequently quoted by Pliny. From the mention made of him in B. xxxvii. c. 2, it would appear that he Note 75 · See end of B. ii.
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