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+T. E. PAGE, o.H., LITT.D. +E. CAPPS, PH.D., LL.D. + W. H. Ὁ. ROUSE, Lirr.p.

L. A.. POST, μιὰ. E. H. WARMINGTON, ™.a., F.R.HIST.SOC,

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AELIAN

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I BOOKS I~—V_

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ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANIMALS ,

WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY θα, A, Ἐν SCHOLFIELD

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CONTENTS

PAGE

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION .

SUMMARY

PROLOGUE

BOOK I

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PREFACE

NINETY-THREE years have elapsed since Aelian’s De natura animalium was edited for the Teubner series by Rudolf Hercher. His text was a revision of that which he had published six years earlier, in 1858, in the Didot series. Both these books have long been out of print and almost unobtainable. In one respect the Teubner edition is inferior to its pre- decessor, since the editor gives no more than a bare ‘Index mutationum praeter codices factarum’ without specifying which ‘ codices ᾿ he has used, and those who are concerned to know how he explains or defends some of his frequent desertions of the manuscripts must still turn to the preface and the ‘ Adnotatio critica’ of the Didot edition. It was Hercher’s service to have detected the prevalence of glosses and interpolations, although in expelling them he is conscious that some will think that he has exceeded all bounds (Didot ed., Praef. p. ii). The text here printed is substantially that of Hercher’s edition of 1864, and divergences from it are shewn in the critical notes, which lay no claim to be ex- haustive. In 1902 E. L. De Stefani made a survey of the manuscripts in Continental libraries! and

1 The British Museum Burney MS 80 contains only excerpts — in a 16th-cent. hand; there is no MS of the NA in Bodley or in the Cambridge University Library, and I have not sought

farther afield.

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PREFACE

established their relations. It is to be regretted that no one has yet come forward to complete the task which he began and to provide a fresh text, with an adequate critical apparatus.

In rendering the names of Aelian’s birds and fishes I have taken as my guides the two Glossaries of Sir D’Arcy Thompson, one of Greek Birds (2nd ed., 1936), the other of Greek Fishes (1947.) Botanical terms are those given on the authority of Sir William Thiselton-Dyer in the ninth edition of Liddell and Scott’s Greek Lewicon. In identifying Aelian’s reptiles and insects the various articles contributed, jointly or separately, by H. Gossen and A. Steier, by M. Wellmann apd others to Pauly-Wissowa’s Real-Encyklopadie have been of service. In 1935 Gossen published a systematic catalogue of all

Aelian’s animals, and perhaps Τ shall be blamed for

not following him more often than I have done. In determining the modern equivalents and the scientific nomenclature of the fauna and flora of Ancient Greece the oracles do not always speak with one voice, and the best that a layman can hope for is that, when two or more interpretations have presented themselves, the result. of his choice may be judged, if not correct, at any rate excusable.

My thanks are due to those who have kindly solved for me various problems that arose in the

-eourse of my work: to Professor H. W. Bailey,

Professor W. I. B. Beveridge, Professor F. E. Fritsch (+), Dr. Ὁ. A. Parry, Dr. M. G. M. Pryor, Dr. G. Salt, Mr. A. F. Huxley, Mr. J. E. Raven. But my heaviest obligations are to Mr. A. 5. F. Gow, who read considerable portions of my translation in

typescript, saved me from more blunders than I care

Vili

PREFACE

to think of, and besides improvin | i

a number of corrections τ the at have gladly and gratefully adopted. The Syndics of the Cambridge University Press have courteousl allowed me to reproduce two passages from an editi of Nicander published by them in 1953. ks

Cambridge, A. Ἐ 5.

ες 1957.

INTRODUCTION

Life | ᾿ς

“ΤῊΝ life of Aelian has been sketched by his con- temporary Flavius Philostratus (Qnd—3rd cent. a.p.) in his Leves of the Sophists (2. 31), and he is the subject of a brief notice in ‘Suidas.’ Claudius Aelianus was born at Praeneste about the year a.p. 170. He came of lbertus stock and assumed the name of Claudius. At Rome he studied under Pausanias of Caesarea, a noted rhetorician and pupil of Herodes Atticus for whom Aelian reserved his chief admiration. Although a Roman, as he himself is proud to assert (VH 12. 25; 14. 45), he obtained such a mastery of the Attic idiom that he came to be known as ‘the honey-tongued or honey-voiced,’ while his success as a declaimer was rewarded by the bestowal of the title of Sophist. (By the end of the second century the term had ceased to bear any philosophical implications and had come to denote one who taught or practised rhetoric.) Neverthe- _ less, mistrusting, it may be, his ability to maintain his hold over pupils and audiences—for the demands on a successful rhetorician were heavy—he devoted himself to the writing of ‘ history" (τῷ ξυγγράφειν ἐπέθετο, Phil.). He held the office of ἀρχιερεύς presumably at Praeneste, but the greater part of his time must have been spent in Rome, where he had access to libraries and enjoyed the patronage of

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INTRODUCTION

the empress Julia Domna, who had gathered around her on the Palatine a circle of learned men that included Oppian, Serenus Sammonicus, Galen, Philostratus, and others who figure in the Deipno- sophists of Athenaeus.* It was his boast that he had never been outside Italy, had never been aboard a ship, and knew nothing of the sea—statements which most readers will find no difficulty in accept- ing.2 He was over sixty years of age when he died, unmarried. 7

Works

Besides the De natura animalium (to give it the name by which it is commonly referred to) two other works by Aelian have survived — Ἐπιστολαὶ ἀγροικίαι, a literary exercise in the form of twenty- four letters, vignettes of life in the country, some with an erotic motive; and Ποικίλη ἱστορία (Varia historia) in fourteen books, beginning with some chapters on natural history, but consisting in the main of anecdotes historical and biographical, with excursions into mythology, and_a variety of other topics. The greater part as we have it seems to be from the hand of an epitomator. It resembles the De natura animalium in its deliberate avoidance of any systematic order. Fragments of two treatises, Περὶ προνοίας and Περὶ θείων ἐναργειῶν have been

1 J. Bidez in Camb. Anc. Hist. 12. 613; see also Wellmann . -

in Hermes 51. 1. "2 The words ἐθεασάμην ἐν τῇ πόλει τῇ ᾿Αλεξανδρέων (NA 11. 40) occur in a chapter borrowed wholly from Apion, and Wellmann (RE 1. 486) considers that Aelian is simply tran- scribing his authority. Μ. Croiset (Hist. de la lit. gr. 5. 774) demurs to this view; his explanation seems to me uncon- vincing. | : ᾿ xil

INTRODUCTION

preserved, most of them in ‘ Suidas.’ So far as we can judge they were collections of stories illustratin heaven 5 retribution on unbelievers. Aelian has ane bitter words for the scepticism of the Epicureans: A bare mention is enough for two sets of epigrams sae See agin on ‘herms’ of.Homer and enander which are i Aelian’s house at oo ° od ὑῶν ‘The De natura animahum is a miscellany of facts: genuine or supposed, gleaned by Aeclian from earlier and contemporary Greek writers (no Latin writer is once named) and to a limited extent from his own observation to illustrate the habits of the animal world. We are of course prepared to encounter much that modern science rejects, but the general tone with its search. after the picturesque, the startling, even the miraculous, would justify ‘us in ranking Aelian with the Paradoxographers rather than with the sober exponents of Natural History Mythology, mariners’ yarns, vulgar superstitions, the ascertained facts of nature—all serve to adorn a tale and, on occasion, to point a moral. His religion is the popular Stoicism of the age: Aelian repeatedl affirms his belief in the gods and in divine Prout: dence; the wisdom and beneficence of Nature are: held up to veneration; the folly and selfishness of man are contrasted with the untaught virtues of the animal world. Some animals, to be sure, have their failings, but he chooses rather to dwell upon their good qualities, devotion, courage, self-sacrifice gratitude. Again, animals are guided by Reason: and from them we may learn contentment, control

i See G. Kaibel, ed., Hpi . bas conlecta (Berol. 1878), nos. 18. Graeca, ex lapidibus

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INTRODUCTION

of the passions, and calm in the face of death. Suicide is commended as an escape from the ills of life, and riches are to be despised. Aelian’s Stoicism hardly goes below the surface. His primary object

is to entertain and while so doing to convey instruction

in the most agreeable form. He was among the

first to break away from the age-long tradition of the periodic structure of sentences, at least for works

of a serious nature, and to affect a simpler prose of .

short, co-ordinated, sometimes paratactic, clauses. In this. and in the rich variety of topics and in a certain fondness for piquant, not to say earthy, stories from the life of men and of animals one may trace the influence of the Milesian Tales. Un- fettered by any canons of style or language, pica- yesque, and sometimes 70s; they pandered to popular taste. To adopt their technique while refining the style and imparting ἃ moral flavour to his narratives may well have seemed to Aelian a sure way of gaining a like popularity with educated readers: Some might find fault with his random and piece-meal handling of his theme—of that he is well aware, and in the Epilogue he defends himself with the plea that a frequent change of topic helps to maintain the reader's interest and saves him from boredom, But as to the permanent value of his work he has no misgivings, and since. Philo- stratus informs us that his writings were much admired, we may assume that they appealed to

cultivated circles’ in a way that the voluminous ~

and possibly arid compilations of grammarians did not.

1 See W. Schmid, Der Aiticismus, 3. 7 ff.

XIV

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INTRODUCTION

Sources

The principal sources of the De natura animalium have been investigated by Max Wellmann and Rudolf Keydell in a series of articles which appeared in the journal Hermes between the years 1891 and 1937. Here it will be enough to state their conclusions and to indicate some of the reasons for them. | ᾿ That the name of Aristotle should occur over fift times in a work professing to deal with animals vill surprise no one. Yet it is certain that Aelian knew Aristotle only at second hand through the epitome of his zoological works made by Aristophanes of Byzantium (8rd/2nd cent. B.c.). Even so there is little enough of genuine descriptive zoology, and it was not in any purely zoological work that Aelian found his chief inspiration and guide. It is notice- able how often his statements regarding the names habits, and characteristics of animals reflect in their manner of presentation, their content and style, the

comments of scholiasts and writers like Athenaeus Clement of Alexandria, and Pollux, who took their materials from grammarians. It became a manner- ism with the scholars of Alexandria to cite Homer whenever it was possible, and Aelian follows the fashion, less (so it would seem) with an aim to estab- lishing some fact of natural history than to provin

Homer's knowledge of the science. Specimens of grammarian’s lore meet us in the excursions into etymology and lexicography, in the myths and pro- verbs relating to animals, with their illustrations from dramatists and poets, and in a wealth of other matter which a professed zoologist would disregard as being irrelevant. Aelian is not, like Athenaeus,

XV

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INTRODUCTION

scrupulous in always naming his authorities, as we |

shall see later, but from parallel passages in other writers ranging from Plutarch and Athenaeus down to the Geoponica (5th cent. a.D.) in which Pamphilus

” ig expressly named as being the source, Wellmann

concludes that the pattern and the chief source for Aelian was Pamphilus of Alexandria. He in his turn had based his work upon that most voluminous of grammarians Didymus, nicknamed Χαλκέντερος, excerpting and abridging into one work a number of separate treatises by his forerunner.! The title of the work is given by ‘ Suidas’ as Λειμών, and he adds ἔστι δὲ ποικίλων περιοχή. Tt must have been a miscellany of ample scope embracing mythology, natural history, and paradoxa or ‘tales of wonder, historical and biographical notices, all derived from earlier Greek literature. In a number of places Aelian has grouped together, more or less closely, chapters derived from one and the same authority : thus, 12. 16-20 come from Democritus; 4. 19, 21, 96-7, 32, 36, 41, 46, 52 from Ctesias; 16. 9-22, from Megasthenes ; 17. 31-4 from Amyntas. From this ++ would seem that his exemplar was arranged partly by animals and partly by authors. a Aelian has given us accounts of over one hundred birds. Many of his accounts correspond with. those which we find in Athenaeus ((9. 3878-397c), but since Aelian is generally more detailed, the resemblances

are to be traced to the use of a common source. For

Athenaeus the principal authority on birds was ‘ that best of all ancient ornithologists, Alexander the

1 Wellmann detects a hidden allusion to its title in some

words of Aelian’s Epilogue, οἱονεὶ λειμῶνά τινα ἢ στέφανον

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INTRODUCTION

Myndian, 1 whom he cites more often than am other writer on natural history, Aristotle ane excepted, viz. thirteen times in Book IX and four times elsewhere. Photius describes him as havin collected ‘ a multitude of marvellous, even incredible, tales from earlier writers touching animals trees, places, rivers, plants, and the like.’ 3 Relian πάγος him five times, and in a chapter (8. 23) relating to storks and their transformation into human beings | takes occasion to praise his knowledge and to express his own belief in the story. It is not stretching probability to see in Alexander the source for Acneae accounts of similar transformations (e.g. 1.1; 5. 1; 15. 29), and for much besides, whether of fact oF fable, regarding birds, their assignment to special gods (1. 48; 2. 32; 4.29; 10. 34-5; 12.4; andc Ath. 9.388a), their significance as omens (3. 9; 10. 34,37; and ep. Plut. Marius 17, Artem. Onezr. 2. 66). Nevertheless since Athenaeus and Aelian concur ἃ misrepresenting him on the spelling of σκώψ, it ma be questioned whether they had direct access to his |

᾿ς writings and whether their common error is not due

to Pamphilus; see note on Ael. 15 i description of the κατώβλεπον (7. 5) a differ from the account given by Alexander in Ath. 5 2218. _ Among ancient writers who treated of poi and their antidotes the principal cheney sin Apollodorus (8rd cent. B.c.). Two of his works or the essence of them, survive in the poems of Nicander But though Aelian on seven occasions adduces Nicander 85 witness, there are discrepancies which

1 Ὁ, W. Thompson, Glossar ek bi i . ; y of Greek birds, p. vi. 2 Fragments collected by Wellmann in H Ὁ ἐν 26. 546-55.

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INTRODUCTION

preclude the idea of a direct use of the poet. There | are however indications that Aelian and the scholia

to Nicander drew from a common source. — Aelian states (9. 26) that the Agnus-castus, an antidote to

snakebites, was used at the Thesmophoria to ensure ©

< ; age In hastity: the same note occurs in 2 Nic. T h. 7 1. ὶ 9. 20 Aelian states on the authority of ‘ Aristotle

᾿ (Mirab. 841 a 97) that the ‘ Pontic stone’ if burnt ex-

nakes: Σ Nic. Th. 45 cite the same passage. In BI Sostratus,’ we are told, ‘ describes the Dipsas as white. Here Aelian has forsaken Apollodorus- Nicander, who had written (Th. 337) ὑποζοφόεσσα ἐλαίνεται, and he then proceeds to tell the myth of the Dipsas and the Ass, adding that it has been treated by Sophocles (and other poets): Σ Nic. Th. 343 state specifically ‘ Sophocles ev Kwdois.’ (Clearly Σ did not borrow from Aelian.) The story of the Beaver and its self-mutilation is told by Aelian (6. 34); it is mentioned in Σ Nic. Th. 565, and Sostratus is named. as the authority for it. From Ael. 4. 51 and 6. 37 we learn the difference between olorpos and μύωψ : according to & Ap. Rh. 1. 1265 and & Theoc. 6. 28 the distinction was first noted by Sostratus, though Aelian is the first to mention it. It seems then that Sostratus in his two works Περὶ βλητῶν καὶ δακετῶν and Περὶ ζῴων treated of insects as well as the lower animals and snakes. As a zoologist his reputation stood next to Aristotle, and we are justified in assuming that both for Aelian and for the scholiast on Nicander he was the source for more than they have openly acknowledged, in the case of Aelian for 1. 20-22; 6. 36-8; 9. 99;

0. 44: 12. 8. ᾿ ‘Aelian has much to tell us of elephants, both

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INTRODUCTION

those of Libya and of India. Like Pliny (ΗΝ 8. 1-34) before him and like Plutarch in his De sollertia animalium, Aelian has drawn extensively upon Juba II, King of Mauretania (c. 50 B.c.-c. Α.Ὁ. 23). He was the first to maintain that the elephant’s tusks are horns and not teeth, and Aelian follows him (8.10; 11.15; 14.5). And since we learn from Pliny (ΠΝ 5. 16) that he wrote about the Atlas mountains and their forests, he is a likely source for all that Aelian relates touching Mauretania, its people, and its animals. The chapters on pearls (15. 8) and on Indian ants (16. 15) are to be traced - to Juba’s work De expeditione Aralica.

The knowledge which Aelian displays of Egypt and its topography, its local traditions, customs, and religious beliefs, especially those relating to birds and animals, can come only from a writer well acquainted with the land and its people. We are given mystical and mythological reasons for the reverence or detestation in which certain creatures are held (10. 19, 21, 46); there are tales of wonder ranging from the merely curious to the impossible; _ quotations from Homer are introduced into chapters on Egyptian religion. The pattern fits Apion (Ist cent. a.D.). Born in the Great Oasis, he became head of the Alexandrian school, was a Homeric scholar and a pretender to omniscience. His Aegypiaca was a compilation dealing with the history and the marvels of Egypt and was based upon earlier writers with additions from his own experience. One such there is which ‘ every schoolboy knows,’ the story of Androcles and the Lion (Ael. 7. 48).1 Chapters on

1 A, Gellius 5.14 [Apion] Hoe .

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INTRODUCTION Ael. 9.35 depth of the sea Opp. 1. 83-92 38 fish in the depths 145-54 36 Exocoetus 155-67 41 Mussels 174-8 | 2.15 Pilot-fish 186-211 17 Remora 212-43 9,43 Crabs 285-304 45 Octopus and fruit-trees 308-11 47 Sea-urchin 318-19 7.31 Hermit-crabs 320-37 9,34 Nautilus 338-59 49 Sea-monsters 360-72 1.55 Sharks 373-82 9.50 Sea-calf, Whale, Sea 398-408 52 Flying fishes 427-37 53 fish gregarious 440-45 57 fish in winter and spring 446-72 63 generation of fish 473-501 6.28 generation of Octopus 536-53 9,66 Moray and Viper 554-79 10.2 period of procreation 584-90 4.9 migration to the Huxine 598-611 10.8 Dolphin and young 660-85 1.17 Dog-fish and young 734-41 16 ‘ Blue-fish ’ and young 747-55 2.22 Sprats : 767-97 |

In three of the above passages there can be little doubt that Aelian has paraphrased Oppian: compare Ael. 9. 38 with Opp. 1. 145-52

50

398-408 427-37.

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In both we find the same fishes in the same order, and, what is most significant, since a prose-writer is

not bound by the exigences of metre, the same use ~

now of the singular, now of the plural. These three chapters cannot be separated from the other four- teen, so that it is at least likely that they too are paraphrases of Oppian. Of the remaining nine

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INTRODUCTION

passages some may have been derived from Oppian others more probably from a common source.

One such source was Leonidas of Byzantium.} From him Aelian derived the story of the friendship between a boy and a dolphin at Poroselene (2. 6), which recurs in Oppian (5. 448-518). In 2. 8 Aelian tells how dolphins help men in the catching of other fish, and a similar account is given by Oppian (5. 425~ AT): it is probable that both drew upon Leonidas. A comparison of Aelian’s two chapters on poisonous fishes, 2. 44 and 50 (where Leonidas is named), with Opp. 2. 422-505 points certainly to him as their common source. Other passages indicate despite differences that both made use of the same authority whether Leonidas or some other: compare | _

Ael.1.4 with Opp. 3. 323-6 5 (τρώκτης) > 144-8 (dpia) 19 5 2. 141-66 27 55 241-6 30 “a 128-40.

The researches of Leonidas extended as far as the Red Sea (Ael. 3. 18). For information on fishes in western waters Aelian relied upon one Demostratus who differs from Leonidas in being independent of any Aristotelian tradition and in concentrating upon paradoxa. To him Wellmann would attribute the accounts contained in Ael. 13. 23; 15. 9, 12; per-

1 Keydell (Hermes 72. 430 ff.) puts the date of Leonidas in the 2nd cent. 4.D. Leonidas ig coporied as having himself seen the boy and dolphin; Pausanias (3. 25. 7) also was a witness, and Oppian says that the memory of the event is still fresh, for it happened ‘ not long ago but in our own generation,’ the last quarter of the 2nd century. Granting that it ig

incredible that the boy rode ° tale may well be pes upon the dolphin, the rest of the

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INTRODUCTION

S Vindobonensis med. gr. 7 _ 8. KV ΟΨΟ Parisiensis suppl. gr. 352

| [formerly Vat. gr. 997 1} 5. xili

W Vindobonensis med. gr. 51 5. xiv

From these De Stefani selected seven only as possess- |

ing value for the constitution of the text, viz. A, F, H, L, P, V, and W, the remainder being copies of one or other of those seven. |

EDITIONS

1556 C. Gesner (Zurich, F°). Ed. pr.

1611 P. Gillius and C. Gesner (Geneva, 16°). 1744 Abraham Gronovius (London, 4°). 1784 J. E. 6. Schneider (Leipzig, i 1832 C. F. W. Jacobs (Jena, 8°).

1858 RB. Hercher (Didot, Paris, la. 8°).

1864 R. Hercher (Teubner, Leipzig, 8°).

Gesner provided a parallel Latin translation which —

was later revised by A. Gronovius and was reprinted ‘n all editions down to 1858. The only translation into a modern language that I know of (but have not seen) is the German version by Jacobs (Stuttgart, 1839-42). Gossen in 1935 announced that he had ready for press a fresh translation equipped with full notes, indexes, etc., but I have not been able to

trace it.

CriTIciIsM Cobet (C. G.). Novae lectiones (p. 780). Leyden, 1858. Variae lectiones, ed. 2 (pp- 131, 209, 341). 10., 1873. ΧΧΥΪ

INTRODUCTION

Cobet (C. G.). Aeliani locus [NA 1. 30 , ye ἡ ποπιῦε. 7 (1868) 340. i aaaae Sa e locis nonnullis apud A. Jb. N.S. 12 (1884) 433 Baehrens (W. A.). Vermischte eras he gr. u. lat. Sprache [NA 7. 8]. Glotta 9 (1918) 171. De Stefani (E. L.). 1 manoseritti della Hist. Animal. di Eliano. Studs ital. di filol. class. 10 (1902) 175. Per l' Epitome Aristotelis De animalibus di Aristofane — di Bizanzio. Jb. 12 (1904) 421. | ἐν ὦν ΤῊ i (δον de gaa animal de |’ Inde chez Palladius. [See NA 5. 3.] 8 ion 4 (1927-8) 34. | etal μὰ “Ὁ [ΠΣ τὰ Tiernamen in A’s... II. €. uellen u. Stud. z. Gesch. d. Naturni - ει d. rari 4 (1935) 280. τόν ὧι rasberger (L.). Zur Kritik des A. Jb. 7. , ia? (1867) 185. ere aupt .). Conjectanea [NA 2. 22]. 5 (1871) 321. ! oe Pers τὰ 4 (1870) 342. , ercher (R.). Zu A.’s Thiergeschichte. 164) 148 geschichte. Philol. 9 Zu A.’s Thiergeschichte. Jb. f. οἱ Phi rr aa f. class. Philol. Τὶ “Sean Philol. 10 (1855) 344. nterpolationen bei A. Jb. f. class. (ieee) 177 f. class. Philol. 72 u griech. Prosaikern. Hermes 11 (1876) 223 Kaibel (G.). [A. and Callimach ΠΣ [ limachus.| Hermes 28 Keydell (R.). Oppians Gedicht von der Fischerei u. _A.’s Tiergeschichte. Hermes 72 (1937) 411. Klein (J.). Zu A. [NA 6. 21, 46; 12. 33]. Rhein. Mus. N.F. 22 (1867) 308. |

XXVil

INTRODUCTION | ᾿ INTRODUCTION Meineke (A.). Zu griech. Schriftstellern [ΝᾺἅ 4. 12]. . Aristotle. Histori ba ca | Hermie 3 (1868) 162. | , | Thome a ἐλ ae [trans.| by D. W. Mentz (F.). Die klass. Hundenamen. Philol. 88 Keller (O.). Die antike Tiernel ; (1933) 104, 181,415. > | 1909-13. “erwelt. 2 vols. Leipz. Morel (W.). | Tologica. Philol. 83 (1928) 345. a Oppian . . . with an Engl. transl | Radermacher (L.). Varia. Rhein. Mus. 51 (1896) . (Loeb Cl. Lib.) Lond a . by A. W. Mair. 463. a Radcliff ee ae | | Zu Ieyllos von Epidavros. [NA 18. 1. Philol. Ὁ ee δ earliest times. 58 (1899) 314.. | | Saint-Deni ; Roehl (H.). Zu A. [NA 11. 10]: Jb. f. class. © oe cea ee cee oe nie des animaux Philol. 121 (1880) 378. ᾿ taires, 11.) Paris, 1947 s et commen- Scott (J. A.). Mise. notes from A. Class. Jl. 24 ᾿ς ᾿ . (1929) 374. ᾿ ' Abbreviations used in the critical notes Schmid (W.). Der Atticismus . . . Vol. 3: Alian. . Cas[aubon, I.] ἜΣ . ΓΑ detailed examination of A.’s vocabulary, | Ges[ner, (ἢ Soh ee F. van] syntax, and style.] Stuttgart, 1893. : Gillfius, P.] ae 4 , J. G.] Shorey (P.). An emendation of A. Il..¢. (NA 8. 1.] : Gron{ovius, A.] ae ve er, Otto] Class. Philol. 3 (1908) 101. | : Hlercher, R.] . ἐξ : τωρ L. K.) Thouvenin (P.). Untersuchungen iiber den Modus- ᾿ Hemstlerhusius, 1. ᾿ i Lent ach, D.] gebrauch bei A. Philol, 54 (1895) 599. —— Jaclobs, C. F. W.) pe Py). Venmans (L. A. W. C.). Lépdos. Mnemos. N.S. 58 ᾿ Mein{eke, 4.1 ἌΝ by]. (1930) 58. ᾿ π γ ἢ: Yy |.

Λευκοὶ μύρμηκες. 10. 918. ΝΣ Wellmann (M.). Sostratos, ein Beitrag z. Quellen- |

analyse des A. Hermes 26 (1891) 321.

Alexander von Myndos. Tb. 481. ;

Juba, eine Quelle des A. Ib. 21 (1892) 389.

Leonidas von Byzanz und Demostratos. (1895) 161.

Aegyptisches. Ib. 31 (1896) 221.

Pamphilos. 6.51 (1916) 1.

In addition to the works named in the Preface, I should mention: |

| XXVill

xxix

AELIAN ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANIMALS ὁ

ΠΕ

|

seebeiposiene ΡΥ, ΠΣ oe ΜΉΤΕ is

iia

sees

ἐρρρδ λει gin eisas hein chy iets ti NOT UNA RES δον.

iss inte ter. rabid Lt = Shee sping’ ba νας eb aaa ted iat tadg om ight at ΟΣ ΣΉ

SUMMARY

PROLOGUE

Boox I

1 The Birds of Diomede 2 The Parrot Wrasse 3 The Mullet 4 The‘ Anthias.’ The Parrot Wrasse 5 The Gnawer and Dolphins 6 Animals in love with hu- man beings 7 The Jackal 8 Nicias and his Hounds 9 The Drone 10 Servitors among Bees 11 Bees, their ages and habits 12 The Mullet, how caught 13 The ‘ Etna-fish,’ its con- tinence 14 The Wrasse, its paternal instincts 15 The Wrasse, how caught 16 The ‘ Blue-grey’ fish and young. 17 The Dog-fish and young 18 The Dolphin and young 19 The Horned Ray 20 The Cicada 21 The Spider and its web 22 Ants observe a day of rest 23 The Sargue, how caught

24 Vipers and their mating

25 The Hyena

26 The Black Sea-bream 27 The Octopus

28 Wasps, how generated 29 The Owl

45 Vulture’s

30 The Basse and the Prawn

31 The Porcupine

32 Mutual hostility of certain fishes .

33 The Moray

34 The Cuttlefish

35 Birds use charms against

sorcery

36 The Torpedo. The Hal- eyon. Causes of numb- ness

37 Protective and numbing owers of certain herbs

38 (i) The Elephant, its love of

beauty and perfumes (ii-iv) Various irritants

39 The Sting-ray, how caught

40 The Great Tunny

41 The ‘ Melanurus’

42 The Eagle, its keen sight

43 The Nightingale :

44 Cranes bring rain

feathers. The Woodpecker

46 The Four-toothed Sparus -

47 The Raven’s thirst

48 The Raven in divination; its eggs

49 The Bee-eater -

50 The Moray and the Viper ..

51 Snakes generated from marrow of evil-doers .

52 The Swallow

63 The Goat, its breathing

54 Viper, Asp, etc., their bites 55 Sharks and Dog-fish

56 The Sting-ray

57 The Cerastes and the Psylli

3

SUMMARY

58 The enemies of Bees 59 A Bee-hive 60 The King Bee

Boox II

1 Cranes, their migration 2 * Fire-flies ’ 3 The Swallow 4 ‘Ephemera.’ 5 The Asp. The Basilisk 6 Dolphin and boy at Poro- selene 7 The Basilisk 8 Dolphins help fishermen 9 Deer and Snakes 10 Mating of Mare and Ass 11 Performing Elephants 12 The Hare 13 Fishes and their leaders 14 The Chameleon 15 The Pilot-fish 16 The ‘ Tarandus’ 17 The Sucking-fish 18 Medicine in the Heroic Age. Elephants and _ their wounds 19 The Bear and its cub 20 Oxen of Erythrae 91 Snakes of Ethiopia and Phrygia 22 The Sprat 23 The Lizard, its vitality 24 The Asp. Human spittle 25 Ants store grain 26 The Eagle and nestlings 27 The Ostrich 28 The Bustard and Horses 29 The Fly 30 The Cockerel, and how to keep him 31 The Salamander 32 The Swan and its song 33 The Crocodile 34 The Cinnamon bird 35 The Ibis and clysters 36 The Sting-ray

4

87 The Shrew-mouse

38 The Ibis

39 The Golden Hagle

40 The Eagle and its keepers

41 The Red Mullet

42 The Falcon

43 The Kestrel. Hawks and their eyesight. Hawks of Egypt

44 The Rainbow Wrasse

45 The Sea-hare

46 The Vulture. The ‘Aegy- pius’

47 The Kite

48 Ravens of Egypt, of Libya

49 The Raven and its young

50 Poisonous fishes

51 The voice, and diet

52 Viviparous animals

53 Hornless Cattle. Bees in Scythia

54 The Parrot Wrasse

55 The Shark

56 The Mouseanditsliver. A shower of Mice, of Frogs

57 The Ox, man’s benefactor

Boox Til

1 Lions of Mauretania 2 Horses of Libya. Hounds of Crete and elsewhere 3 India devoid of Pigs 4 Ants of India 5 Tortoise and Snake. The Pigeon, its conjugal fid- elity. The Partridge, its amorous nature 6 Wolves cross 8 river 7 Animal antipathies | 8 Mares and foais 9 The Crow, its conjugal . fidelity. Owl and Crow 10 The Hedgehog 11 The Crocodile and Egyp- tian Plover .

Raven, tits daring,

᾿

ΧὩ

ἘΝ τὰ #8 Rey ἐδ ws ΕἾ x

Bx

;

δὶ & iy Bd ee x = - Re ΕΝ a δ Ss 2 EN ES δὲ δὴ my & x & x Ξ FS | BS

ΟΕ, Ἃ

σὴ

SUMMARY

12 Jackdaws and Locusts

13 Cranes, their migration

14 Cranes give warning of storms

15 The Pigeon

16 The Partridge and its young

17 Jealousy in animals

18 The Inflater fish

19 The Seal

20 The Pelican. The Sea-

mew

21 A Bear and Lions

22 Ichneumon and Asp

23 Storks, their mutual affec- tion; transformation in- to human beings

94 The Swallow and its nest

25 The Swallow and its young

26 The Hoopoe —

27 No Lions in Peloponnese

28 The Perseus fish

29 The Pinna

30 The Cuckoo

31 The Cock feared by Basi- lisk and Lion

32 Local peculiarities

33 The Asp. Nile water pro- motes fertility in animals

34 A wonderful Horn

35 Partridges, their different notes

86 The Grape-spider

37 Frogs in Seriphus

38 Local peculiarities

39 The Goatsucker

40 The Nightingale

41 The Unicorn’s horn

42 The Purple Peacock

43 The Raven in old age

44 Ringdoves, their conjugal fidelity

45 Pigeons and young; and birds of prey

46 An Elephant and its keeper

47 Examples of incest

Coot. The |

Boox IV

1 The Partridge. lovers 2 The Pigeons of Aphrodite . at Eryx 3 Lion and Lioness 4 The Wolf 5 Animal enmities 6 The Horse 7 Example of animal incest 8 Groom in love with Mare 9 Fish in the mating season 10 Elephants worship the Moon i ᾿ ΤΣ Mare © Partridge, its youn 13 The Pariidee, as inaa 14 Marten and Snake 15 The Wolf, when full-fed 16 The Partridge as decoy 17 The Hedgehog. The Lynx | 18 Objects poisonous to cer- tain animals 19 The Indian Hound 20 Peculiarities of -various creatures a ae Mantichore e power of human spittle 23 The Willow. The Boa lock 24 The taming of Elephants 25 Oxen treading out the corn 26 Falconry in India 27 The Gryphons and the gold of Bactria 28 The Turtle and its eyes 29 ‘The Cock and its crowing 30 The Jackdaw 31 The Elephant, its anatom and habits

Cretan

32 The Goats and Sheep of

India 33 The Chameleon and Snakes 34 The Lion ; 35 The Ox and its memory 36 The Purple Snake of India

5

SUMMARY

37 The Ostrich

38 The Sparrow

39 The Fox and Wasps

40 The Dog

41 The ‘ Dikairon ἢ

42 The Francolin. The « Guinea-fowl

43 The Ant. Greek festivals

44 Animals remember kind ᾿

actions 45 The story of a Lion, a Bear, and a Dog 46 (i) The Lac insect (ii) The Dog-heads 47 The Golden Oriole 48 How tocheck an angry Bull 49 The Leopard 50 The Horse, its eyelashes 51 The Gadfly. The Horse-fly 52 The Wild Ass of India 53 A calculating animal 54 Asp in love with a Goose- herd 55 The Camel of Bactria 56 Seal in love with a Diver 67 The Water-snake, its bite 58 The Rock-dove. The ‘Circe’ 59 The Biue-fowl 60 The Chaffinch

Boox V 1 The Ruff, the bird of Mem- non 2 Crete hostile to Owls and Snakes 3 A monstrous Snake in the Indus

4 The Porpoise

5 The victorious Hen

6 A captured Dolphin

7 Monkey and Cats

8 Places hostile to certain animals

9 The Cicadas of Locris and Rhegium

6

10 Bees and their King Il The King Bee. Character of the Bee 12 The Bee, its industry 13 The Bee, its skill, its colonies ; as weather-pro- phet; its love of song 14 (i) Rats in Gyarus and Teredon (ii) Scorpions on mt Latmus 15 The King Wasp 16 The Wasp and its poison 17 The Fly . 18 The Great Sea-perch 19 Wolf and Bull 20 The Hake 21 The Peacock 22 Mouse saved from drown-

ing

23 The Crocodile

24 The Bustard

25 The Lamb

26 The Monkey

27 Peculiarities of certain ani- mals

28 The Purple Coot

29 Geese in love with hu- man beings. Geese and Eagles

30 The Egyptian Goose

31 Anatomy of the Snake

32 The Peacock

33 The Duck

34 The Swan and death

35 The Heron and Oysters:

86 The ‘ Asterias’

37 The Torpedo. The Great Weever

38 The Nightingale

39 The Lion

40 The Leopard

41 Ruminants and their sto- machs. The Cuttle-fish

42 Bees: various kinds.

43 The ‘ Day-fly’

44 The Cuttle-fish .

45 The Wild Boar

= x ᾿ = . Se ᾿ 3

"ESOT ReR snss οουνρα των ρον οὐρουνε δυο γος; λυλιοκήλημαβενόροω

SUMMARY

46 Nature’s medicines for ani- mals

47 A Lizard regains its lost sight

48 Animal friendships and

ες enmities .

49 Animals’ dislike of dead bodies .

50 (i) Confidence and fear in

animals

(ii) Animals suckling their young 51 Various sounds made by animals 52 Reptiles foretell the Nile’s . rise 53 The Hippopotamus 54 Leopard and Monkeys 55 The Elephant 56 Deer crossing the sea .

AIAIANOY ΠΕΡῚ ΖΩΩΝ IAIOTHTO=

ΠΡΟΟΙΜΙΟΝ

\ \ / 4 ~ "AvOpwrov μὲν εἶναι σοφὸν καὶ δίκαιον καὶ τῶν.

οἰκείων παίδων προμηθέστατον, καὶ τῶν γειναμένων ποιεῖσθαι τὴν προσήκουσαν φροντίδα, καὶ τροφὴν ἑαυτῷ μαστεύειν καὶ ἐπιβουλὰς φυλάττεσθαι καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ὅσα αὐτῷ σύνεστι δῶρα φύσεως, παράδοξον ἴσως οὐδέν: καὶ γὰρ λόγου μετείληχεν ἄνθρωπος τοῦ πάντων τιμιωτάτου, καὶ λογισμοῦ ἠξίωται, ὅσπερ οὖν ἐστι πολυαρκέστατός TE καὶ πολυω- φελέστατος" ἀλλὰ καὶ θεοὺς αἰδεῖσθαι οἶδε καὶ σέβειν. τὸ δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀλόγοις μετεῖναι τινος ἀρετῆς κατὰ pvow,) καὶ πολλὰ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πλεονεκτημάτων καὶ θαυμαστὰ ἔχειν συγκεκληρω- μένα, τοῦτο ἤδη μέγα. καὶ εἰδέναι ye μὴ ῥᾳθύμως τὰ προσόντα αὐτῶν ἰδίᾳ ἑκάστῳ, καὶ omws ἐσπουδάσθη οὐ μεῖον τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ {τὰν τῶν ἄλλων ξῴων, εἴη ἄν τινος πεπαιδευμένης φρενὸς

ς X ἐν 4 ¢ fF καὶ μαθούσης πολλά. ws μὲν οὖν καὶ ετεροιὶς

' os 2 4 \ ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐσπούδασται, καλῶς οἶδα ᾿ ἐγὼ δὲ [ἐμαυτῷ 8 ταῦτα ὅσα οἷόν τε ἦν ἀθροίσας καὶ

“a f “ 9 περιβαλὼν αὐτοῖς τὴν συνήθη λέξιν, κειμήλιον οὐκ

> , f . 1 φύσιν καὶ εἰ μὴ κατὰ THY οἰκείαν κρίσιν.

ΕΠ Sega oa yey A SE TELS TES SUES UR ΤΥ ED TST Ue So ΣΤ ΒΡ ΟΣ το στο

FS ONION SAY OS RUT

AELIAN

ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANIMALS

PROLOGUE

Tuere is perhaps nothing extraordinary in the fact that man is wise and just, takes great care to provide for his own children, shows due consideration for his parents, seeks sustenance for himself, protects himself against plots, and possesses all the other gifts of nature which are his. For man has been endowed with speech, of all things the most precious, and has been granted reason, which is of the greatest help and use. Moreover, he knows how to reverence and wor- ship the gods. But that dumb animals should by nature possess some good quality and should have many of man’s amazing excellences assigned to them along with man, is indeed a remarkable fact. And to know accurately the special characteristics of each, and how living creatures also have been a source of interest no less than man, demands a trained in- telligence and much learning. Now J am well aware of the labour that others have expended on this subject, yet I have collected all the materials that I could; I have clothed them in untechnical language, and am persuaded that my achievement is a treasure

2 {τάδ add. Jac. 8 [ἐμαυτῷ] del. H.

AELIAN

ἀσπούδαστον ἐκπονῆσαι πεπίστευκα. εἰ δέ τῷ καὶ ἄλλῳ φανεῖται ταῦτα λυσιτελῆ, χρήσθω αὐτοῖς " ὅτῳ δὲ οὐ φανεῖται, ἐάτω τῷ πατρὶ θάλπειν τε καὶ περιέπειν - οὐ γὰρ πάντα πᾶσι καλά, οὐδὲ ἄξια δοκεῖ σπουδάσαι πᾶσι πάντα. εἶ δὲ ἐπὶ πολλοῖς τοῖς πρώτοις καὶ σοφοῖς γεγόναμεν, μὴ ἔστω ξημίωμα ἐς 1 ἔπαινον ἡ τοῦ χρόνου λῆξις, εἰ, τι καὶ αὐτοὶ σπουδῆς ἄξιον μάθημα παρεχοίμεθα καὶ τῇ εὑρέσει τῇ περιττοτέρᾳ καὶ τῇ φωνῇ.

1 εἰς MSS always.

IO

ESI EB RST SU GSES RT ψ,η».ὡ“ἡ ῇ ἑ Ἅὼ7“γψγ͵Ή͵ι͵..2νι,κ,,,, ρου 1: δ:

ἜΝ ΣΡ ΠΣ

ON ANIMALS, PROLOGUE

far from negligible. So if anyone considers them profitable, let him make use of them; anyone who does not consider them so may give them to his father to keep and attend to. For not all things give pleasure to all men, nor do all men consider all subjects worthy of study. Although I was born later than many accomplished writers of an earlier day, the accident of date ought not to mulct me of praise, if I too produce a learned work whose ampler research and whose choice of language make it deserving of

_gerious attention.

if

BOOK I

ELS ONS OTE SESE BEIGE SR

LEE DTELO LL IR EL IMLEL LEED

SOREL eS NONI

\

A

-" ? ΄- \ 3 4

1. KaAdctrai τις Διομήδεια νῆσος, καὶ ἐρῳδιοὺς : Ky / ‘ , 3

ἔχει πολλούς. οὗτοι, φασί, τοὺς βαρβάρους οὔτε 3 - 3 > “ f . 3A ὃ λ ὝἭ; .

ἀδικοῦσιν οὔτε αὐτοῖς προσίασιν - ἐὰν δὲ “Ἕλλην Ἁ “. ᾽

κατάρῃ ἕένος, οἱ δὲ θείᾳ τινὲ δωρεᾷ προσιασι

¢ - f 3

πτέρυγας ἁπλώσαντες olover xelpas τινας ἐς - , ξ ,ὔ ~

δεξίωσίν τε Kal περιπλοκάς. καὶ ἁπτομένων τῶν

3 __ A 4 Ἑλλήνων οὐχ ὑποφεύγουσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀτρεμοῦσι Kat.

4 / ἀνέχονται, καὶ καθημένων ἐς τοὺς κόλπους κατα- On ; 7 πέτονται, ὥσπερ οὖν ἐπὶ ξένια κληθέντες. >. a a > ‘ λέγονται οὖν οὗτοι Διομήδους ἑταῖροι εἶναι καὶ ~ “Ὁ “ > 4% Ἄ 3 σὺν αὐτῷ τῶν ὅπλων τῶν ἐπὶ τὴν “Tov μετ- ? f > Ἁ ~ 3 εσχηκέναι, εἶτα τὴν προτέραν φύσιν ἐς τὸ τῶν ὁρ- “ 7 to Ψ 3 » ~ ὃ νίθων μεταβαλόντες εἶδος, ὅμως ἐτι καὶ νῦν ιαφυ- ‘ ? Adrrew τὸ εἶναι “Ἑλληνές τε Kat Φιλέλληνες.

2. Ὃ σκάρος πόας μὲν θαλαττίας συτεῖται καὶ Bova: λαγνίστατος δὲ ἄρα ἰχθύων ἁπάντων ἦν, καὶ % γε πρὸς τὸ θῆλυ ἀκόρεστος ἐπιθυμία αὐτῷ ἁλώσεως αἰτία γίνεται. ταῦτα οὖν αὐτῷ συνεγνω- κότες οἱ σοφοὶ τῶν ἁλιέων, ἐπιτίθενταί οἱ τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον. ὅταν θῆλυν συλλάβωσνν, ἐνέδησαν ἃ ὁρμιᾷ σπάρτου πεποιημένῃ λεπτῇ τοῦ στόματος ἄκρου, καὶ ἐπισύρουσι διὰ τῆς θαλάττης τὸν ἰχθὺν ξῶντα - ἴσασι δὲ εὐνάς τε αὐτῶν καὶ διατριβὰς καὶ

1 Gron: ξενίᾳ. * ἔδησαν,

14

si LEO ASU Osh nah ea tone edi it SS ELE ERO Soa I ROU UO 2] ἧ Ἷ

ὋοΠν,,.ς) πῤρῆῇῤ ΦἈώΦῥΣῥὥΣὥΣ..,͵.͵.,,',...2ὺᾺ7ν.,.,,»..;, ΠΣ ρῶς

ἢ

ἣν

BOOK I

it is the home of many Shearwaters. These, it is said, neither harm the barbarians nor go near them. If however a stranger from Greece puts in to port, the birds by some divine dispensation approach, extend- ing their wings as though they were hands, to welcome and embrace the strangers. Andifthe Greeks stroke them, they do not fly away, but stay still and allow themselves to be touched; and if the men sit down, the birds fly on to their lap as though they had been invited to a meal. They are said to be the com- panions of Diomedes ® and to have taken part with him in the war against Ilium; though their original form was afterwards changed into that of birds, they nevertheless still preserve their Greek nature and their love of Greece. 3

2. The Parrot Wrasse feeds upon seaweed and τε oid

wrack, and is of all fishes the most lustful, and its in- satiable desire for the female is the reason why it gets caught. Now skilful anglers are aware of this, and they set uponitin this way. Whenever they capture a female, they fasten a fine line of esparto to its lip and trail the fish alive through the sea, knowing as they do where the fish lie, their haunts, and where

« Mod. San Domenico, one of the three ‘ Isole di Tremiti,’ .

about 15 mi. N of the ‘ spur ’ of Italy.

> King of Argos; settled later in Daunia, where he died and was buried in Diomedea.

15

iomede

1. There is a certain island called Diomedea,* and ah Birds of

STAC Ht AR MET OU TED ταν SEES

AELIAN

ὅπου συναγελάζονται. μόλυβδος δὲ αὐτοῖς πεποίη- ται βαρὺς τὴν ὁλκήν, περιφερὴς τὸ σχῆμα, καὶ ἔχει μῆκος τριῶν δακτύλων, καὶ διείληπται ἐξ ἄκρων σχοίνῳ, καὶ ἐπισύρει “ τὸν τεθηραμένον. καὶ κύρτον τις τῶν ἐν τῇ πορθμίδι παραρτῆσας ἐπάγεται εὐρὺν τὸ στόμα, καὶ ἐς τὸν ἑαλωκότα 'τέτραπται σκάρον ὁ κύρτος - βαρεῖται δὲ ἡσυχῆ οὗτος λίθῳ μεμετρημένῳ. οὐκοῦν οἱ ἄρρενες, ὥσπερ οὖν νύμφην ὡρικὴν ὃ νεανίαι θεασάμενοι, οἰστροῦνταί τε καὶ μεταθέουσι, καὶ ἐπείγονται

φθάσαι ἄλλος ἄλλον καὶ γενέσθαι πλησίον καὶ

-- > Ad παραψαῦσαι, ὥσπερ οὖν δυσέρωτες ἄνθρωποι 5" ; 3} φίλημα ἢ κνίσμα θηρώμενοι ἤ τι ἄλλο κλέμμα ,ὔ ΖΝ ~ ἐρωτικόν. ὃ τοίνυν ἄγων τὸν θῆλυν ἡσυχῆ καὶ 4 " \ 3 4. > 4 “~ πεφεισμένως, λοχῶν τε καὶ ἐπιβουλεύων εὐθὺ τοῦ κύρτου σὺν τῇ ἐρωμένῃ, φαίης ἄν, τοὺς ἐραστὰς ἄγει. γενομένων δὲ ὁμοῦ τῷ κύρτῳ, τὸν μὲν “λ 5 θῇ ς θ Α 9 1 3 ς δὲ μόλυβδον μεθῆκεν 6 θηρατὴς ἐς τὸ ἐσωδ ὁ OE , ~ - “ ἄρα ἐμπίπτων σὺν τῇ ὁρμιᾷ κατασπᾷ καὶ τὸν θῆλυν. οὐκοῦν συνεσρεύσαντες ἑαλώκασι, καὶ διδό- “ ? ? : ασι δίκην ὁρμῆς ἀφροδισίου ταύτην οἱ σκάροι.

,ὔ; “΄- “A 3. Ὃ ἐχθὺς 6 κέφαλος τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἕλεσι ὔ “a βιούντων ἐστί, καὶ πεπίστευται τῆς γαστρὸς

- \ ὃ “- A / , ~ 4 ἐ κρατεῖν καὶ διαιτᾶσθαι πάνυ σωφρόνως. ζωῷ

A s > 2 / 3 ‘ A ? ‘ μὲν yap οὐκ ἐπιτίθεται, ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς ra > > ἰχθῦς ἔνσπονδος εἶναι πέφυκεν - ὅτῳ δ᾽ ἂν ἐντύχῃ ~ ε al κειμένῳ, TOOTS οἱ δεῖπνόν ἐστιν. οὐ πρότερον δὲ

~ f 4 μων “-“ “-ο αὐτοῦ προσάπτεται, πρὶν ἢ τῇ οὐρᾷ κινῆσαι. και.

ἀτρεμοῦντος μὲν ἔχει τὴν ἄγραν, κινηθέντος δὲ ἀνεχώρησεν. 1 ἐπισύρεται. 2 Jac: ἐρωτικήν.

16

Se etc ln eS UL ΕἼ

ΠΤ ἤἁ,,"ο᾽᾿ἁφψἁἉἉφγρΨΨ,,,[, Ὀ.»

ON ANIMALS, I. 2-3

they assemble. They prepare a heavy leaden sinker round in shape and three fingers in length; a cord is passed through both ends, and it trails the captured fish after it. One of the men in the boat attaches to the side a weel with a wide mouth; the weelis then _ turned towards the captured Wrasse and slightly weighted with a stone of appropriate size. Where- upon the male Wrasses, like young men who have

caught sight of a pretty girl, go in pursuit, mad with

desire, each trying to outstrip the other and to reach

her side and rub against her, just as love-sick men

strive to kiss or tickle <a girl) or to play some other

amorous trick. So then the man who is towing the

female gently and slowly and planning to entrap <his

fish, draws the lovers (as you might call them) with

the loved one straight towards the weel. As soon as

they come level with the weel, the angler lets the

lead weight drop into it, and as it falls in it drags the

female down with it by the line. And as the male

Wrasses swim in with her, they are captured and pay

the penalty for their erotic impulse. |

3. The Mullet is one of those fishes that live in The Mullet

pools and is believed to control its appetite and to lead a most temperate existence. For it never sets upon a living creature, but is naturally inclined to peaceful relations with all fish. If it comes across any dead fish, it makes its meal off that, but will not lay hold upon it until it has moved it with its tail: if the fish does not stir, it becomes the Mullet’s prey ; but if it moves, the Mullet withdraws.

3 εἴσω MSS always. 4 Cobet: ζῴῳ H.

17

AELIAN

: 4 ἃ. 4, Τιμωροῦσιν ἀλλήλοις ὡς ἄνθρωποι πιστοὶ καὶ ἷ / 4 . Ἦν 9 f συστρατιῶται δίκαιοι οἱ ἰχθύες, οὔσπερ οὖν ἀνθίας ΄ ,ὔ - οἱ τῆς θήρας ἐπιστήμονες τῆς θαλαττίας φιλοῦσιν

f 7 “- ὀνομάζειν, ὄντας τὰ ἤθη πελαγίους. τούτων γοῦν

ἕκαστοι, ὅταν νοήσωσι τεθηρᾶσθαι τὸν σύννομον, προσνέουσιν ὦκιστα, εἶτα ἐς αὐτὸν τὰ νῶτα ἀπερείδουσι, καὶ ἐμπίπτοντες καὶ ὠθούμενοι τῇ δυνάμει κωλύουσιν ἕλκεσθαι.

\ ? A

> > οὗ ΗΝ Καὶ οἱ σκάροι δὲ ἐς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀγέλην εἰσιν. ? ~ ‘ X ε Ά ἀγαθοὶ τιμωροί. προσίασι γοῦν, καὶ THY ὁρμιᾶν

a ? 4 ¢ 7 2 ἀποτραγεῖν σπεύδουσιν, ἵνα σώσωσι τὸν ἢρημένον 2 \ 5 ~ καὶ πολλάκις μὲν ἀποκόψαντες ἔσωσαν Kal ἀφῆκαν -“ ? ᾿ “ i ἐλεύθερον, καὶ οὐκ αἰτοῦσι Cwaypia “πολλάκις δὲ 7 A 3 “" ¢ os οὐκ ἔτυχον, GAN ἥμαρτον μέν, TO δ᾽ οὖν ἑαυτῶν ᾿ς , ΄ 3 \ ‘ πεποιήκασιν εὖ μάλα προθύμως. ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἐς : 3 wa: τὸν κύρτον τὸν σκάρον ἐμπεσεῖν φασι καὶ τὸ ~ 4 Ἁ > : f ‘ οὐραῖον μέρος ἐκβαλεῖν, Tous δὲ ἀθηράτους Kat - ᾿ > 4 3) 4 ε - περινέοντας ἐνδακεῖν καὶ ἐς "τὸ ἔξω τὸν ἑταῖρον a 3 4 3 / 1 4 f ~ τί οἱ 9 προαγαγεῖν. εἰ δὲ ἐξείη * TO στόμα, τῶν TIS OL ¢ x 4 4 ἂν ἔξω τὴν οὐρὰν παρώρεξεν, ὁ δὲ περιχανὼν ἠκολού ὃ ἐν δὴ ταῦτα dpa ὃ 8 ἄνθρωποι θησεν. οὗτοι μὲν δὴ ταῦτα δρῶσιν, ὦ “ avlp ; 3 3 4 φιλεῖν οὐ μαθόντες, ἀλλὰ πεφυκότες.

5. Ὁ ixOds ὁ τρώκτης, τούτου μὲν κατηγορεῖ

bd \ Ἁ \ 7 : τὴν φύσιν καὶ τὸ ὄνομα, ἤδη δὲ καὶ τὸ στόμα

: ~ - 3 ΄ Α. ὀδόντες δὲ αὐτῷ συνεχεῖς τε ἐμπεφύκασι καὶ

“- 4 “, εχ ’ πολλοί, καὶ πᾶν τὸ ἐμπεσὸν διατεμεῖν εὖ μάλα

~*~ ς 4 3 , la > 7 >: καρτεροί. οὐκοῦν ἁλοὺς ἀγκίστρῳ μόνος ἰχθύων ἐς

φ 1 ἐξίοι κατά. 2 Jac: τίς ὁ. 3 Jac: ws.

18

ASL ENLACES SA BOE EA EER ERO SRR

Ἧ

8 ΡΠ SEE LBS ERT EE ἔοι EE

ON ANIMALS, I. 4-5

4, As loyal men and true fellow-soldiers come to The one another’s aid, so do the fish which men skilled in “75

sea-fishing call Anthias;* and their haunts are the sea. For instance, directly they are aware that a mate has been hooked, they swim up with all possible speed; then they set their back against him and by falling upon him and pushing with all their might try to stop him from being hauled in. : - Parrot Wrasses too are doughty champions of their T own kin. At any rate they rush forward and make haste to bite through the line in order to rescue the one that has been caught. And many a time have they cut the line and set him free, and they ask for no reward for life-saving. Many a time however they have not contrived to do this, but have failed in spite of having done all they could with the utmost zeal. And it has even happened, they say, that, when a Parrot Wrasse has fallen into the weel and has left his tail-part projecting, the others that are swimming around uncaught have fixed their teeth in him and have dragged their comrade out. If however his head was projecting, one of those outside offered his tail, which the captive grasped and followed. This, my fellow-men, is what these creatures do: their love is not taught, it is inborn.

W

‘he Parro jrasse

5. Of the fish known as the ‘ Gnawer ὁ its name The Gnawer

and, what is more, its mouth declare its nature. Its teeth grow in an unbroken line and are numerous and so strong as to bite through anything that comes their way. Therefore, when taken with a

* Unidentified. ὃ Perhaps the fox-shark; see Thompson, Gk. fishes, s.vv. ἀλώπηξ, τρώκτης.

τ

WBA CERN SOE SA ALLL LAE GTA ES OE OLY Eb AREAL DA SSIES LISTE TE ES

AELIAN

τὸ ἔμπαλιν ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἐπανάγει, ἀλλὰ ὠθεῖται τὴν ὁρμιὰν ἀποθρίσαι * διψῶν. οἱ δὲ ἁλιεῖς σοφίζον- ται τἀναντία: τὰς γάρ τοι τῶν ἀγκίστρων λαβὰς χαλκεύονται μακράς. ὁ δὲ (καὶ γὰρ πώς ἐστι καὶ ἁλτικὸς) καὶ ὑπὲρ ταύτας ἀνέθορε πολλάκις καὶ. τὴν τρίχα τὴν ἄγουδαν τεμὼν ἐς ἤθη τὰ τῶν ἰχθύων αὖθις ἀπονήχεται. οὗτός τοι καὶ τὴν ἀγέ- λην τὴν σύννομον παραλαβὼν σὺν αὐτοῖς ἐκείνοις χωρεῖ καὶ τοῖς δελφῖσιν ὁμόσε: καὶ ἕνα ἀποκρι- θέντα πως περιελθόντες εἶτα ἐπιτίθενται τῷ θηρίῳ καρτερῶς: ἴσασι γὰρ ὅτι τῶν ἐξ αὐτῶν δηγμάτων

ῖ

> ¢ f 3 oh « 4 ‘ 3 + ~ nus od ῥᾳθύμως ἐπαΐει. οἱ μὲν γὰρ €XOVTAl αὐτοῦ Καὶ

i 9 ~ € de 3 δᾶ 4 » Ὁ 1 μάλα ἐγκρατῶς, ὁ 0€ ἀναπηθᾷ Kat κυβιστᾷ," καὶ ὡς ὑπὸ τῆς ὀδύνης στρεβλοῦται διελέγχεται:" ~ 4 ἀπρὶξ yap ἐμφύντες συνεξαίρονται πηδῶντος. καὶ ὁ μὲν ἀποσείσασθαι καὶ ἀποκροῦσαι σπεύδει 3 ? ξ δὲ 3 > ~ Ἰλλὰ 3 θί ~~ αὐτούς, of δὲ οὐκ ἀνιᾶσιν, ἀλλὰ ἐσθίουσι ζῶντα. εἶτα μέντοι ὅ τι ἂν ἕκαστος μέρος exTpayy, τοῦτο A ἔχων ἀπαλλάττεται" καὶ ὁ δελφὶς ἀσμένως ie je : ἀπονήχεται, δαιτυμόνας, ws ἂν εἰποις, ἀκλήτους os ~ 4 3 ; ἑστιάσας σὺν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ὀδύνῃ ἐκείνους.

6. Γλαύκης ἀκούω τῆς κιθαρῳδοῦ ἐρασθῆναι

> . wn κύνα: of δὲ οὐ κύνα, ἀλλὰ κριόν: ἄλλοι δὲ χῆνα.

Ὁ

καὶ ἐν Σόλοις δὲ τῆς Κιλικίας * παιδός, ᾧ ὄνομα

ἣν Ἑενοφῶν, κύων ἠράσθη: ἄλλου δὲ ὅ. ὡραίου μειρακίου ἐν Σπάρτῃ κολοιὸς ἐπὶ τῷ εἴδει ἐνόσησεν.

1 > θ ,

ἀποθερίσαι. 2 “ SHAG ?

κυβιστῶν δῆλός ἐστιν.

“-μ Ν᾽ 8 Jac: εἶτα μέντοι τοῦτο ὅ TL. « . ἐχῶν. 4 χοῖς Ἱζιλικίοις. Ed

5 καὶ ἄλλου.

ΤΣ RAS PS TOSSES SL IS ΤΣ ΖΩΣ ΤΣΟῚ τς ὩΣ ΣΟ ΣΝ δες ΜΝ

Ὁ αν μευ Τρ ρὸν

ON ANIMALS, I. 5-6

hook, it is the only fish that does not attempt to withdraw, but presses on in its eagerness to cut the line. Fishermen however counter this by a device: they have their hooks forged with a long shank. But the Gnawer, being a powerful jumper in its way, chiang oe above the shank, and cutting the hair-line that is drawing it, swims away agai where fish haunt. ΠΕΡ ΘΕ ΠΟ ΤῸ also gathers round it a shoal of its fellows and with them also makes an attack upon the Dolphins. And if one chance to get separated from the rest, the Gnawers surround it and then set upon the creature furiously, knowing as they do that the Dol- phin is by no means insensible to their bites. For the Gnawers cling most tenaciously to it, while the - Dolphin leaps upwards and plunges; and it shows how it is being tormented by the pain, for the Gnawers that have fastened upon it are lifted out of the water with it as it leaps. And while the Dolphin struggles to shake them loose and beat them off, they never relax their hold, but. would eat it alive. Then however when each Gnawer has bitten away a piece, they go off with their mouthful, and the Dolphin is thankful to swim away after having fed its uninvited guests (if one may so call them) to its own pain. -

6. I am told that a dog fellin love with Glauce the ‘Animatsin

harpist. Some however assert that it was not a dog

but a ram, while others say it was a goose. And at belnes

Soli in Cilicia a dog loved a boy of the name of Xenophon; at Sparta another boy in the prime of life by reason of his beauty caused a jackdaw to fall sick of love. |

21

AELIAN

ὃ “" : - : -- 7 - 7. Λέγουσι τὸν θῶα τὸ ζῷον φιλανθρωπότατον

: , > - εἶναι. καὶ ὅταν μέν που περιτύχῃ ἀνθρώπῳ, ἐκτρέπεται αὐτόν, οἷον αἰδούμενος" ὅταν δὲ 3 4 7 ¢ 3 3) , Α ᾿ ἀδικούμενον θεάσηται ὑπ᾽ ἄλλου θηρίου, τὸ τηνι-

“ > o~ καῦτα ἐπαμύνει αὐτῷ.

8. Νικίας τις τῶν συγκυνηγετούντων 1 ἀπροό- πτως παραφερόμενος ἃ ἐς ἀνθρακευτῶν κάμινον κατηνέχθη, οἱ δὲ κύνες οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ τοῦτο ἰδόντες οὐκ ἀπέστησαν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα κνυζώμενοι περὶ τὴν κάμινον καὶ ὠρυόμενοι διέτρι-

Ἁ

βον, τὰ δὲ τελευταῖα μονονουχὶ τοὺς παριόντας

2 / 4 f 3 ~ € , Sf ἠρέμα καὶ πεφεισμένως KATA τῶν ἱματίων δάκ-

εν e 3.4 4 7 φ > / ~ vovres εἶτα εἷλκον ἐπὶ τὸ πάθος, οἷον ἐπικούρους τῷ ΄“ ξ 7 δεσπότῃ παρακαλοῦντες τοὺς ἀνθρώπους οἱ κῦνες. καὶ γοῦν εἷς δρῶν τὸ γινόμενον ὑπώπτευσε τὸ f \ 3 λ 4θ 4 “Ὁ \ N ὔ 3 on συμβάν, καὶ ἠκολούθησε Kat εὗρε Tov ἱνικίαν ev Τῇ i ? 3 “ , i ἃ

καμίνῳ καταφλεχθέντα, ἐκ τῶν λειψάνων συμβαλὼν

τὸ γενόμενον.

9, Ὁ κηφὴν ὁ ἐν μελίτταις γεννώμενος μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρηνίοις κατακέκρυπται, 3.6. Ἢ nv : f , Ἃ νύκτωρ δέ, ἡνίκα ἂν παραφυλάξῃ καθευδούσας τὰς “μελίττας, ἐπιφοιτᾷ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτῶν καὶ λυμαΐνε-

“ 3

ται τοῖς σίμβλοις. τοῦτο ἐκεῖναι καταμαθοῦσαι, αἱ

μὲν πλεῖσται τῶν μελιττῶν καθεύδουσιν ἅτε πεπον- ηκυῖαι, ὀλίγαι δὲ αὐτῶν ἐλλοχῶσιν. εἶτα ὅταν ἕλωσι τὸν φῶρα, παίουσιν αὐτὸν πεφεισμένως καὶ ἐξωθοῦσι,)2 καὶ ἐκβάλλουσι φυγάδα εἶναι. ὁ δὲ οὐδ᾽ οὕτω πεπαίδευται: πέφυκε γὰρ καὶ ἀργὸς καὶ λίχνος, δύο κακώ. ἔξω τοίνυν τῶν κηρίων ἑαυτὸν ἀποκρύπτει, εἶτα ὅταν ἐπὶ τὰς νομὰς ἐξορμήσωσιν 22

ON ANIMALS, I. 7-9

7. Men say that the Jackal is most friendly dis- The Jackal

posed to man, and whenever it happens to encounter a

man, it gets out of his way as though from deference; but when it sees a man being injured by some other animal, it at once comes to his help.

8. One Nicias unwittingly outdistanced his fellow Nici his hounds

huntsmen and fell into a charcoal-burners’ furnace. But his hounds, which saw this happen, did not leave the spot, but at first remained whining and baying about the furnace, until at length, by Just daring to bite the clothes of passers-by gently and cautiously, they tried to draw them to the scene of the mishap, as though the hounds were imploring the men to come to their master’s help. One man at any rate seeing this, suspected what had occurred .and fol- lowed. He found Nicias burned to death in the furnace, and from the remains he guessed the truth.

1

as and

9. The Drone, which is born among bees, hides The Drone

itself among the combs during the day, but at night, when it observes that the bees are asleep, it invades

their work and makes havoe in the hives. When the -

bees realise this (most of them are asleep, being thoroughly tired, though a few are lying in wait for the thief), directly they catch him they beat. him, not violently, and thrust him out and cast him forth into exile. Yet even so the Drone has not learnt his lesson, for he is naturally slothful and greedy—two

bad qualities! So he secretes himself outside the’

combs and later, when the bees fly forth to their

1 °4 κυνηγετούντων. 2 φερόμενος. 8. ἐξωθοῦσι τοῖς πτεροῖς.

AELIAN

αἱ μέλιτται, ὁ δὲ ὠσάμενος ἔσω τὸ ἑαυτοῦ δρᾷ, ἐμφορούμενος καὶ κεραΐζων ἐκεῖνος τὸν θησαυρὸν τῶν μελιττῶν τὸν “γλυκύν. καὶ ἐκεῖναι. ἐκ τῆς νομῆς ὑποστρέψασαι, ὅταν αὐτῷ περιτύχωσιν, ἐν- ταῦθα μὲν οὐκέτι πεφεισμένως αὐτὸν παίουσιν, οὐδ᾽ ὅσον ἐς φυγὴν τρέψαι, ἀλλὰ εὖ μάλα 1 βιαίως ἐμπεσοῦσαι διαλοῶσι τὸν λῃστήν: καὶ οὐ μεμπτὴν ὑπομείνας τὴν τιμωρίαν, ὑπὲρ τῆς γαστριμαργίας καὶ ἀδηφαγίας τῇ ψυχῇ “ ἔτισεν. μελιττουργοὶ λέγουσι ταῦτα, καὶ ἐμὲ πείθουσιν.

39. Δ , ΝΣ a , > \ 10. Eliot δέ τινες καὶ ἐν ταῖς μελίτταις ἀργοὶ

4 ᾽ μέλιτται, οὐ μὴν κηφηνώδεις τὸν τρόπον' οὐ γὰρ “A ? ; ~ λυμαίνονται τοῖς κηρίοις οὐδ᾽ ἐπιβουλεύουσι τῷ aN Ὁ Ἰλλὰ ? 3 > ~ 2 θ 7 +. μέλιτι αὗται, ἀλλὰ τρέφονται ὃ ἐκ τῶν ἀνύέων Kat αὗται πετόμεναι καὶ σύννομοι ταῖς ἄλλαις οὖσαι.

4 4

εἰ δὲ καί εἰσιν ἄτεχνοι περὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν καὶ THY

δ) \ A Ἢ λλὸ - 3 aoe ee KOLLONY TV TOV μέλιτος, ἃ α youv οὐκ εἰσιν

ἄπρακτοι πάντῃ. at μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν ὕδωρ τῷ βασιλεῖ κομίζουσι καὶ ταῖς πρεσβυτέραις δέ, αἵπερ οὖν 4 τῷ βασιλεῖ παραμένουσι καὶ ἐς τὴν δορυφο- ρίαν ἀπεκρίθησαν τὴν αὐτοῦ: ἕτεραι δὲ αὐτῶν ὃ ἔχουσιν ἐκεῖνο ἔργον, τὰς ἀποθνησκούσας τῶν μελιττῶν ἔξω φέρουσι: δεῖ γὰρ αὐταῖς καθαρὰ εἶναι τὰ κηρία, καὶ οὐκ ἀνέχονται νεκρὰν ἔσω μέλιτταν: ἄλλαι δὲ ὃ νύκτωρ φρουροῦσι, ὥσπερ

εν 4 Ἁ 7 Ἁ ~ ? οὖν πόλιν μικρὰν φυλάττουσαι THY τῶν κηρίων

> / 3 “ , οἰκοδομίαν ἐκεῖναι γε.

A € \ 11. Μελιττῶν δὲ ἡλικίαν Siayvoin τις ἂν Tov - » / τρόπον τοῦτον. αἱ μὲν αὐτοετεῖς στιλπναί τέ εἶσι 1 εὖ μάλα τοῖς κέντροις. 2 τῆν ψυχήν.

24

ἋΣ ἐἔἐὁἌἕἔΨἌΨἀΨέΕΠηπ,ιοὁΕέΠέΕινᾳιἔζῶ ες,

ON ANIMALS, I. 9-11

feeding-grounds, pushes his way in and does what is

natural to him, cramming himself and plundering the |

bees’ treasure of honey. But they on returning from their pasturage, directly they encounter him, no longer beat him with moderation nor merely put him to flight, but fall upon him vigorously and make an end of the thief. The punishment which he suffers none can censure: he pays for his gluttony and voracity with his life.

This is what bee-keepers say, and they convince me.

10. Even among Bees there are some which are lazy, though they do not resemble drones in their habits, for they neither damage the combs nor have designs upon the honey, but feed themselves on the flowers, flying abroad and accompanying the others. But though they have no skill in the making and the gathering of honey, at any rate they are not com- pletely inactive, for some fetch water for their king and for their elders, while the elders themselves attend upon the king and have been set apart to form his bodyguard. Meanwhile others of them have this for their task: they carry the dead bees out of the hive. For it is essential that their honeycombs should be clean, and they will not tolerate a dead bee in the hive. Others again keep watch by night, and their duty is to guard the fabric of honeycombs as though it were some tiny city.

11. Aman may tell the age of Bees in the follow- Bees err

ing way. Those born in the current year are glisten-

, 8. φρέφονται μέν. 4 « - ¢ ἢ - | αἵπερ οὖν αἱ πρεσβύτεραι καὶ αὗται τῷ β. ~ lal 39. 7 .ἢ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀτέχνων. 6. Gill: ἀλλὰ καί.

25

Bees and their various

duties

and ages

"πε ηας titties

ἐφκοξολερακοδοιτχαθφλλτότν

AELIAN

/ φ \ / | καὶ ἐοίκασιν ἐλαίῳ τὴν χρόαν 1" αἱ δὲ πρεσβύτεραι τραχεῖαι καὶ ἰδεῖν καὶ προσψαῦσαι ® γίνονται, “ Ἁ 4 ΄“ > i , ῥυσαὶ δὲ ὁρῶνται διὰ τὸ γῆρας". ἐμπειρότεραι δέ

3 KM 4 ?

᾿ς 2X: Εὐσὺν QUTGE Καὶ TEXVLKWTEPOl, παιδεύσαντος AUTAS

‘ > ~ “λ ͵ “-“ ? 3 ὃ 4 τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ μέλιτι σοφίαν τοῦ χρόνου. ἐχοῦσι OE

~ Ἁ “-. ‘ 7 3 / καὶ μαντικῶς, ὥστε καὶ ὑετῶν καὶ κρύους ἐπιδημίαν.

A 1 Φ ΄ . ὦ Ἂ ᾿ προμαθεῖν' καὶ οταν τούτων TO ετέρον ἢ Kat , ”

3 7 3 3.4 7 ἀμφότερα ἔσεσθαι συμβάλωσιν, οὐκ ἐπὶ μήκιστον

,ὔ inl 3 \ “- a ἐκτείνουσι THY πτῆσιν, ἀλλὰ περυποτῶνται τοῖς e 4

ors a x ς σμήνεσι, καὶ οἱονεὶ περιθυροῦσιν. ἐκ δὴ τούτων οἱ

μελιττουργοὶ οἰωνισάμενοι προλέγουσι τοῖς γεωρ- γοῖς τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐπιδημίαν τοῦ χειμῶνος. δε- δοίκασι δὲ ἄρα οὐ τοσοῦτον τὸ κρύος at μέλυτται, ὅσον τὸν ὄμβρον τὸν πολὺν καὶ τὸν νιφετόν. ἐναν- τίαι δὲ πολλάκις τοῦ πνεύματος πέτονται, καὶ βρα- χεῖαν λίθον ἐν τοῖς ποσὶ κομίζουσι καὶ τοσαύτην ὅσην εὔφορον αὐταῖς πετομέναις εἶναι, καὶ τρόπον τινὰ τοῦτο ἕρμα ἑαυταῖς ἐπιτεχνῶνται πρὸς τὸν ἐμπίπτοντα ἄνεμον τά τε ἄλλα καὶ ἵνα μὴ παρατ- ρέψῃ τῆς δδοῦ ἡ αὔρα αὐτάς.

12. Ἔρωτος δὲ ἰσχὺν καὶ ἰχθύων γένη πολλὰ ἔγνω, τοῦ τοσούτου θεοῦ μηδὲ τοὺς κάτω καὶ ἐν “ a 4 “a A r # ς δό \. 3 / τῷ βυθῷ ὁ τῆς θαλάττης ὑπεριδόντος καὶ ἀτιμά- σαντος. λατρεύει γοῦν τῷδε τῷ δαίμονι ὃ καὶ ᾿ / > 3 > ~ 3 “- \ @ > 3 4 κέφαλος, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ πᾶς, ἐκεῖνος δὲ ὅνπερ οὖν ἅπο τοῦ ὀξέος προσώπου καλοῦσιν οἱ γένη τε καὶ διαφορὰς ἰχθύων κατεγνωκότες. ἁλίσκονται δέ, ὡς > ? A 4 / \ ? oe AN i \ ἀκούω, περὶ τὸν κόλπον τὸν ᾿Αχαϊκὸν πολλοί, καὶ an \ 3 > ‘ ey) δ... . , ? , τῆς μὲν κατ᾽ αὐτοὺς ἁλώσεως διαφορότης ἐστι" LA de > »" 4 λ ὃ 4 3 \ > δί μάλιστα δὲ αὐτῶν τὸ λυττῶδες τὸ ἐς τὰ ἀφροδίσια

1 χροιάν. 2 Gron: ἅψασθαι. 3 πτῆσιν ἐκ τῆς νομῆς. 26

ON ANIMALS, I. 11-12

ing and are the colour of olive oil; the older ones are rough to the eye and to the touch and appear wrinkled with age. They have however greater experience and skill, time having instructed them in the art of making honey. They have too the faculty of divination, so that they know in advance when rain and frost are coming. And whenever they reckon that either or both are on their way, they do not extend their flight very far, but fly round about their hives as though they would be close to the door. It is from these signs that bee-keepers augur the approach of stormy weather and warn the farmers. And yet Bees are not so afraid of frost as they are of heavy rain and snow. Often they fly against the wind, carrying between their feet a small pebble of such size as is easy to carry when on the wing. This is a device which they use to ballast themselves against a contrary wind, and particularly so that the breeze may not deflect them from their path.

12. Even among fishes there are many kinds which know how strong is love, for that god, powerful as he is, has not ignored and disdained even the creatures that dwell below in the depths of the ocean. One at any rate that pays service to this god is the Mullet, but not every species, only that to which men who have observed the different species of fish have given a name derived from its sharp snout. These, I am told, are caught in great numbers round about the Gulf of Achaia, and there are’ various ways of catching them. But the following method of capture proves how madly amorous they are.

+ σι “- s 4 ἐν τῷ βυθῷ καὶ κάτω. 5 δαιμονίῳ.

2]

as weather- prophets

The Mullet

(oxyrbyn- chus)

TE ea aL Ls oer cha χυτεταςς στ ρμεοτμ

/ | | i | | | l

AELIAN

κατηγορεῖ ἥδε ἡ ἄγρα. θηράσας ἀνὴρ ἁλιεὺς

θῆλυν, καὶ ἐνδήσας ὦ καλάμῳ μακρῷ ἢ σπάρτῳ καὶ τούτῳ μακρῷ, κατὰ τῆς ἠόνος ἡσυχῆ βαδίζων παρανηχόμενον τὸν ἰχθὺν καὶ ἀσπαίροντα ἐπισύρει" κατ᾽ ἴχνια δὲ αὐτοῦ τις ἕπεται φέρων δίκτυον, καὶ τὸ μέλλον ὅπῃ τε καὶ ὅπως ἀπαντήσεται φυλάττει φιλοπόνως ὁ δικτυεὺς οὗτος. οὐκοῦν ἡ μὲν ἄγεται, ὁπόσοι δὲ ἂν ἴδωσι τῶν ἀρρένων, οἷα δήπου νεανίαι ἀκόλαστοι μείρακος παραθεούσης εὖ μάλα ὡρικῆς ἐποφθαλμιάσαντες, ἵενται κατὰ μίξιν ὃ οἰστρούμε- νοι. ὃ τοίνυν τὸ δίκτυον ἔχων ῥίπτει τὸν βόλον, καὶ πολλάκις ἰχθύων εὐερμίᾳ περιτυγχάνει τῇ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ὁρμῇ προσερχομένων. δεῖ δὲ τῷ πρώτῳ θηρατῇ τὴν αἱρεθεῖσαν ὡραίαν τε εἶναι καὶ εὖ

“ a σ ἢ , », 3. 3 ν᾿ ἐ 7ὕ : YKOVOGY OapPKWYV, ὑνὰ Kab πλείους ΕἼ GUTHV ορμήησω-

»“- a , > 4

ow, τὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐφολκὸν δέλεαρ λαβόντες. εἰ δὲ ὔ ‘

ἄσαρκος εἴη, οἱ πολλοὶ ὑπερφρονήσαντες ᾧχοντο ἀπιόντες" ὅστις δὲ αὐτῶν ἐστι δύσερως, οὐκ

“--οΟ 3 “ lon ἀπαλλάττεται, οὐ TH ὥρᾳ, μὰ Δία, ἀλλὰ τῷ τῆς

μίξεως πόθῳ δεδουλωμένος.

13. Ἦσαν δὲ ἄρα καὶ σωφρονεῖν ἰχθύες ἀγαθοί. ὃ γοῦν αἰτναῖος οὕτω λεγόμενος, ἐπὰν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ συννόμῳ οἷονεὶ γαμετῇ τινι συνδυασθεὶς κληρώση- ται τὸ λέχος, ἄλλης οὐχ ἅπτεται, καὶ οὐ δεῖται συμβολαίων ἐς πίστιν, οὐ προικός, οὐδὲ μὴν δέδοικε κακώσεως δίκην 6 αἰτναῖος, οὐδὲ αἰδεῖται Σόλωνα. ὦ νόμοι γενναῖοι καὶ πολύσεμνοι," οἷς ἀκόλαστοι ἄνθρωποι οὐκ αἰδοῦνται μὴ πείθεσθαι.

2 Reiske: ἐκ-.

8 A Ν a κατὰ τὴν νῆξιν.

28 -

IMPLIES ISNT SH IIT ISAS EES HI eS IT a Oras

LEDS SSUES τ ον

ie

ON ANIMALS, I. 12-13

A fisherman catches a female Mullet and fastens it now caught

to a long rod or a cord (this too must be long); as he:

walks slowly along the sea-shore he draws the fish, swimming and gasping, after him. In his footsteps there follows one with a net, and this net-fisherman

‘watches diligently to see what is going to happen

and where. So the female Mullet is towed along, and all the males that catch sight of her, like (one might say) licentious youths ogling a beautiful girl as she hurries by, come swimming up, mad with sexual desire. Thereupon the man with the net casts it and frequently has good luck, thanks to the urgent lust of the fish that approach. It is essential for the first fisherman’s purpose that the captured female should be at her prime and well-fleshed, so that a greater number may be ardent after her and may take the bait which her enticing beauty offers. But should she be lean, most of them will scorn her

and go away. Still, if any one of them is madly in

love, he will not leave her, because he has been enslaved not by her beauty (that I will swear) but by his desire for sexual intercourse.

13. It seems however that fish are also models of The

continence. At any rate when the ‘ Etna-fish ’,* as *Etna-fish ’

it is called, pairs with its mate as with a wife and achieves the married state, it does not touch another female; it needs no covenants to maintain its fidelity, no dowry; it even stands in no fear of an action for ill-usage, nor is Solon® to it a name of dread. What noble laws, how worthy of veneration! -__And man, the libertine, feels no scruple at dis- obeying them.

@ Unidentified. δ᾽ See 2. 42 n.

29.

AELIAN

14. ἹΚοσσύφῳ δὲ τῷ θαλαττίῳ ἤθη τε Kai διατρι- |

at αἱ πέτραι καὶ at onpayywoes ὑποδρομαί. αμοῦσι δὲ οὗτοι ἕκαστος πολλάς, καὶ τῶν ὁπῶν οἱονεὶ θαλάμων {ταῖς »; νύμφαις ἀφίστανται. καὶ τοῦτο μὲν τὸ τοῦ γάμου θρυπτικὸν καὶ τὸ ἐς πολλὰς ἔχειν τὴν ὁρμὴν νενεμημένην φαίης * ἂν εἶναι τρυ- φώντων ἐς εὐνὴν βαρβάρων καί, ὡς ἂν εἴποις σὺν παιδιᾷ σπουδάσας, βίον Μηδικόν τε καὶ Ἰ]ερσικόν. ἔστι δὲ ἰχθύων ζηλοτυπώτατος καὶ τὴν ἄλλως μέν, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ ὅταν αἱ νύμφαι τίκτωσιν αὐτῷ. εἰ δὲ λαμυρώτερον ταῦτα τῇ καταχρήσει ἃ τῶν ὀνομάτων εἴρηται, δίδωσιν ἡμῖν τὰ ἐκ τῆς φύσεως πραττόμενα τὴν τῶν τοιούτων ἐξουσίαν. αἱ μὲν γὰρ ὠδίνων ἤδη πειρώμεναι ἠρεμοῦσί τε καὶ ἔνδον μένουσιν, ὃ δὲ ἄρρην, οἷα δήπου γαμέτης, περιθυρῶν τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς φυλάττει τὰς ἔξωθεν φόβῳ τῶν βρεφῶν. ἔοικε γὰρ καὶ τὰ μήπω γεννώμενα φιλεῖν καὶ δέει πατρικῷ ἁλισκόμενος ἐντεῦθεν ὀρρωδεῖν ἤδη, καὶ διημερεύει μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ φρουρᾷ πάντων ἄγευστος, καὶ ἡ φροντὶς αὐτὸν τρέφει: δείλης δὲ ὀψίας γενομένης ἀφεῖται τῆς ἀνάγκης τῆσδε, καὶ μαστεύει τροφήν, καὶ οὐκ ἀτυχεῖ αὐτῆς. καὶ ἑκάστη δὲ ἄρα εὑρίσκει τῶν ἔνδον, εἴτε ἐπ᾿ ὠδῖσιν εἴη εἴτε ἤδη λεχώ, φυκία πολλὰ τῶν ἐν ταῖς ὀπαῖς καὶ περὶ τὰς πέτρας, & οἱ δεῖπνόν ἐστιν.

16. ᾿Ἐπιβουλεύειν ὃ κοσσύφῳ δ΄ δεινὸς ἁλιεὺς , / ? f 7 4 +. 3 fA ἐφαρμόσας ἀγκίστρῳ μόλυβδον βαρὺν Kat eveipas

τῷ ἀγκίστρῳ καρίδα μεγάλην καθίησι τὸ δέλεαρ.

1 ¢rais> add. H. 2 φαίην most MSS. 8 σηνάλλως A, καὶ ἄλλως μὲν οὖν most MSS, 4 Kayser: κράσει.

3°

ON ANIMALS, I. 14-15

14. The Wrasse has its haunts and resorts among The Wrasse

the rocks and near cavernous burrows. The males all have many wives and resign the hollow places, as though they were women’s chambers, to their brides. This refinement in their mating, and the propensity which they enjoy for having many wives one might describe as characteristic of barbarians who luxuriate in the pleasures of the bed, and (if one may jest on serious subjects) as living like the Medes and Per- sians. It is of all fishes the most jealous at all times, but especially when its wives are producing their young. (If by excessive use of these expressions I make my discourse too wanton, the facts of nature permit me to do things of that sort.) So the females which are actually facing the strain of birth- pangs remain quiet in their homes, while the male, after the manner of a husband, stays about the entrance to prevent any mischief from outside, being anxious for his offspring. For it seems that he loves even those that are yet unborn, and it is his fatherly concern that causes him these early fears; he even spends the whole day without touching food: his care sustains him. But as the afternoon grows late, he relinquishes his forced watch and seeks for food, which he does not fail to find. But of course each of the females within, whether in the act of giving birth or after it, finds a quantity of seaweed in the hollow

places and about the rocks, and this is their meal.

15. A fisherman who is skilled in angling a Wrasse The Wrasse,

fastens a heavy piece of lead to his hook, wraps round it a large prawn, and drops the bait. And then

5 Jac: ἐπιβουλεύων. 6 κοσσύφου θήρᾳ.

81

AELIAN

καὶ ὁ μὲν ὑποκινεῖ τὴν ὁρμιὰν «ἐγείρων τε καὶ θήγων ἐ ἐς τὴν τροφὴν τὸ θήραμα, ἡ ἡ καρὶς δὲ κινου- μένη εἶτα μέντοι δόξαν τινὰ ἀποστέλλει μελλούσης ἐς τὰς ὁπὰς τὰς τοῦ κοσσύφου παριέναι. τῷ δὲ ἄρα. τοῦτο ἔχθιστον" καὶ διὰ ταῦτα αἰσθανόμενος, ὡς ἔχει θυμοῦ,“ ὃ ἵεται ἀφανίζειν τὴν ἐχθίστην ὃ (οὐ γάρ οἱ μέλει τῆς γαστρὸς τηνικαῦτα), καὶ συνθλά- σας αὐτὴν ἀπαλλάττεται, προτιμότερον τροφῆς καὶ πρεσβύτερον τὸ μὴ. κατακοιμίσαι τὴν φυλακὴν πεπι- στευκὼς εἶναι. τῶν δὲ ἄλλων ὅταν τι μέλλῃ τῶν προσπιπτόντων ἐσθίειν, ὑποθλάσας εἶτα εἴασε κεῖσθαι: καὶ ἰδὼν τεθνηκός, 5 ἐξ αὐτοῦ τρώγει ἤδη. οἱ δὲ θήλεις κόσσυφοι, ἕως μὲν ἄρρενα ὁρῶσι προ- ασπίζοντα, ὡς ἂν εἴποις, μένουσιν ἔνδον καὶ τὸ τῆς οἰκουρίας φυλάττουσι σχῆμα. ὅταν δὲ ἀφανι- σθῇ, ἀλύουσιν αἵδε, προάγει TE αὐτὰς καὶ ἐξάγει ἡ ἡ ἀθυμία καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἑαλώκασι. τί πρὸς ταῦτα (οἷ) Ξ ποιηταὶ λέγουσιν οἱ τήν τε Εὐάδνην ἡμῖν β τὴν Ἴφιδος καὶ τὴν ΓΑλκηστιν τὴν Πελίου παῖδα ἐνδόξως θρυλοῦντες ὅ;

16. Πατὴρ δὲ ἐν ἰχθύσιν 6 γλαῦκος οἷός ἐστι. τὰ γεννώμενα ἐκ τῆς συννόμου παραφυλάττει 5

τοῦ θυμοῦ.

ἀφανίζειν τὴν ἐχθίστην] νομίζων ἐχθράν. τεθνηκὸς ὅ ὅτε μὴ σπαίρει.

<ot> add. Jac.

Haupt: θρηνοῦντες.

6. Schn: παραφυλάττεται.

σι pm ΜΡ

4 Evadne, wife of Capaneus, one of the ‘Seven against Thebes.” He was slain by Zeus, and when his body was on the funeral pyre, E. leapt into the flames and perished at his side.

32

ON ANIMALS I. 15-16

he moves the line a little, rousing and egging on his prey to take the food, while the prawn by its move- ment conveys the impression that it intends to enter

‘the Wrasse’s den. Now this the Wrasse greatly

resents, and therefore, as soon as he observes it, he longs, such is his fury, to demolish the object of his abhorrence, for he is not thinking of his appetite at the moment; and when he has-crushed it, he. moves off, considering it more honourable and more important that the watchman should not be caught napping than that he should be fed. But when he intends to eat any other creature that comes his way, he crushes it lightly and then lets it lie. As soon as he sees that it is dead, then at length he nibbles at it. But the female Wrasses, so long as they see the male acting as their shield, so to say, ‘ remain within and with the care of their household’ are occupied. If however the male disappears, they become distraught; their despondency leads them to venture forth, and then they are caught.

What have the poets to say to this—our poets who are for ever extolling Evadne,* the daughter of

Iphis, and Alcestis,? the daughter of Pelias ? |

16. Among fishes the ‘ Blue-grey’¢ is a model The father. He maintains a strenuous watch over his ; fish Beaty

> Alcestis, wife of Admetus, undertook to die in ines of her ee but was rescued by Heracles from the clutches of

ea

° Not certainly identified.

33

VOL. I. Cc

AELIAN

ἰσχυρῶς, ἵνα ἀνεπιβούλευτά τε Kal ἀσινῆ ἧ. καὶ ἕως μὲν φαιδρὰ καὶ ἔξω δέους διανήχεται, ὁ δὲ τὴν φρουρὰν οὐκ ἀπολιμπάνει, ἀλλὰ πῇ μὲν οὐραγεῖ, πῇ δὲ οὔ, ταύτην δὲ παρανήχεται τὴν πλευρὰν ἢ ἐκείνην: ἐὰν δὲ τι δείσῃ τῶν + νηπίων, 6 δὲ χανὼν ἐσεδέξατο τὸ βρέφος. εἶτα τοῦ φόβου παραδρα- μόντος τὸν καταφυγόντα ἀνεμεῖ οἷον ἐδέξατο, καὶ ἐκεῖνος πάλιν νήχεται.

“-ο ' , ’ 17. Κύων δὲ θαλαττία τεκοῦσα ἔχει συννέοντα 4 7 32 λ 3 > 3 ἉἋ ὔ oA δὲ 7a σκυλάκια ἤδη καὶ οὐκ ἐς ἀναβολάς. ἐὰν δὲ 3 ͵ > 4 Selon τι τούτων, ἐς τὴν μητέρα ἐσέδυ αὖθις κατὰ > vn , νον τὸ ἄρθρον: εἶτα τοῦ δέους παραδραμόντος τὸ δὲ x , > πρόεισιν, ὥσπερ οὖν ἀνατικτόμενον αὖθις.

18. Θαυμάζουσιν ἄνθρωποι τὰς γυναῖκας ὡς ἄγαν φιλοτέκνους- ὁρῶ δὲ ὅτι καὶ τεθνεώτων υἱῶν ἢ θυγατέρων ἔζησαν μητέρες, καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ τοῦ πάθους εἰλήφασι λήθην τῆς λύπης μεμαρασμένης. δελφὶς δὲ ἄρα θῆλυς φιλοτεκνότατος ἐς τὰ ἔσχατα

Ἁ Ἁ 7 Ὡ, 4

ξῴων ἐστί. τίκτει μὲν yap δύο... . ὅταν δὲ

“ : + oA “ f bh) -

ἁλιεὺς ἢ τρώσῃ τὸν παῖδα αὐτῆς τῇ τριαίνῃ ἢ τῇ > oF ,ὔ

ἀκίδι βάλῃ. . 3 ἡ μὲν ἀκὶς τὰ ἄνω τέτρηται, καὶ

ἐνῆπται σχοῖνος μακρὰ αὐτῇ, οἱ δὲ ὄγκοι ἐσδύντες ἔχονται τοῦ θηρός. καὶ ἕως μὲν ὦ ἔτι ῥώμης ὁ δελφὶς ὁ τραυματίας μετείληχε, χαλᾷ ὁ ηρατὴς τὴν σχοῖνον, ἵνα μή ποτε ἄρα ὑπὸ τῆς βίας ἀπορ- ᾿ ρήξῃ αὐτήν, καὶ γένηταί οἱ δύο κακώ, ἔχων τε ἀπέλθῃ τὴν ἀκίδα 6 δελφὶς καὶ ἀθηρίᾳ περυπέσῃ

1. δείσῃ τῶν τι: ἢ. ~ ~ 7 2 καὶ συνεῖδε τῆν αἰτίαν add. L, del. H.

34

SY AE SOOT EN RELLY EST EDS IS SI EMS DR SEALE ta 6 NIL EL DEENA HI ELIE EIS GAN EEL ETH LENS NLLU LENNON MES RCSL UEIS BEALS EDIBLE

ON ANIMALS, I. 16-18

mate's offspring, to ensure that they are not attacked or injured. And all the while that they are swim- ming the sea happily and without fear he never relaxes his vigilance, and sometimes brings up the

rear and sometimes does not, but swims by them now

on this side now on that. And if any of his young is afraid, he opens his mouth and takes the baby in. Later, when its fear has passed, he disgorges the one that took refuge exactly as he received it, and it resumes its swimming.

17. Directly the Dog-fish has produced its young, The Dog-

it has them swimming by its side, and there is no delay. But if any one of them is afraid, it slips back into its mother’s womb. Later, when its fear has passed, it emerges, as though it were being born again. |

18. Men admire women for their devotion to The Dolphin

their children, yet I observe that mothers whose sons or whose daughters have died, continued to live and in time forgot their sufferings, their grief having

abated. But the female Dolphin far surpasses all

creatures in its devotion to its offspring. It pro- duces two....And when a fisherman either wounds a young Dolphin with his harpoon or strikes it with his barb ... The barb is pierced at the upper end, and a long line is fastened to it, while the barbs sink in and hold the fish. So long as the wounded Dolphin still has any strength, the fisher- man leaves the line slack, so that the fish may not break it by its violence, and so that he himself may not incur a double misfortune through the Dolphin

3 Lacunae. 4 μὲν ἀλγῶν.

35

PA EASENED ESL EHSEAM σον ἀρομυυνν σφ ιύενφε ο.

χίστου :

AELIAN

αὐτός" ὅταν δὲ αἴσθηται καμόντα καί πὼς παρει- μένον ἐκ τοῦ “τραύματος, ἡσυχῆ παρ᾽ αὐτὴν ἄγει τὴν ναῦν, καὶ ἔχει τὴν ἄγραν. ἡ δὲ μήτηρ οὐκ ὀρρωδεῖ τὸ “πραχθέν, οὐδὲ ἀναστέλλεται δείσασα, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπορρήτῳ φύσει τῷ πόθῳ τοῦ παιδὸς ἑ ἕπεται" καὶ δείματα ὁπόσα ἐθέλεις εἰ ἐπάγοις, ἡ δὲ οὐκ

ἐκπλήττεται, τὸν παῖδα οὐχ ὑπομένουσα ἀπολιπεῖν

ἐν ταῖς φοναῖς 1 ὄντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτὴν πατάξαι πάρεστιν" οὕτως ὁμόσε χωρεῖ τοῖς βάλ- λουσιν, ὥσπερ οὖν ἀμυνουμένη. καὶ ἐκ τούτων συναλίσκεται τῷ παιδί, σωθῆναι παρὸν καὶ ἀπελ- θεῖν αὐτήν. εἰ δὲ ἄμφω τὰ ἔκγονα αὐτῇ παρείη, καὶ νοήσειε τετρῶσθαι τὸν ἕτερον καὶ ἄγεσθαι, ὡς προεῖπον, διώκει τὸν ὁλόκληρον καὶ ἀπελαύνει τὴν τε οὐρὰν 3 ἐπισείουσα καὶ δάκνουσα τῷ στόματι, καὶ φυσᾷ φύσημά τι. ἄσημον * μέν, A δύναται, σύνθημα δὲ τῆς φυγῆς ἐνδιδοῦσα σωτήριον. καὶ ὃ μὲν ἀπαλλάττεται, μένει δὲ αὐτὴ ὅ ἔστ᾽ ἂν αἱρεθῇ, καὶ συναποθνήσκει τῷ ἑαλωκότι.

19. Ὃ βοῦς ὁ θαλάττιος ἐν πηλῷ τίκτεται, καὶ ἔστιν ἐξ ὠδίνων βράχιστος, γίνεται δὲ ἐκ βρα- μέγιστος. καὶ τὰ μὲν ὑπὸ τὴν νηδὺν λευκός ἐστι, τὰ νῶτα δὲ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον. καὶ τὰς πλευρὰς μέλας δεινῶς. στόμα δὲ αὐτῷ ἐμπέ-

| pure σμικρόν, οἱ "δὲ ὀδόντες, μεμυκότος ὃ οὐκ ἂν

αὐτοὺς ἴδοις. ἔστι δὲ 9 μήκιστος καὶ πλατύτατος.

1 2. 3 LA τοῖς φόνοις. ἀμυνομένη.

3 σῇ τε οὐρᾷ. 4 Reiske : φυσήματι ἀσήμῳ. 5 Schn: αὕτη. 6 Boaxtratos . . . τοῦ Bpaxtorov.

36

ΣΟ ΝΜ ΣΎΡΗ

Se 28 i LTD ESET ΣΟ

EEE AIELLO TEE

ON ANIMALS, I. 18-19

escaping with the barb and himself failing to catch anything. As soon as he perceives that the fish is tiring and is somewhat weakened by the wound, he gently brings his boat near and lands his catch. But

the mother Dolphin is not scared by what has

occurred nor restrained by fear, but by a mysterious instinct follows in her yearning for her child. And though one confront her with terrors never so great,

she is still undismayed, and will not endure to desert her young one which has come to a bloody end;

indeed, it is even possible to strike her with the hand, so close does she come to the hunters, as though she would beat them off. And so it comes about that she is caught along with her offspring, though she could save herself and escape. But if both her off- spring are by her, and if she realises that one has

-been wounded and is being hauled in, as I said

above, she pursues the one that is unscathed and drives it away, lashing her tail and biting her little one with her mouth; and she makes a blowing sound as best she can, indistinct, but giving the signal to flee, which saves it. So the young Dolphin escapes, while the mother remains until she is caught and dies along with the captive.

19. The Horned Ray is born in the mud, and The Hornea though at the time of birth it is very small, it grows ree

from that size to be enormous. Its belly beneath is white; its back, its head, and its sides are a deep

black; its mouth however is small, and its teeth— when it opens its mouth, you cannot see them.

? δεινῶς καὶ ἄναλκίς ἐστι.

8 Jac: μεμυκότες. 9 A fa δὲ καί,

37

eA NFP

& ἢ ϊ i 5 ἢ ; : ἢ i i &

AELIAN

σιτεῖται μὲν οὖν καὶ τῶν ἰχθύων πολλούς, μάλιστα δὲ σαρκῶν ἀνθρωπείων ἐσθίων ὑπερήδεται. σύνοιδε δὲ αὑτῷ ὅτι ῥώμην ἥκιστός ἐστι, μόνῳ δὲ ἐπιθαρ- pel τῷ μεγέθει. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὅταν ἴδῃ τινὰ ἢ νηχόμενον ἢ ὑποδυόμενον 1 ἐν ταῖς ὑδροθηρίαις, μετε- ὠρίσας ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἐπικυρτώσας ἐπινήχεταί ot? βαρὺς ἄνω ἐγκείμενός τε καὶ πιέζων καὶ ἐπαρτῶν

"ὃ “ 7 8 δ 7 4 ~ - - 7 ειμᾶ Tt, υπερτετασας TO Tav OWL TH δειλαίῳ

e 7 > ~ ld A > ~

ὡς στέγην, avadivat τε καὶ ἀναπνεῦσαι κωλύων f rr = / ΄-

αὐτόν. οὐκοῦν ἐπισχεθέντος οἱ τοῦ πνεύματος, ὃ

g ,ὔ = > f > θ 7 ε ὃ \ 5 4 37 ~ μέν, οἷα εἰκὸς, ἀποῦνησκει, O OE ἐμπεσὼν EXEL TNS

παραμονῆς μισθὸν ὃ μάλιστα λιχνεύει * δεῖπνον.

20. Τὰ μὲν ἄλλα τῶν φδικῶν ὃ [ὀρνέων] ὃ εὐστομεῖ

; “ ᾽

καὶ τῇ γλώττῃ φθέγγεται δίκην ἀνθρώπου: οἱ δὲ

τέττιγες κατὰ τὴν ἰξύν εἰσι λαλίστατοι. καὶ συτοῦν-

\ ao ὃ ‘4 ‘ δὲ > ]- >. AHO

ται μὲν τῆς δρόσου, τὰ δὲ ἐξ ἕω ἐς πλήθουσαν > Ἁ ~ ΜᾺ

ἀγορὰν σιωπῶσιν, ἡλίου δὲ ὑπαρχομένου τῆς

᾿ ΄-ὦ 4 > ~ “

ἀκμῆς, τὸν ἐξ ἑαυτῶν μεθιᾶσι κέλαδον, φιλόπονοί

τινες ὡς ἂν εἴποις χορευταί, ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς καὶ al ? A ~ “~

τῶν παρανεμόντων Kal τῶν ὁδῷ. χρωμένων καὶ ~ 3 ~

τῶν ἀμώντων KaTddovTes. καὶ τοῦτο μὲν TO

7 3} “ ele e / 7 A φιλόμουσον ἔδωκε τοῖς ἄρρεσιν ἡ φύσις: τέττιξ δὲ θήλεια ἄφωνός ἐστι, καὶ ἔοικε σιωπᾶν δίκην νύμφης

αἰδουμένης.

21. Ὑφφαντικὴν καὶ ταλασίαν τὴν θεὸν τὴν a ;

Ἔργάνην ἐπινοῆσαί φασιν ἄνθρωποι: τὴν δὲ apax- ᾿ A > ; viv ἡ φύσις σοφὴν ἐς ἱστουργίαν ἐδημιούργησε. καὶ φιλοτεχνεῖ οὐ κατὰ μίμημα, οὐδὲ ἔξωθεν 1 ὑποδυόμενον Post, cp. 1. 44, πονούμενον Mss, H.

2 ξ 4 3 “ “ 3 fa οἱ καὶ ἐλλοχᾷ. Jac: δείματι.

38

ths

see

1 AE STIS REN ES EEN Sich lot tannin Σι υνκύνυνν δε κτλ, ba sip

a 7 er at Ἂ ; ἘΣ ΒΒ,

τ %

ON ANIMALS, I. 19-21

Further, it is exceedingly long and flat. While on the one hand it feeds upon a great number of fish, yet its chief delight is to eat the flesh of man. It is conscious of its very small strength: only its great size gives it courage. Hence when it sees a man swimming or diving to catch something in the water, it rises and arching its body attacks him, pressing upon him from above with all its weight; and while causing terror to fasten upon him, the Ray extends all its body over the wretched man like a roof and prevents him from reaching the surface and breath- ing. When therefore his breathing is arrested, the man naturally dies, and the Ray falls upon him and in the feast which it most greedily desires reaps the reward of its persistence.

20. All other songsters sing sweetly and use their The Cicada

tongue to utter, as men do, but Cicadas produce their incessant chatter from their loins. They feed upon dew, and from dawn until about midday remain | silent. But when the sun enters upon his hottest period, they emit their characteristic clamour—in- dustrious members of a chorus, you might call them —and from above the heads of shepherds and wayfarers and reapers their song descends. This love of singing Nature has bestowed upon the males, whereas the female Cicada is mute and appears as silent as some shamefast maiden. | ᾿

91. Men say that it was the goddess Ergane who invented weaving and spinning, but it was Nature that trained the Spider to weave. The practice of its craft is not due to any imitation, nor does it

-

5 Bochart: ᾿Ινδικῶν.

4 Reiske: ἀνιχνεύει. ? Reiske: νῆμα.

8 (épvéwr] del. Warmington.

39

AELIAN —

λαμβάνει {τὸ} νῆμα, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας νηδύος τοὺς μίτους ἐξάγουσα εἶτα μέντοι τοῖς κούφοις τῶν πτηνῶν θήρατρα dmodaiver, ὡς δίκτυα ἐκπεταν- νῦσα. καὶ dv ὧν ἐξυφαίνει παρὰ τῆς γαστρὸς λαβοῦσα." διὰ τῶνδε ἐκείνην ἐκτρέφει πάνυ pia ερ- γοῦσα, ὡς καὶ τῶν γυναικῶν τὰς μάλιστα εὔχειρας

καὶ νῆμα ἀσκητὸν EK TOV OL δεινὰς μὴ ἀντιπαρα- |

| βάλλεσθαι: νενίκηκε γὰρ τῇ λεπτότητι καὶ ὙΠ

τρίχα.

22. Βαβυλωνίους τε καὶ Χαλδαίους. σοφοὺς τὰ οὐράνια ᾷδουσιν οἱ συγγραφεῖς: μύρμηκες. δὲ οὔτε ἐς οὐρανὸν ἀναβλέποντες οὔτε 3 ras “τοῦ μηνὸς ἡμέρας ἐπὶ δακτύλων ἀριθμεῖν ἔ ἔχοντες. ὅμως δῶρον ἐκ φύσεως εἰλήχασι παράδοξον" τῇ γὰρ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς τῇ νέᾳ ἔσω τῆς ἑαυτῶν στέγης οἰκουροῦσι, τὴν ὀπὴν οὐχ ὑπερβαίνοντες ἀλλὰ ἀτρεμοῦντες.

23. Οἰκία τῷ σαργῷ τῷ ἰχθύι πέτραι ὁ τε καὶ σήραγγες, ἔχουσαι μέντοι ᾿διασφάγας μικρὰς, ὡς αὐγὴν ἡλίου 6 κατιέναι καὶ , φωτὸς ὑποπιμπλάναι τὰς διαστάσεις τάσδε' χαίρουσι γὰρ of σαργοὶ φωτὶ μὲν παντί, τῆς δὲ ἀκτῖνος τοῦ ἡλίου καὶ μᾶλλον Subdow. οἰκοῦσι δὲ ἐν ταὐτῷ πολλοί: δίαιται δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἤθη 1 τὰ τῆς θαλάττης βράχη, καὶ τῇ γῇ γειτνιῶσι μάλα ἀσμένως. φιλοῦσι δέ πως ὃ αἶγας ἰσχυρῶς. ἐὰν “γοῦν πλησίον τῆς ἠόνος νεμομένων ἡ σκιὰ “μιᾶς 7 δευτέρας ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ φανῇ, οἱ δὲ ἀσμένως προσνέουσι καὶ

1 ςτόΣ add. Η. ΝΣ Reiske : ἕλκουσα.

ὃ οὐδέ. - 4 πέτρα. 5 μικρὰς καὶ τὰς διαστάσεις, v.1. μ. καὶ διεστώσας.

40

SoS i SRE LAE SEEM A GEES EES ENS TERY RB ee STO ρον τ τος

| | | / |

ON ANIMALS, I. 21-23

obtain spinning matter from any external source, but produces the threads from its own belly and then contrives snares for flimsy winged creatures, spread- ing them like nets; and it derives its nourishment from the same material that it extracts from its belly and weaves. It is so extremely industrious that not even the most dextérous women, skilled at elaborat- ing wrought yarn, can be compared to it: its web is thinner than hair.

22. Historians praise the Babylonians and Chal- The Ant

daeans for their knowledge of the heavenly bodies. But Ants, though they neither look upwards to the sky nor are able to count the days of the month on their fingers, nevertheless have been endowed by Nature with an extraordinary gift. Thus, on the first day of the month they stay at home indoors, never quitting their nest but remaining quietly within. ,

23. The fish known as the Sargue has its home The Sargue

among rocks and hollows, which however have in them narrow clefts so that the rays of the sun can penetrate within and fill these fissures with light. For Sargues like all the light there is, but have an even greater craving for the sunbeams. They live in great numbers in the same place, and their usual haunts are the shallows of the sea, and they particu- larly like to be near the land. For some reason they

have a strong affection for goats. At any rate if the

shadow of one or two goats feeding by the sea-shore

fall upon the water, they swim in eagerly and spring

8 ἡλίου τε. ? ἕλη. 8 πῶς τῶν ἀλόγων.

41

AELIAN:

Ε] Fon! 6 δὸὃ 7 ᾿ A FA ᾿ θ ~ '

ἀναπηδῶσιν, ὡς ἡδόμενοι, καὶ προσάψασθαι τῶν

αἰγῶν ποθοῦσιν ἐξαλλόμενοι, καίτοι οὐ πάνυ τι

of ζ 4 X ¥ 7 x \ e \

ὄντες ἁλτικοὶ THY ἄλλως: νηχόμενοι. δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ

“ “ ~ > A 3 “~ 7 ξ

τοῖς κύμασιν ὅμως τῆς τῶν αἰγῶν ὀσμῆς ἔχου- 3 λ΄. 485 “ὃ ΄' : λθ “ 1 > 3 > A

ow αἴσθησιν, καὶ ὑφ᾽ ἡδονῆς προελθεῖν * ἐπ΄ αὐτὰς , 3 > -'

σπεύδουσιν. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν δυσέρωτές " εἰσιν, ἐξ ὧν “ Ἁ A

ποθοῦσιν ἐκ τούτων ἁλίσκονται. ἁλιεὺς yap ἀνὴρ

“A 4 road a

αἰγὸς Sopa ἑαυτὸν περιαμπέχει, σὺν αὐτοῖς τοῖς κέ- ~ / i δ᾽ \

pact δαρείσης αὐτῆς" λαμβάνει <dé>% apa τὸν

' , ¢ x ~ ᾿;

ἥλιον κατὰ νώτου ἐπιβουλεύων ὁ θηρατὴς TH ἄγρᾳ,

“A ft > ,ἃ 9 lon e

εἶτα καταπάττει τῆς θαλάττης, bp ἣν οἰκοῦσιν οἱ

προειρημένοι, ἄλφυτα αἰγείῳ ζωμῷ διαβραχέντα. , , “-

ἑλκόμενοι δὲ Of σαργοὶ ὡς ὑπὸ τινος ἴυγγος τῆς 3

ὀσμῆς THs προειρημένης προσίασι, Kal συτοῦνται μὲν

τῶν ἀλφίτων, κηλοῦνται δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς Sopas.* αἱρεῖ ®

on - 4 “a δὲ αὐτῶν πολλοὺς ἀγκίστρῳ σκληρῷ Kat ὁρμιᾷ ,ὔ —- Laan ; Xv > \ / > A λίνου λευκοῦ: ἐξῆπται δὲ οὐχὶ καλάμου, ἀλλὰ ῥάβδου κρανείας" δεῖ γὰρ τὸν ἐμπεσόντα ἀνασπά-.

ta Ὁ A 4 LAA > (ξ θ - = σαι ῥᾷστα, wa μὴ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐκταράξῃ. Unpwy

ται δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ χειρός, ἐάν τις τὰς ἀκάνθας, ἃς ἐγείρουσιν ἐς τὸ ἑαυτοῖς ἀμύνειν, ἐς τὸ κάτω μέρος ἀπό γε τῆς κεφαλῆς ἡσυχῆ κατάγων εἶτα κλίνῃ καὶ πιέσας τῶν πετρῶν ἐκσπάσῃ, ἐς ἃς ἑαυτοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαθεῖν ὠθοῦσιν.

24. Ὃ ἔχις περιπλακεὶς τῇ θηλείᾳ μίγνυται: ἡ δὲ ἀνέχεται τοῦ νυμφίου καὶ λυπεῖ οὐδὲ ἕν. ὅταν δὲ πρὸς τῷ τέλει τῶν ἀφροδισίων ὦσι, πονηρὰν

~ ’ ὑπὲρ τῆς ὁμιλίας τὴν φιλοφροσύνην ἐκτίνει ἡ 2 ἐς τὰ προειρημένα δυο-.

1 Abresch: προσ-. 4 ὃ, βλεπομένης ὡς αἰγός.

8. δέ» add. Η.

5 αἱρεῖται.

{2

ΤΟΣ Shine wae 5.5; δὴν Sy Etats ΣΟ δὴν ἀν τ; EA ERD ΡΤ ἘΣ ΣΉ ANU TELE OCI SETE PONMT MITTS OHI AT ETOSOTEF EERO ADSI A LCE PULTE ERT TACO PET OUTSOLE

SSUES ον τς ΩΣ ΩΣ Ως ELSI ay

τε ieee RITA ETA Sac Sis endchenmetite ober ot ein ΠΣ τας:

ON ANIMALS, I. 23-24

up as though for joy, and in their desire to touch the goats they leap out of the water, though they are not in a general way given to leaping. And even when swimming below the waves they are sensible of the goats’ smell, and for delight in it press in to be near them. Now since they are thus love-sick, the object of their love is the means of their capture.

Thus, a fisherman wraps himself in a goatskin which how caught

has been flayed with the horns. Stalking his prey, the hunter gets the sun behind him and then sprinkles on the water beneath which the aforesaid fish live,

_barley-groats soaked in broth of goats’ flesh. And

the Sargues, attracted by the aforesaid smell as though by some charm, approach and eat the barley- groats and are fascinated by the goatskin. And the man catches them in numbers with a stout hook and a line of white flax attached not to a reed but to arod of cornel-wood. For it is essential to haul in the fish that has taken the bait very quickly so as to avoid disturbing the others. They are even to be caught by hand, if by gently stroking the spines, which they raise in self-pro- tection, from the head downwards one can lay them, or by pressure draw the fish out of the rocks into which they thrust themselves to avoid being seen.

24,.The male Viper couples with the female by vipers ana

wrapping himself -round her. And she allows her mate to do this without resenting it at all.” When however they have finished their act of love, the

43

their mating

see WELL TEE

PEELE tee

TREES INIT EE EERE

AELIAN

νύμφη τῷ γαμέτῃ: ἐμφῦσα yap αὐτοῦ τῷ τραχήλῳ, διακόπτει αὐτὸν αὐτῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ 6 μὲν τέθνηκεν, ἡ δὲ ἔγκαρπον ἔχει τὴν μίξιν καὶ κύει. τίκτει δὲ οὐκ wa, ἀλλὰ βρέφη, καὶ ἔστιν ἐνεργὰ ἤδη (κατὰ)! τὴν αὑτῶν φύσιν τὴν κακίστην. διε- σθίει γοῦν τὴν μητρῴαν νηδύν, καὶ πρόεισι πάραυ- τα ὃ τιμωροῦντα τῷ πατρί. τί οὖν οἱ ᾿Ορέσται καὶ ot ᾿Αλκμαίωνες πρὸς ταῦτα, ὦ τραγῳδοὶ

φίλοι;

‘ v “~ . 25. Τὴν ὕαιναν τῆτες μὲν ἄρρενα εἰ θεάσαιο, τὴν > ἃ 3 , 2, “~ “~ - αὐτὴν ἐς νέωτα ὄψει θῆλυν: εἰ δὲ θῆλυν νῦν, μετὰ ~ » -- ταῦτα ἄρρενα" κοινωνοῦσί τε ἀφροδίτης ἑκατέρας, " > 3, ἶ

4 a of ~ ~ καὶ yapovot Te Kat γαμοῦνται, ava ἔτος πᾶν ἀμεί- ; 4 7 3 “~ Bovoat τὸ γένος. οὐκοῦν τὸν Kawéa καὶ τὸν Tes-

i > ? > / A ~ A 2

ρεσίαν ἀρχαίους ἀπέδειξε τὸ ζῷον τοῦτο οὐ

t 7, 4 A a ᾿ ᾿ κόμποις ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῖς.

20. Μάχονται μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν θηλειῶν ὡς ὑπὲρ ὡραίων γυναικῶν καὶ ot τράγοι πρὸς τράγους καὶ ot ταῦροι πρὸς ταύρους καὶ ὑπὲρ οἰῶν οἱ κριοὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀντερῶντας" ὀργῶσι δὲ ἐπὶ τὰς θηλείας καὶ οἱ θαλάττιοι κάνθαροι. γίνονται δὲ ἐν τοῖς καλουμένοις ἀσπροῖς ὃ χωρίοις, καὶ εἰσὶ ζηλότυποι, καὶ ἴδοις ἂν μάχην ὑπὲρ τῶν θηλειῶν καρτεράν. καὶ ἔστιν ὃ ἀγὼν οὐχ ὑπὲρ πολλῶν, ὡς τοῖς

1 «κατά add. H, 2 κατ᾽ αὐτά, v.l. κατὰ ταὐτά. : 8 λεπροῖς H after Jac. |

* Orestes slew his mother Clytemnestra in revenge for her having slain his father Agamemnon.—Alemaeon slew his mother Eriphyle who had ‘brought about the death of his father Amphiaraus. | | ἜΣ

44

:

8 ΒῚ 3

= aN Leaked ABREU UE IE nih ce bm ante

BE ncn ney pinbdtnhanteh AM t—Plrte bth OA MAO. πῶς ὩΣ

ON ANIMALS, I. 24-26

bride in reward for his embraces repays her husband

with a treacherous show of affection, for she fastens on his neck and bites it off, head and all. So he dies, while she conceives and becomes pregnant. But she produces not eggs but live young ones, which imme- diately act in accordance with their nature at its worst. At any rate they gnaw through their mother’s belly and forthwith emerge and avenge their father.

What then, my dramatist friends, have your Oresteses * and your Alemaeons to say to this? |

25. Should you this year set eyes on a male Hyena, next year you will see the same creature as a female ;

The Hyena

conversely, if you see a female now, next time you

will see a male. They share the attributes of both sexes and are both husband and wife, chang- ing their sex year by year. So then it is not through extravagant tales but by actual facts that this animal has made Caeneus ® and Teiresias old-fashioned. -

96. As men fight for beautiful women, so do animals fight for their females, goats with goats, bulls

The Black Sea-bream

with bulls, and rams with their rivals in love for.

sheep. Even the Black Sea-bream wax wanton for their females. They are born in what men call

rough places, and are jealous, and one may see them

fighting vigorously for their females. And they do not contend for several, in the way that Sargues do,

> Caeneus, originally a girl named Caenis, was changed by Poseidon into a man; after death he resumed his female form. Teiresias likewise changed his sex twice, but the Hyena

does this every year. 45

NESS LES YENI

EERE TEA SLED RRO EEE

SLIP ESE RETYPE EGR SLIT PRISE ELLA IT

po te ma

jis

AELIAN

“A > 2 Κι᾿ σαργοῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἰδίας συννόμου, ὡς ὑπὲρ γαμετῆς τῷ Μενέλεῳ πρὸς τὸν Ἰ]άριν.

27. “Ἑστιᾶται μὲν (ἄλλαις »5 καὶ ἄλλαις τροφαῖς ¢€ / ~ 6 πολύπους" ἔστι yap Kal φαγεῖν δεινὸς καὶ ἐπι-

βουλεῦσαι σφόδρα πανοῦργος" τὸ δὲ αὔτιον, παμβο--

2

ρώτατος θηρίων θαλαττίων ἐστί. καὶ ζὴἡὴ 55 ἀπό- δειξις, εἴ τις αὐτῷ γένοιτο ἀθηρία, τῶν ἑαυτοῦ πλοκάμων παρέτραγε, καὶ τὴν γαστέρα κορέσας τὴν σπάνιν τῆς ἄγρας ἠκέσατο' εἶτα ἀναφύει τὸ ἐλλεῖπον, ὥσπερ οὖν τῆς φύσεως τοῦτό 4 οἱ ἐν τῷ

ἴω ᾽ 4 al ᾿ λιμῷ παρασκευαζούσης ἕτοιμον τὸ δεῖπνον.

28. Ἵππος ἐρριμμένος σφηκῶν γένεσίς ἐστιν. ὃ μὲν γὰρ ὑποσήπεται, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ μυελοῦ ἐκπέτονται οἱ θῆρες οὗτοι, ὠκίστου ζῴου. πτηνὰ ἔκγονα, τοῦ ἵππου οἱ σφῆκες.

29. Αἱμύλον ζῷον καὶ ἐοικὸς ταῖς φαρμακίσιν ἡ ~ \ “A γλαῦξ. Kal πρώτους μὲν αἱρεῖ τοὺς ὀρνιθοθήρας

? / ~ \ ἡρημένη. περιάγουσι γοῦν αὐτὴν ὡς παιδικὰ ἢ >

καὶ νὴ “Δία περίαπτα ἐπὶ τῶν ὦὥμων. καὶ νύκτωρ μὲν αὐτοῖς ἀγρυπνεῖ καὶ τῇ φωνῇ οἷονεί τινι ἐπαοιδῇ γοητείας ὑπεσπαρμένης αἱμύλου τε καὶ θελκτικῆς τοὺς ὄρνιθας ἕλκει καὶ καθίζει πλησίον ἑαυτῆς" ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θήρατρα ἕτερα τοῖς ὄρνισι προσείει μωκωμένη καὶ ἄλλοτε ἄλλην ἰδέαν προσώπου στρέφουσα, ὑφ᾽ ὧν κηλοῦνται ὅ καὶ παραμένουσιν ἐνεοὶ 6 πάντες ὄρνιθες, ἡρημένοι δέει καὶ μάλα γε ἰσχυρῷ ἐξ ὧν ἐκείνη μορφάζξει.

1 Reiske: o. ὁ πόλεμος. 2 <dhAas> add. H.

46

AIS RU LOA era RE GUN ESA sat cE LY DALLA EN ERED RESUS RS Ly

nN tt EES ELLER A δεν a a Fat ON ne δὴν

; | |

ON ANIMALS, 1. 26-29

but each for its own mate, just as Menelaus fought for his wife with Paris.

27. The Octopus feeds first on one thing and then on another, for it is terribly greedy and for ever plotting some evil, the reason being that it is the most omnivorous of all sea-animals. The proof of this is that, should it fail to catch anything, it eats its own tentacles, and by filling its stomach so, finds a remedy for the lack of prey. Later it renews its missing limb, Nature seeming to provide this as a ready meal in times of famine. |

28. A horse’s carease is the breeding-place of The Wasp, Wasps. For as the carcase rots, these creatures fly generated Ὁ

out of the marrow: the swiftest of animals begets winged offspring: the horse, Wasps.

99. The Owl is a wily creature and resembles a The Ow!

witch. And when captured, it begins by capturing its hunters. And so they carry it about like a pet or (I declare) like a charm on their shoulders. By night it keeps watch for them and with its call that sounds like some incantation it diffuses a subtle, soothing enchantment, thereby attracting birds to settle near it. And even in the daytime it dangles before the birds another kind of lure to make fools of them, putting on a different expression at different times; and all the birds are spell-bound and remain stupefied and seized with terror, and a mighty terror too, at these transformations. | |

3 <4> add. H. 4 καὶ τοῦτο.

5 αἱροῦνται. 5. Hemst: ot νέοι.

41

The Octopus

INL G ASAD ELL ESLER

nae

τ

ΡΥ OO ECL KAN OLA EA ea his BEES MEETS ORE TOLLIE AGES LOPE EI LIS ALINE

APSA eS thaadndn shinee cs

See

ΜΉ EOL ΠΡΟΣ ESS ADEE ISIE ACS SUSE EES ULES HDI:

beeatarens

AELIAN

30. Ὃ λάβραξ Kapidos ἥττηται, Kai εἴη adv, ἵνα T καὶ παΐσας εἴπω, ἰχθύων ὀψοφαγίστατος. οὐκοῦν ἕλειοι ὄντες τὰς ἑλείους ἐλλοχῶσιν. εἰσὶ γὰρ τῷ γένει τριτταί: καὶ αἱ μὲν αὐτῶν οἵας προεῖπον, at δὲ ἐκ φυκίων, πετραῖαί γε μὴν at τρίται. ἀμύνεσθαι δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀδυνατοῦσαι αἱροῦν- ται συναποθνήσκειν. καὶ τό γε σόφισμα εἰπεῖν οὐκ ὀκνήσω αὐτῶν. ὅταν γοῦν αἴσθωνται λαμβανό- μεναι, τὸ ἐξέχον τῆς κεφαλῆς (ἔοικε δὲ τριήρους ἐμβόλῳ καὶ μάλα γε ὀξεῖ, καὶ ἄλλως ἐντομὰς ἔχει δίκην πριόνος) τοῦτο τοίνυν at γενναῖαι σοφῶς ἐπιστρέψασαι πηδῶσί τε καὶ ἀναθόρνυνται κοῦφα καὶ ἁλτικά. κέχηνε δὲ ὁ λάβραξ μέγα, καὶ ἔστιν οὗ τὰ τῆς δέρης ἁπαλά. οὐκοῦν 6 μὲν συλλαβὼν τὴν καρίδα καμοῦσαν οἴεται δεῦπνον ἕξειν, ἡ δὲ ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ τε καὶ εὐρυχωρίᾳ σκιρτᾷ τῆς φάρυγγος ὡς ἂν εἴποις καταχορεύουσα' εἶτα ἐμπήγνυται τῷ δειλαίΐῳ θηρατῇ τὰ κέντρα, καὶ ἑλκοῦταί of τὰ ἔνδον καὶ ἀνοιδήσαντα αἷμα ἐκβάλλει πολὺ καὶ ἀποπνίγει, καὶ καινότατα δήπου ἀποκτείνασα ἀνήρηται.

91. ᾽Ονύχων ἀκμαῖς καὶ ὀδόντων διατομαῖς θαρ- ροῦσι καὶ ἄρκτοι καὶ λύκοι καὶ πάρδοι καὶ λέοντες" τὴν δὲ ὕστριχα ἀκούω ταῦτα μὲν οὐκ ἔχειν, οὐ μὴν ὅπλων ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως ἀμυντηρίων ἀπολε- λεῖφθαι ἐρήμην. τοῖς γοῦν ἐπιοῦσιν ἐπὶ λύμῃ τὰς ἄνωθεν τρίχας οἱονεὶ βέλη ἐκπέμπει, καὶ εὐστόχως βάλλει πολλάκις, τὰ νῶτα φρίξασα"

1

¢ YY ? ‘ , 2. αὶ Va. οι εἴπω) cl Καὶ ΠΤαιϊσαξς ἐρὼ. a

καὶ μέγα.

48

Ser Sorte ana nscegteiienternrettonnenatcie

ON ANIMALS, I. 30-31

30. The Basse is a victim of the Prawn and is in- clined to be (if I may be allowed the jest) the greatest gourmet among fish. So being lake-dwellers they

lie in wait for the lake Prawns. These are of three

kinds: the first are such as J have already mentioned ; the second subsist on seaweed, while the third kind live on the rocks. Being incapable of self-defence against the Basse, they prefer to die along with it.

‘And I shall not hesitate to use the word ‘ stratagem’

ofthem. For instance, directly they realise that they are being caught, these precious creatures adroitly turn outwards the projecting portion of their head, which resembles the beak of a trireme and is exceed- ingly sharp and has moreover notches in it-like a saw, and spring and leap lightly and nimbly about.

But the Basse opens its mouth wide, and the flesh

of its throat is tender. So the Basse seizes the exhausted Prawn and fancies that.it is going to make a meal of it. The Prawn however in this

ample space gambols about and dances in triumph,

so to say, over the Basse’s throat. Then it plants its spikes in its unfortunate pursuer, whose inward parts are thereby lacerated, so that they swell up and discharge much blood and choke the Basse, until in most novel fashion the slayer is himself slain.

31. Strength of claws and sharpness of fangs make

bears, wolves, leopards, and lions bold, whereas the

Porcupine, which (I am told) has not these advan-

_tages, none the less has not been left by Nature

destitute of weapons wherewith to defend itself. For instance, against those who would attack it with intent to harm it discharges the hairs on its body,

like javelins, and. raising the bristles on its back,

49

Basse and Prawn

The — Porcupine

AELIAN

ee a 4 > f καὶ ἐκεῖναί ye πηδῶσιν, ὥσπερ οὖν ἔκ τινος "3 “~ ἀφειμέναι νευρᾶς.

2. Ἦ δεινὸν κακὸν καὶ νόσημα ἄγριον ἔχθρα καὶ μῖσος συμφυές, εἴπερ οὖν καὶ τοῖς ἀλόγοις ἐντέτηκε καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐστι δυσέκνιπτα. μύραινα γοῦν πολύποδα “μισεῖ, καὶ πολύπους καράβῳ πολέ- μιος, καὶ, μυραίνῃ κάραβος ἔχθιστός ἐ ἐστι. μύραινα μὲν γὰρ ταῖς ἀκμαῖς τῶν ὀδόντων τὰς πλεκτάνας τῷ πολύποδι διακόπτει, εἶτα “μέντοι καὶ ἐς τὴν γαστέρα ἐσδῦσα αὐτῷ τὰ αὐτὰ δρᾷ, καὶ εἰκότως" ἡ μὲν γὰρ νηκτική, ὃ δὲ ἐ ἔοικεν ἕρποντι: εἰ δὲ καὶ τρέποιτο τὴν χρόαν κατὰ τὰς πέτρας, ἔοικεν αὐτῷ τὸ σόφισμα συμφέρειν + οὐδὲ ἕν τοῦτο' ἔστι γὰρ συνιδεῖν ἐκείνη δεινὴ τοῦ ξῴου τὸ παλάμημα. τούς γε “μὴν καράβους αὐτοὶ = συλλαβόντες ἐς πνῖγμα, ὅταν νεκροὺς ἐργάσωνται, τὰ κρέα ἐκμυ- ζῶσιν αὐτῶν. κέρατα δὲ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ὁ κάραβος ἀνεγείρας καὶ θυμωθεὶς ἐς αὐτά, προκαλεῖται μύ- ραιναν οὐκοῦν ἡ μὲν τοῦ ἀντιπάλου τὰ κέντρα, ὅσα οἱ προβέβληται, ταῦτα οὐκ ἐννοοῦσα κατα- δάκνει: ὃ δὲ τὰς χηλὰς οἷονεὶ χεῖρας προτείνας, τῆς δέρης παρ᾽ ἑκάτερα ἐγκρατῶς ἐχόμενος οὐ μεθίησιν: ἡ δὲ ἀσχάλλει καὶ ἑαυτὴν ἑλίττει καὶ περιβάλλει τῶν ὀστράκων ταῖς ἀκμαῖς, ὧνπερ οὖν ἐς αὐτὴν πηγνυμένων μαλκίει * τε καὶ ἀπαγορεύει, Kat τελευτῶσα παρειμένη κεῖται: 6 δὲ τὴν ἀντίπαλον ποιεῖται δεῖπνον.

3. Triller: αἱρεῖν. 2 αὐτοί corrupt, H. 3 uw. Kal ὡς εἶναι κατὰ γυναῖκα ὠργισμένην.

50

ON ANIMALS, I. 31-32

frequently makes a good shot. And these hairs leap

forth as though sped from a bowstring.

32. Enmity and inborn hate are a truly terrible Mutual affliction and a cruel disease when once they have yous,” sunk deep into the heart even of brute beasts, and snd Gr a nothing can purge them away. For instance, the ἡ Moray loathes the Octopus, and the Octopus is the enemy of the Crayfish, and to the Moray the Cray- fish is most hostile. The Moray with its sharp teeth cuts through the tentacles of the Octopus, and then Moray and boring into its stomach does the same thing—and °?"s very properly, for the Moray swims, while the Octopus is like some creeping thing. And even though it changes its colour to that of the rocks, even this artifice seems to avail it nothing, for the Moray is quick to perceive the creature's stratagem.

As to the Crayfish, the Octopuses strangle them Octopus an with their grip, and when they have succeeded in ~~ ue killing them, they suck out their flesh. But against the Moray the Crayfish raises its horns and with Morey and fury in them challenges it. Thereupon the Moray “%** imprudently tries to bite the prickles which its adversary has thrust forward in self-defence. But the Crayfish reaches out its claws like two hands, and clinging firmly to the Moray’s throat on either side, never relaxes its hold, while the Moray in its distress writhes and transfixes itself on the points of the Cray- fish’s shell; and as these are planted in it, it grows ᾽ numb and gives up the struggle, finally sinking in’ exhaustion. And the Crayfish makes.a meal off its adversary.

4 μαλακιεῖ. 51

AELIAN

, 38. Τὴν μύραιναν ᾿ τὸν ἰχθὺν τρέφει τὰ πελάγη. ὅταν δὲ αὐτὴν τὸ δίκτυον περιλάβῃ, διανήχεται καὶ ζητεῖ ἢ βρόχον ἀραιὸν ἢ ῥῆγμα τοῦ δικτύου πάνυ σοφῶς: καὶ ἐντυχοῦσα τούτων τινὶ καὶ διεκ- δῦσα ἐλευθέρα νήχεται αὖθις: εἰ δὲ τύχοι μία

- - > , \ ¢ “. ~ τῆσδε τῆς εὐερμίας, καὶ at λοιπαὶ ὅσαι τοῦ αὐτοῦ

] |

γένους συνεαλώκασι κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνης φυγὴν e «Q 7 “~

ἐξίασιν, ws ὅδόν τινα λαβοῦσαι παρ᾽ ἡγεμόνος.

84, Τὴν σηπίαν ὅταν μέλλωσιν αἱρεῖν ὃ ot τούτων ἀγαθοὶ θηραταί, συνεῖσα ἐκείνη παρῆκε τὸ ἐξ ἑαυ- τῆς ἀπόσφαγμα," καὶ καταχεῖται ἑαυτῆς, καὶ περι- λαμβάνει καὶ ἀφανίζει πᾶσαν, καὶ κλέπτεται τὴν

yw ¢ ¢ ὄψιν ὃ ἁλιεύς: καὶ ἡ μὲν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐστιν, 6 δὲ οὐχ

¢ nw o~ ~

ὁρᾷ. τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ τῷ Αἰνείᾳ νέφος περιβαλὼν 4 3 ~

ἠπάτησε τὸν ᾿Αχιλλέα ὁ Ποσειδῶν, ws” Ὅμηρος λέγει.

35. Βασκάνων ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ γοήτων φυλάτ- τεται καὶ τῶν ζῴων τὰ ἄλογα φύσει τινὶ ἀπορρήτῳ καὶ θαυμαστῇ. ἀκούω γοῦν ὃ βασκανίας ἀμυντή- ρίον τὰς. φάττας δάφνης κλωνία ἀποτραγούσας λεπτὰ εἶτα μέντοι ταῖς ἑαυτῶν καλιαῖς ἐντιθέναι τῶν νεοττίων φειδοῖ" ἰκτῖνοι δὲ ῥάμνον, κίρκοι δὲ πικρίδα, αἵ γε μὴν τρυγόνες τὸν τῆς ἴρεως καρπόν, ἄγνον δὲ κόρακες, οὗ δὲ ἔποπες τὸ ἀδίαντον, ὅπερ οὖν καὶ καλλίτριχον καλοῦσί τινες, ἀριστερεῶνα δὲ κορώνη, καὶ κιττὸν ἅρπη, καρκίνον δὲ ἐρῳδιός,

1 Ges: σφύ a Ἵ 3 Reise? Une “λαμβάνειν. eee 4 ὑπόσφαγμα H, cp. Hippon. 24(D?). 5 "οὖν.

4 The genus picris embraces a wide variety of plants; it may here signify ox-tongue or chicory or endive or Urospermum picrordes.

52

ON ANIMALS, I. 33-35

33. The fish known as the Moray lives in the sea, The Moray

and when the net encircles it, it swims hither and thither, seeking with great cleverness some weak mesh or some rent in the net. And when it has found such a place, it slips through and swims free once again. And if one of them has this good for- tune, all the others of its kind that have been caught along with it escape in the same way, as though taking their direction from a leader. |

34. Whenever fishermen who are skilled in these The

matters plan to catch a Cuttlefish, the fish on realising this emits the ink from its body, pours it over itself and envelops itself so as to be entirely invisible. The fisherman’s sight is deceived : though the fish is within view, he does not see it. It was by veiling Aeneas in such a cloud that Poseidon tricked Achilles, according to Homer [1]. 20. 321-]. |

35, Even brute beasts protect themselves against the eyes of sorcerers and wizards by some inexplic- able and marvellous gift of Nature. For instance, I am told that as a charm against sorcery ring-doves nibble off the fine shoots of the bay-tree, and then insert them in their nests as a protection for their. young. Kites take buck-thorn, falcons picris, * while turtle-doves take the fruit ® of the iris, ravens the agnus-castus tree, but hoopoes maidenhair fern, which some call ‘lovely hair’; the crow takes veryain, the shearwater ¢ ivy, the heron a crab, the

> From Thphr. HP 8. 3. 4 ‘it appears that the buds of the poplar were mistaken for fruit,’ Hort ad loc. So here perhaps

καρπός should be understood as the bud of the iris. ¢* "Anan... prob. shearwater, L-S?; but the meaning

is quite uncertain, cp. 12. 4. 53

ttlefish

Birds and their pro- tection against sorcery

ΟΣ ΚΔ): ον δεν OS EOE Ae Ae a a SA

. AELIAN

πέρδιξ δὲ καλάμου φόβην, θαλλὸν δὲ αἱ κίνλα ; ; ν, at κίχλ μυρρίνης. προβάλλεται δὲ καὶ κόρυδος i ee

1 4 ἄετοι 1 <de>*® τὸν λίθον, ὅσπερ οὖν ἐξ αὐτῶν.

5 7 , f

ἀετίτης κέκληται. λέγεται δὲ οὗτος ὃ λίθος καὶ i

γυναιξὶ κυοῦσαις ἀγαθὸν εἶναι, ταῖς ἀμβλώσεσι

πολέμιος ὦν.

36. Ὁ ἰχθὺς ἡ νάρκη ὅτου ἃ ᾿ ς ἡ νά ὲ Lehn? ae ἰχθῦς ἢ νάρκη ὅτου dy καὶ προσάψηται Ὡ αὐτῆς ὄνομα ἔδωκέ τε καὶ ναρκᾶν ἐποίησεν \ ~ ‘ ἡ ἐᾷ ἐχενηὶς ἐπέχει τὰς ναῦς, καὶ ἐξ οὗ ποιεῖ καλοῦμεν αὐτήν. j ἐ ἀλκυό oi de Ὁ ὦ ἣν. κυούσης δὲ ἁλκυόνος ἵσταται ? a δως ἄγη εἰρήνην δὲ καὶ φιλίαν ἄγουσιν . Κύει Ὁ 0 : ᾿ , Κύει Oe ἄρα χειμῶνος μεσοῦντος, καὶ Ἰ 5. ἢ τοῦ ἀέρος γαλήνη δίδωσιν εὐημερίαν, καὶ ἀλκυονείας * τηνικάδε τῆς ὥρας & ἡμέ πὰ ΟΣ é js wpas ἄγομεν ἡμέρας. Xvos ve Λύκου πατεῖ κατὰ τύχην ἵππος, καὶ νάρκη > 7+ r περιείληφεν αὐτόν. εἰ δὲ ὑπορρίψειας ἀστράγαλον ? ὕκου τετρώρῳ * θέοντι, τὸ δὲ ὡς πεπηγὸς ἑστήξε- ται, τῶν ἵππων τὸν ἀστράγαλον ΐ New Be bo pay πατησάντων. : ὕλλοις πρίνου τὸ ἴχνος ἐπιβάλλει, καὶ φ } ᾿ ναρκᾷ' .. .° δὲ καὶ 6 λύκος, εἰ καὶ ud σπελάσειε πετήλ ns. eae τῷ “πετήλοις σκίλλης. ταῦτά τοι καὶ αἱ λώπεκες ῷ Tas evvas τῶν λύκων ἐμβάλλουσι, καὶ εἰκότως" id ‘ ‘ 3 >A 3 ͵ : i διὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐπιβουλὴν νοοῦσιν ἔχθιστα αὐτοῖς.

e 4 | 37. rs πελαργοὶ λυμαινομένας αὐτῶν τὰ φὰ τὰς νυκτερίδας ἀμύνονται πάνυ σοφῶς" αἱ μὲν γὰρ 1 αἰετοί MSS always. | 2 (δέ) add. Jac. 4 ὧν | εὐημ. καὶ ἀλκ.] σωτηρίαν ἀλκυονίας. Jac: καὶ τετρώρῳ. |

54

ao PLASEA SAUER ang TENSES (ADOW ASSL LS NSTI NLD SESSLER SIE δ REA IDISIEL

ON ANIMALS, I. 35-37

partridge the hairy head of a reed, thrushes a sprig of myrtle. The lark protects itself with dog’s-tooth grass; eagles take the stone which is called after them aétite (eagle-stone). This stone is also said to be good for women in pregnancy, as a preventive of

abortions.

36. The fish known as Torpedo produces the effect The |, implied in its name on whatever it touches and makes it ‘torpid’ or numb. And the Sucking-fish clings to ships, and from its action we give it its name, Ship-holder. |

While the Halcyon is sitting, the sea is still and the The winds are at peace and amity. It lays its eggs about “*°™" mid-winter; nevertheless, the sky is calm and brings | fine weather, and it is at this season of the year that we enjoy ‘ haleyon days.’ 3

If a horse chance to tread on the footprint of a Objects Wolf, it is at once seized with numbness. If you Dea throw the vertebra of a Wolf beneath a four-horse team in motion, it will come to a stand as though frozen, owing to the horses having trodden upon the vertebra. Ifa Lion put his paw upon the leaves of an ilex, he goes numb. <And the same thing happens to) a Wolf, should he even come near the leaves of a squill. And that is why foxes throw these leaves into the dens of Wolves, and with good reason, because their hostility is due to the Wolves’ designs’

upon them.

37, Storks have a very clever device for warding Prophyl- ὦ off the bats that would damage their eggs: one by birds. ne

5. Lacuna: ναρκᾷ πατῶν δὲ MSS, <vapka> Jac, ζὁμοίως» Η.

58

ον hon bt ean heen

FS he CSA ΤΑ LSS PLAS LD EEE LONE OL NG et LA A GE BASAL LE LE EES DEES SS weseeaeaeni ENA ELASELA LUO STED SITET SEIS ED ASIDES IIE EOE TUM EVE SEALS ETI EEE SOLO LILES

| AELIAN

? , > A \ προσαψάμεναι μόνον ἀνεμιαῖα ἐργάξονται καὶ ἄγονα αὐτά. οὐκοῦν τὸ ἐπὶ τού ἕρμακον

y . οὐκοῦν τὸ ἐπὶ τούτοις φάρμακον

3 a + > ἐκεῖνό ἐστι. πλατάνου φύλλα ἐπιφέρουσι ταῖς

mAh δ 4 é @ n~ 5 καλιαῖς" at δὲ νυκτερίδες ὅταν αὐτοῖς γειτνιάσωσι, ᾿ - ᾿ , - , ναρκῶσι καὶ γίνονται λυπεῖν ἀδύνατοι. δῶρον δὲ

“ἢ e , 7 a apa ἡ φύσις Kat ταῖς yeAddow ἔδωκεν οἷον. af

σίλφαι καὶ τούτων τὰ Wa ἀδικοῦσιν. οὐκοῦν af μητέρες σελίνου κόμην προβάλλονται τῶν βρεφῶν, καὶ ἐκείναις τὸ ἐντεῦθεν aBard ἐστι. πολύποσι δὲ εἴ τις ἐπιβάλοι : πήγανον, ἀκίνητοι μένουσιν, ὡς λέγει τις λόγος. ὄφεως δὲ εἰ καθίκοιο καλάμῳ, μετὰ τὴν πρώτην πληγὴν ἀτρεμεῖ. καὶ νάρκῃ ? πεδηθεὶς ἡσυχάζει: εἰ δὲ ἐπαγάγοις 8 δευτέραν ἢ τρίτην, ἀνέρρωσας αὐτόν. καὶ μύραινα δὲ πληγεῖσα νάρθηκι ἐς ἅπαξ ἡσυχάζει: εἰ δὲ πλεονάκις, ἐς θυμὸν ἐξάπτεται. λέγουσι δὲ ἁλιεῖς καὶ πολύποδας

> + Dae “ wf 3 ’ - ἐς τὴν γῆν προϊέναι, ἐλαίας θαλλοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς ἠόνος. ν

’ὔ ὔ 4 > > κειμένου. θηρίων δὲ ἀλεξιφάρμακον ἦν dpa πάν- 7 ἃ 2 ᾿ ; Ἢ των πιμελὴ ἐλέφαντος, ἣν εἴ τις ἐπιχρίσαιτο, καὶ εἰ “~ > 7 γυμνὸς ὁμόσε χωροΐη τοῖς ἀγριωτάτοις, ἀσινὴς ἀπαλλάττεται.

ν᾿ 38. ᾿Ορρωδεῖ ὁ ἐλέφας κεράστην κριὸν καὶ χοί- ρου βοήν. οὕτω ty καὶ “ i ss σὺν οὐ βοήν. οὕτω τοι, φασί, καὶ “Ῥωμαῖοι τοὺς σὺν Πύρρῳ τῷ Ηπειρώτῃ ἐτρέψαντο ἐλέφαντας, καὶ iy vikn ody Tols Ῥωμαίοις λαμπρῶς ἐγένετο. γυναικὸς <de>* ὡραίας τόδε τὸ ζῷον ἡττᾶται καὶ : ἐπιβάλλει. ο 3 τῇ γάρκῃ. ᾿ τ Πρ ἢ ἐπάγοις. ᾿ φδέΣ add. H. - “© Ld (vedere “ odckroach’ ‘in’ 1.159) here “vrobat ἢ Liddy (rende - ere probabl signifies. the dipterous insect Stenopteryx ἡ: “Most 56

ΜΙΝ στο cL RTOS DEEN OB LLL AS EELN LM OOL OLED TI DES TONIEPLAL ALE NAO ALLEN LESLEY τς ΤΣ 2 - ΤΣ ΟΜ TLIO LIN TI LO OLI INR ATTN L SEI IOLT wees

i ἕ 8 ἕ g |

ON ANIMALS, I. 37-38

touch from the bats turns them to wind-eggs and makes them infertile. Accordingly, this is the remedy they use to prevent this happening. They lay the leaves of a plane-tree upon their nests, and. directly the bats come near the storks, they are benumbed and become incapable of doing harm. On: swallows too Nature has bestowed a like gift: cockroaches* injure their eggs. Therefore the mother-birds protect their chicks with celery leaves, and hence the cockroaches cannot reach them. If one throws some rue upon an octopus it remains Effect of immobile—so the story goes. If you touch a snake ἀρότου with a reed, it will after the first stroke remain still, Sete and in the grip of numbness will lie quiet; if how- ever you repeat the stroke a second or a third time, you at once revive its strength. The moray too, if struck once with a fennel wand, lies still the first time; but if struck several times, its anger is kindled. Fisherfolk assert that even octopuses come ashore if a sprig of olive is laid upon the beach. :

It seems that the fat of an elephant is a remedy Blephant’s against the poisons of all savage creatures, and if a i man rub some on his body, even though he encounter unarmed the very fiercest, he will escape unscathed.

38 (i). The Elephant has a terror of a horned ram The and of the squealing ofapig. It was by these means, oo they say, that the Romans turned to flight the perfumes elephants of Pyrrhus of Epirus, and that the Romans

won a glorious victory. This same animal is over-

of the known Hippoboscidae live on birds and are apparently specially fond of the Swallow tribe. They are all winged.’ D. Sharp, Insects, 519 (Camb. Nat. Hist. 6). a

57

yy e ἣν is ses

DRS TGA SELLS ERTL sig DIGG BTA M IG On AIEEE OTE PGES

AELIAN |

: ᾽ ~ “- παραλύεται τοῦ θυμοῦ ἐκκωφωθὲν 1 ἐς τὸ κάλλος...

καὶ ἀντήρα φασὶν ἐν τῇ Αἰγυπτίᾳ ᾿Αλεξάνδρου πόλει γυναικὸς στεφάνους πλεκούσης ᾿Αριστοφάνει τῷ Βυζαντίῳ ἐλέφας.3 ἀγαπᾷ δὲ 6 αὐτὸς καὶ εὐωδίαν πᾶσαν, καὶ μύρων καὶ ἀνθέων κηλούμενος τῇ ὀσμῇ. , : Οστις βούλεται κλὼψ ἢ λῃστὴς κύνας ἄγαν ἀγριωτάτους κατασιγάσαι καὶ θεῖναι φυγάδας, ἐκ πυρᾶς ἀνθρώπου δαλὸν λαβὼν ὁμόσε αὐτοῖς χωρεῖ, φασίν. οἱ δὲ ὀρρωδοῦσιν. ἀκήκοα δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖνον τὸν λόγον. λυκοσπάδα οἷν πέξας {τις »5 καὶ ἐριουρ- γήσας καὶ χιτῶνα ἐργασάμενος λυπεῖ τὸν ἠσθημέ- νον" ὀδαξησμὸν γὰρ ἐργάζεται, ὡς λόγος. ἔριν δὲ εἴ τις καὶ στάσιν ἐθέλοι ἐν τῷ συνδείπνῳ ἐργάσασθαι, δηχθέντα ὑπὸ κυνὸς λίθον ἐμβαλὼν τῷ οἴνῳ λυπεῖ τοὺς συμπότας ἐκμαίνων. κανθά- pots δὲ κακόσμοις θηρίοις εἴ τις ἐπιρράνειε 4 μύρου, οἱ δὲ τὴν εὐωδίαν οὐ φέρουσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀποθνήσκουσιν. οὕτω τοί φασι καὶ τοὺς βυρσο- δέψας συντραφέντας ἀέρι κακῷ βδελύττεσθαι μύρον. λέγουσι δὲ Αἰγύπτιοι καὶ τοὺς ὄφεις πάντας ἴβεων πτερὰ δεδιέναι.

“~ \ rg 39. Θηρῶσι τὰς τρυγόνας of ® τούτων ἀκρι-

~ 4 4 4 / ~ ? ᾿βοῦντες τὰ θήρατρα, καὶ μάλιστα τῆς πείρας οὐ

i 4 ~ διαμαρτάνουσι τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον. ἑστήκασιν dp~

: ΘΕ ἐκκωφωθείς. 2 6 ἐλέφας.. Ν kris» add. Η. : 4 ἐπιρράναι,

ε 7 οι καὶ. ©

_ # Aristophanes of Byzantium, 3rd/2nd cent. Β.0., head of the library at Alexandria, famous as grammarian, ireerary nad

58

ON ANIMALS, I. 38-39

come by beauty in a woman and lays aside its tem- per, quite stunned by the lovely sight. And at Alexandria in Egypt, they say, an Elephant was the rival of Aristophanes of Byzantium ὦ for the love of a woman who was engaged in making garlands. The Elephant also loves every kind of fragrance and is fascinated by the scent of perfumes and of flowers.

(ii) If some thief or robber wants to silence dogs How to that are too fierce and to make them run away, he ie takes a brand from a funeral pyre (they say) and goes for them. The dogs are terrified. I have heard too this story: if a man shears a sheep that has been mauled by a wolf, and after working the wool makes himself ἃ tunic, this will irritate him Aidehaey when he puts it on. ‘He is weaving a gnawing itch for himself,’ as the proverb has it.

(iii) If a man wants to bring about a quarrel] and Quarrel at contention at a dinner-party, he will by dropping ΡΝ; into the wine a stone that a dog has bitten, vex his fellow-guests to the point of frenzy.

(iv) If a man sprinkle some perfume upon beetles, Scents which are ill-smelling creatures, they cannot endure eerie the sweet scent, but die. In the same way it is said that tanners, who live all their life in foul air, detest perfumes. And the Egyptians maintain that all

snakes dread the feathers of the ibis. .

39. Those who have a thorough understanding of The Sting- the matter hunt Sting-rays,’ and it is chiefly in this ΤΕΥ

way that their efforts are successful. They take their

textual critic, especially in the field of Greek poetry. Wrote an epitome of natural history based upon Aristotle; it in-

cluded ‘ paradoxa.’ ὃ Cp. 17. 18; τρυγών must here stand for τ. θαλαττία.

59

AELIAN. —

, " Ἢ ᾿ ~ χούμενοι Kat ἄδοντες εὖ μάλα μουσικῶς: αἱ δὲ

καὶ τῇ ἀκοῇ θέλγονται καὶ τῇ ὄψει τῆς ὀρχήσεως κηλοῦνται καὶ προσίασιν ἐγγυτέρω. οἱ δὲ ὑπανα- χωροῦσιν ἡσυχῆ καὶ βάδην, ἔνθα δήπου καὶ ὃ δόλος ταῖς δειλαίαις πρόκειται, δίκτυα ἐκπεπτα- μένα 1- εἶτα ἐμπίπτουσιν ἐς αὐτὰ καὶ ἁλίσκονται, ὀρχήσει καὶ δῇ ἡρημέναι πρῶτον.

; 40. “Opxuvos ὄνομα κητώδης ἰχθὺς οὐκ ἄσοφος ἐς τὰ αὑτοῦ λυσιτελέστατα, δῶρον λαχὼν φύσει τοῦτο, οὐ τέχνῃ. ὅτὰν γοῦν περιπαρῇ τῷ ayKio~ Tew, καταδύει αὑτὸν és βυθὸν καὶ ὠθεῖ. καὶ προσαράττει τῷ δαπέδῳ καὶ κρούει τὸ στόμα, ἐκβαλεῖν τὸ ἄγκιστρον ἐθέλων: εἰ δὲ ἀδύνατον τοῦτο εἴη," εὐρύνει 8 τὸ τραῦμα, καὶ ἐκπτύεται τὸ

λυποῦν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐξάλλεται. πολλάκις δὲ οὐκ᾿

3 “~ / Δ ¢ ETUXE τῆς πείρας, Kat ὃ θηρατὴς ἄκοντα ἀνασπάσας

ἔχει τὴν ἄγραν.

41. Δειλότατος ἰχθύων ὃ μελάνουρος, καὶ ἔχει

ON ANIMALS, I. 39-41

_stand and dance and sing very sweetly. And the

Sting-rays are soothed by the sound and are charmed © by the dancing and draw nearer, while the men with- draw gently step by step to the spot where of course the snare is set for the wretched creatures, namely nets spread out. Then the Sting-rays fall into them and are caught, betrayed in the first instance by the dancing and singing.

40. The Great Tunny, as it is called, is a monstrous The Great fish and knows well what is best for it. This gift it ame

has acquired by nature and not by art. For instance, when the hook has pierced it, it dives to the bottom

and thrusts and dashes itself against the ground,

striking its mouth in its effort to eject the hook. If that fails, it widens the wound and disgorges the instrument of pain and dashes away. Frequently however it fails in the attempt, and the fisherman draws up the reluctant creature and secures his catch.

41. The Melanurus is the most timid of fishes, and The

* Melanurus’?

τῆς δειλίας μάρτυρας τοὺς ἁλιεῖς. οὔτε γοῦν to its timidity fishermen bear witness, for it is not (black-tail)

a 7 a. ᾿ αν κύρτῳ λαμβάνονται οὗτοι, οὔτε προσίασιν αὐτῷ"

σαγήνη δὲ εἴ ποτε αὐτοὺς περιλάβοι,,2 of δὲ ἀγνοοῦντες ἑαλώκασι. καὶ ὅταν μὲν ἢ ὑπεύδια καὶ λεία ἡ θάλαττα, οἱ δὲ ἄρα κάτω που πρὸς ταῖς πέτραις ἢ τοῖς φυκίοις ἡσυχάζουσι, καὶ προβάλ- Aovrat πᾶν 6 τι δύνανται, τὸ σῶμα ἀφανίζοντες. ἐὰν δὲ ἢ χειμέρια, τοὺς ἄλλους δρῶντες καταδύν- τας. ἐκ τῆς τῶν κυμάτων προσβολῆς ἐς τὸν βυθόν, 2 Schn: ἧ.

4 περιβάλοι.

ἕ bi 1 ἐκπεπετασμένα. 3 εὐρύνει οὖν.

60

LULONEESAES LI AMO SEE EEE ELL ESEDE STEELS TOOSL EPP ELL EEL PT AIELLO LPT LEELA SELEY

caught in weels nor does it go near them; but if by chance a dragnet encircles it, then it is caught without knowing it. And whenever the sea is fairly calm and smooth, these fish lie quiet down below upon the rocks or among the seaweed and cover themselves as best they can, trying to conceal their bodies. But if the weather is stormy, observing other fish diving to the depths out of the buffeting waves, they take courage and approach the shore,

61

AELIAN

ot δὲ ἀναθαρροῦσι,ἷ Kal τῇ γῇ προσπελάζουσι, καὶ ταῖς πέτραις προσνέουσι, καὶ ἡγοῦνταί σῴισι πρόβλημα ἱκανὸν εἶναι τὸν ὑπερνηχόμενον ἀφρὸν καλύπτοντά τε αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπηλυγάζοντα. συνιᾶσι δὲ εὖ μάλα ἀπορρήτως ὅτι τοῖς ἁλιεῦσιν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τοίᾳ ἢ νυκτὶ ἐς τὴν θάλαττάν ἐστιν ἄβατα, ἀγριαι- νούσης τῆς θαλάττης (καὶ " τῶν κυμάτων αἰρο- μένων μετεώρων τε καὶ φοβερῶν. ἔχουσι δὲ καὶ τροφὴν ἐν χειμῶνι, τοῦ κλύδωνος τὰ μὲν ἀ ἀποσπῶν- τος ἐκ τῶν πετρῶν, τὰ δὲ ἐ ἐπισύροντος ἐκ τῆς γῆς" σιτοῦνται δὲ μελάνουροι τὰ ῥυπαρώτερα καὶ ὅσα οὐκ ἂν ῥᾳδίως ἰχθὺς ἄλλος ἂν πάσαιτο, εἰ μὴ πάνυ

λιμῷ πιέζοιτο. ἐν γαλήνῃ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ἄμμου

, : 7 3 “a μόνης σαλεύουσι,3 καὶ ἐκεῖθεν βόσκονται. ὅπως δὲ ξ a ἁλίσκονται, ἐρεῖ ἄλλος.

42. "Aeros δὲ ὀρνίθων ὀξυωπέστατος. καὶ “Ὅμη- ρος αὐτῷ σύνοιδε καὶ τοῦτο, καὶ μαρτυρεῖ ἐν τῇ “Πατροκλείᾳ, εἰκάζων τὸν Μενέλεων τῷ ὄρνιθι, ὅτε ἀνεζήτει ᾿Αντίλοχον, ἵνα ἄγγελον ἀποστείλῃ τῷ ᾿Αχιλλεῖ, πικρὸν μέν, ἀναγκαῖον δέ, ὑπὲρ τοῦ πάθους τοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἑταῖρον αὐτοῦ, ὃν ἐξέπεμψε μέν, οὐχ ὑπεδέξατο δέ, καΐτοι ποθῶν ἐκεῖνος τοῦτο. λέγεται δὲ μὴ ἑαυτῷ μόνῳ χρήσιμος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνθρώπων ὀφθαλμοῖς ὃ ἀετὸς ἀγαθὸς 4 εἶναι. εἰ γοῦν μέλιτί τις ᾿Αττικῷ τὴν χολὴν αὐτοῦ διαλαβὼν ὅ ὑπαλείψαιτο δ ἀμβλυνόμενος, ὄψεται καὶ ὀξυτάτους γοῦν ἰδεῖν ἕξει τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς.

1 ἀναθαρσοῦοσι. 8 Jac: ἁλιεύουσι.

5 dvadaBay? H.

2 <xati> add. Reiske. 4 Schn: ἀγαθόν. 8 ὑπαλείφοιτο.

62

SOME ALASSSVIPIIESS ON EER ESON GIR CLUS E ΛΜΝ

ΜΉ σοτεοεουυοεουἔοὁσἘιο ρρωεἔερἔΕέμ δα

ON ANIMALS, I. 41-42

swim close to the rocks, and fancy that the foam floating overhead is sufficient protection while it conceals and overshadows them. And they know in some quite inexplicable way that for fishermen the

sea is unnavigable on such a day or such a night, as

it rages with the waves mounting to a terrifying height. It is in stormy weather that they gather their food, when the swell drags some off the rocks and sucks some from the shore. The Melanuruses feed off the foulest matter, such stuff as no other fish would readily take, unless it were utterly over- come by hunger. But in calm weather they have only the sand to ride on, and from there they get their food. But how they are captured another shall tell.

42. Among birds the Eagle has the keenest sight. And Homer is aware of this and testifies to the fact in the story of Patroclus when he compares Menelaus to the bird [1]. 17. 674-], at the time when he was searching for Antilochus, that he might despatch him to Achilles as a messenger, unwelcome indeed but necessary, to announce the fate that had be- fallen his comrade, whom Achilles had sent out <to battle) but never welcomed home again for all his yearning. And the Eagle is said to serve not him- self alone but to be good for men’s eyes as well. At any rate, if a man whose sight is dim mix an Eagle's gall with Attic honey and rub it <on his eyes), he will see and will acquire sight of extreme keenness.

63

The Eagle, its keen

sight

AELIAN

43. ᾿Αηδὼν ὀρνίθων λιγυρωτάτη τε καὶ εὐμου- σοτάτη, καὶ κατάδει τῶν ἐρημαίων χωρίων εὐστομώτατα ὀρνίθων καὶ τορώτατα. λέγουσι δὲ καὶ τὰ κρέα αὐτῆς ἐς ἀγρυπνίαν λυσιτελεῖν.

πονηροὶ μὲν οὖν οἱ τοιαύτης τροφῆς δαιτυμόνες

καὶ ἀμαθεῖς δεινῶς" πονηρὸν δὲ τὸ ἐκ τῆς τροφῆς δῶρον, φυγὴ ὕπνου, τοῦ καὶ θεῶν καὶ ἀνθρώπων

βασιλέως, ὡς Ὅμηρος λέγει.

44. Τῶν γεράνων at κλαγγαὶ καλοῦσιν ὄμβρους, ὥς φασιν" ὁ δὲ ἐγκέφαλος γυναικῶν ἐς Χάριν ἀφροδίσιον * ἔχει τινὰς ἴυγγας, εἴ tw? ἱκανοὶ τεκμηριῶσαι οἱ πρῶτοι φυλάξαντες ταῦτα."

45. Γυπῶν πτερὰ εἰ θυμιάσειέ > τις, ὡς ἀκούω,

\ 3 ~ 4 3 κ] “- Α 2, 7 καὶ ἐκ φωλεῶν καὶ ἐξ εἰλυῶν τοὺς ὄφεις προάξει ῥᾷστα.

Τὸ ζῷον ὁ ὁ δρυοκολάπτης ἐξ οὗ dpa? καὶ

κέκληται. ἔχει μὲν γὰρ ῥάμφος ἐπίκυρτον, κολά- πτει δὲ ἄρα τούτῳ τὰς ρῦς, καὶ ἐνταυθοῖ ὃ ὡς ἐς καλιὰν τοὺς νεοττοὺς ἐντίθησιν, οὐ δεηθεὶς καρφῶν καὶ τῆς ἐξ αὐτῶν πλοκῆς καὶ οἰκοδομίας οὐδὲ ἕν. οὐκοῦν εἴ τις λίθον ἐνθεὶς ἐπιφράξειε τῷ ὀρνέῳ τῷ προειρημένῳ τὴν ἔσδυσιν, ὁ ὁ δὲ συμβαλὼν τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν ᾿ κομίζει πόαν ἐχθρὰν τῷ λίθῳ καὶ κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ τίθησιν" ὁ δὲ οἷα βαρούμενος καὶ

5

μὴ φέρων ἐξάλλεται, καὶ ἀνέῳγεν αὖθις τῷ προει-

ρημένῳ ἡ φίλη ὑποδρομή.

a εὐνουστάτη. 2 ἀφροδισίαν. 3 σπου. 4 αὐτά. δ θυμιάσαι.

ὃ χὸ ζῷον] ζῷον δέ. Ἰ Jac: ἄρα.

8 ὀργταυθοῖ κοιλάνας τὸν τόπον.

“a

64

ON ANIMALS, I. 43-45

43. Among birds the Nightingale has the clearest The ρας

and most musical voice, and fills solitary places with oe its most lovely and thrilling note. Further, they say that its flesh is good for keeping one awake. But people who feast upon such food are evil and dreadfully foolish. And it is an evil attribute of food that it drives sleep away—sleep, the king of gods and men, as Homer says [ZI. 14. 233].

44, The screaming of Cranes brings on showers, so The Crane they say, while their brain possesses some kind of spell that leads women to grant sexual favours—if those who first observed the fact are sufficient guarantee. ᾿

45. If a man burn the feathers of a Vulture (so I Vulture’s am told), he will have no difficulty in inducing snakes mere to quit their dens and lurking-places.

The bird ‘ Woodpecker ’ derives its name from what The ΤῸ it does. For it has a curved beak with which it pecks : oak-trees, and deposits its young in them as in a nest; and it has no need at all of dry twigs woven together or of any building. Now if one inserts a stone and blocks up the entrance for the aforesaid bird, it guesses that there is a plot afoot, fetches some herb that is obnoxious to the stone, and places it against the stone. The latter in disgust and un- able to endure <the smell> springs out, and once again the bird’s caverned home lies open to it.

9 2 5 λὴ 4] 3 > ” ἐπιβουλὴν τὴν κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ.

65

VOL. 1. ' D

AELIAN | 7 | ON ANIMALS, I. 46-47

46. The Four-toothed Sparus is not solitary nor The Four- toothed

; ς / b) 24 , \ 46. Οἱ συνόδοντες οὐκ εἰσὶ μονίαι, οὐδὲ τὴν ἀπ’ does it endure loneliness and separation from its βρατὺβ

ἀλλήλων ἐρημίαν τε καὶ διαίρεσιν ἀνέχονται. φιλοῦσι δὲ. συναγελάζεσθαι καθ᾽ ἡλικίαν. καὶ οἱ μὲν νεώτεροι κατὰ ἴλας νήχονται, οἱ δὲ ἐντελέστε- pot πάλιν κοινῇ" καὶ τὸ τοῦ λόγου τοῦτο HAE ἥλικα καὶ ἐκεῖνοι τέρπουσι, παρόντες παροῦσιν ὡς ἑταίροις καὶ φίλοις ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων. τε καὶ διατριβῶν. τεχνάζονται δὲ πρὸς τοὺς θηρατὰς ὁποῖα. ὅταν ἁλιεὺς ἀνὴρ τὸ ἐς αὐτοὺς - δέλεαρ καθῇ, περιελθόντες πάντες καὶ κυκλόσε | γενόμενοι ἐς ἀλλήλους ὁρῶσιν, οἱονεὶ σύνθημα ἕκα: στος ἑκάστῳ διδόντες μῆτε πλησιάσαι μήτε ἅψασθαι τοῦ καθειμένου δελεάσματος. καὶ οἱ μὲν παρατε- ταγμένοι ἐς τοῦτο ἀτρεμοῦσιν' ἐκ δὲ 1 ἀλλοτρίας ἀγέλης συνόδων ἀφίκετο, καὶ καταπίνει τὸ ἄγκιστ- ρον, ἐρημίας λαβὼν “ μισθὸν τὴν ἅλωσιν. καὶ ὃ “μὲν ἀνασπᾶται, οἱ δὲ ἤδη θαρροῦσιν ὡς οὐχ ἁλωσόμενοι, καὶ καταφρονήσαντες οὕτω θηρῶνται.

εἰ Φρύγεται διὰ τοῦ θέρους ὁ κόραξ τῷ δίψει κολαζόμενος, καὶ βοᾷ τὴν. τιμωρίαν " μενος, καὶ βοᾷ τὴν τιμωρίαν μαρτυρόμενος,

[2 4 \ ὥς φασι. Kat τὴν αἰτίαν λέγουσιν ἐκείνην. 6

᾿Απόλλων αὐτὸν θεράποντα ὄντα ὑδρευσόμενον ἀποπέμπει" ὁ δὲ ἐντυγχάνει Aniw βαθεῖ μέν, ἔτι δὲ χλωρῷ, καὶ μένει ἔστ᾽ ἂν αὖον γένηται, τῶν πυρῶν παραχναῦσαι βουλόμενος, καὶ τοῦ προστάγ- ματος. ὠλιγώρησε. καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐν τῇ μάλιστα .αὐχμηροτάτῃ ὥρᾳ διψῶν δίκας ἐκτίνει. τ ἔοικε. μύθῳ μέν, εἰρήσθῳ δ᾽ οὖν τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ αἰδοῖ.

1 δὲ τῆς. - 2 λαχών. 66

kind. These fish love to congregate together

‘according to their age: the younger ones swim

about in shoals, the maturer ones also keep together. And as the saying is true ‘ A friend must be of one’s own age,’* so these creatures delight to be where others of their kind are, like comrades and friends sharing the same pursuits and resorts. And these

are the means they devise for evading their pursuers.

Whenever an angler drops a bait for them they all gather round and forming a ring look at one another as though each were signalling to each not to

approach and not to touch the bait that has been

lowered. And those that have been posted for this purpose remain still. But a Sparus from some other, strange shoal arrives and swallows the bait, and gets the reward of its'solitariness by being caught. So while he is being drawn up, the rest grow bolder as though they were not going to be taken, and so through their scorn (of danger are caught.

47, All through the summer the Raven is afflicted The Raven, ’ tts thirst

with a parching thirst, and with his croaking (so they say) declares his punishment. And the reason they give is this. Being a servant he was sent out by Apollo to draw water. He came to a field of corn, tall but still green, and waited till it should ripen, as he wanted to nibble the wheat: to his master’s orders he paid no heed. On that account in the driest season of the year he is punished with thirst. This looks like a fable, but-let me repeat it. out of reverence for the god.

α The full phrase is PAE ἥλικα τέρπει, cp. Pl. Phaedr. 240 o.

AELIAN

48. .Ὃ κόραξ, ὄρνιν αὐτόν φασιν ἱερόν, καὶ

᾿Απόλλωνος ἀκόλουθον εἶναι λέγουσι. ταῦτά τοι καὶ μαντικοῖς συμβόλοις ἀγαθὸν ὁμολογοῦσι τὸν αὐτόν, καὶ ὀττεύονταΐ γε πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου βοὴν οἱ συνιέντες ὀρνίθων καὶ ἕδρας καὶ κλαγγὰς καὶ πτήσεις αὐτῶν ἢ κατὰ λαιὰν χεῖρα ἢ κατὰ δεξιάν.

“Προσακούω δὲ καὶ φὰ κόρακος μελαίνειν τρίχας. καὶ χρὴ τὸν δολοῦντα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κόμην ἔλαιον ἐν τῷ στόματι ἔχειν συμμύσαντα" εἰ δὲ μή, καὶ of ὀδόντες αὐτῷ σὺν τῇ τριχὶ μελαίνονται δυσέκπλυτοί τε καὶ δυσέκνιπτοι.

49. ᾽Ο μέροψ τὸ ὄρνεον ἔμπαλίν φασι τοῖς ἄλ- ols ἅπασι πέτεται: τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐς τοὔμπροσθεν ἵεται καὶ κατ᾽ ὀφθαλμούς, 6 δὲ ἐς τοὐπίσω. καὶ ἔπεισί μοι θαυμάζειν τὴν φύσιν τῆς ἐπισήμου καὶ παραδόξου καὶ ἀήθους φορᾶς, ἣν ἐκεῖνο ᾷττει 1 τὸ ζῷον. | ;

50. Ἣ μύραινα ὅταν ὁρμῆς ἀφροδισίου. ὑποπλη- off, πρόεισιν ἐς τὴν γῆν, καὶ ὁμιλίαν ποθεῖ νυμφίου καὶ μάλα πονηροῦ: πάρεισι γὰρ εἰς ἔχεως φωλεόν, καὶ ἄμφω συμπλέκονται. ἤδη δέ φασι καὶ 6 ἔχις οἰστρήσας καὶ ἐκεῖνος ἐς μίξιν ἀφικνεῖται πρὸς τὴν θάλατταν, καὶ οἷον εἰ κωμαστὴς σὺν τῷ αὐλῷ θυροκοπεῖ, οὕτω τοι καὶ ἐκεῖνος συρίσας τὴν ἐρωμένην παρακαλεῖ, καὶ αὐτὴ πρόεισι,3 τῆς φύσεως τὰ ἀλλήλων διῳκισμένα συναγούσης ἐς ἐπιθυμίαν τὴν ὁμοίαν καὶ κοῖτον τὸν αὐτόν.

1 ἄγει. 2 Ges: πρόσ-.

68

ON ANIMALS, I. 48-50

48. The Raven, they say, is a sacred bird and The Raven, attends upon Apollo: that is why men agree that nation it is also of use in divination, and those who under- stand the positions of birds, their cries, and their flight whether on the left or on the right hand, are able to divine by its croaking.

I am also informed that Raven’s eggs turn the its gees - hair black. And it is essential for anyone who is dyeing his hair to keep olive oil in his mouth and his lips closed. Otherwise his teeth also turn black along with his hair, and they are hardly to be washed

white again.

49. The Bee-eater flies (so they say) in precisely The Bee- the opposite way to all other birds, for they move “"*

forward in the direction in which they look, while the

Bee-eater flies backwards. And I am astonished at the remarkable, incredible, and uncommon character of the motion with which this creature wings its way.

50. Whenever the Moray is filled with amorous Moray and impulses it comes out of the sea on to land seeking ᾿ eagerly for a mate, and a very evil mate. For it goes to a Viper’s den and the pair embrace. And they do say that the male Viper also in its frenzied desire for copulation goes down to the sea, and just as a reveller with his flute knocks at the door, so the Viper also with his hissing summons his loved one, andshe emerges. Thus does Nature bring those that. dwell far apart together in a mutual desire and to a common bed. |

69

i : | | ; ' | | | | i

_AELIAN

τας eee «Ὁ: 5 5 Ἐπὴν OL, Ῥάχις ἀνθρώπου νεκροῦ φασιν ὑποσηπόμε-

vov τὸν μυελὸν ἤδη τρέπει ἐς ὄφιν: καὶ ἐκπίπτει τὸ θηρίον, καὶ ἕρπει τὸ ' ἀγριώτατον ἐκ τοῦ ἡμερωτά- του" καὶ τῶν μὲν καλῶν καὶ ἀγαθῶν τὰ λείψανα ἀναπαύεται, καὶ ἔχει ἄθλον ἡσυχίαν, ὥσπερ οὖν

A € Ἁ ~ f ; καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ τῶν τοιούτων τὰ ἀδόμενά τε καὶ

ξ f 3 »" ΄ ἴων A 9 7 ὑμνούμενα ἐκ τῶν σοφῶν: πονηρῶν δὲ ἀνθρώπων ~ ,ὔ i ῥάχεις τοιαῦτα τίκτουσι καὶ μετὰ τὸν βίον. ἢ 7 \ ~ 506 3 y > a 3 > ~ τοίνυν τὸ πᾶν pods ἐστιν, ἤ, εἰ ταῦτ᾽ ἀψευδῶς 5 ’ ~ πεπίστευται, πονηροῦ νεκρός, ws κρίνειν ἐμέ, f λ “- ὄφεως γενέσθαι πατὴρ τοῦ τρόπου μισθὸν ἠνέγκατο.

52. Χελιδὼν δὲ ἄρα τῆς ὥρας τῆς ἀρίστης ὑποσημαίνει τὴν ἐπιδημίαν. καὶ ἔστι φιλάνθρωπος, - καὶ χαίρει τῷδε τῷ ζῴῳ ὁμωρόφιος οὖσα, καὶ ἄκλητος ἀφικνεῖται, καὶ ὅτε οἱ φίλον καὶ ἔχει καλῶς, ἀπαλλάττεται. καὶ οἵ γε ἄνθρωποι ὑποδέ- χονται αὐτὴν κατὰ τὸν τῆς “Ομηρικῆς ξενίας θεσμόν, ὃς κελεύει καὶ φιλεῖν τὸν ὃ παρόντα καὶ ἰέναι βουλόμενον ἀποπέμπειν. |

” 53. ἔχει σι πλεονέκτημα ἡ αἷξ τὴν τοῦ πνεύ- ξ ¢ ¢ : : ματος ἐσροήν, ws ob νομευτικοὶ λόγοι ὁ φασίν.

9 mm ‘ A A ~ ἀναπνεῖ yap καὶ διὰ τῶν ὦτων καὶ διὰ τῶν.

το 1 2 , ᾿ ~

μυκτήρων, καὶ αἰσθητικώτατον τῶν διχήλων ἐστί. 3 n Kal τὴν μὲν αἰτίαν εἰπεῖν οὐκ οἶδα, ὃ δὲ οἷδα “-Ἠ .3 \ / ᾿ τοῦτο εἶπον. εἰ δὲ ποίημα Προμηθέως καὶ αἴξ, τί lon Ὁ. 7 Σ

βουλόμενος τοῦτο εἰργάσατο, εἰδέναι καταλιμπάνω αὐτὸν. cn |

1 ζῷον τό.

: ταῦτα οὑτωσί MSS, τ. ὀρθῶς Ces.

ξένον Η (1876). _ 4 λόγοι καὶ ποιμενικοί.

70

a ὶ

pees Prenat ALENT ITTET NESTS EASES ALAE DEN tte νυν στ συ σσσσσσσσσσσασσναμυμαλμένην

ON ANIMALS, 1. 51-53

51. The spine of a dead man; they say, transforms Snakes, how the putrefying marrow into a snake. The brute πα emerges, and from the gentlest of beings crawls forth the fiercest. Now the remains of those that were fine and noble are at rest and their reward is peace, even as the soul also of such men has the rewards which wise men celebrate in their songs. But it is from the spine of evildoers that such evil monsters are begotten even after life. The fact is, the whole story is either a fable, or if it is to be relied upon as true, then the corpse of a wicked man receives (so 1 think) the reward of his ways in becoming the progenitor of a snake. - 3

59. A Swallow is a sign that the best season of the The ον year is at hand. And it is friendly to man and takes pleasure in sharing the same roof with this being.

It comes uninvited, and when it pleases and sees fit, it departs. Men welcome it in accordance with the law of hospitality laid down by Homer {Od. 15. 72-4], who bids us cherish a guest while he is with us and speed him on his way when he wishes to

leave.

53. The Goat has:a certain advantage <over other The Goat, animals) in the manner of taking breath, as the narratives of shepherds tell us, for it inhales through its ears as well as through its nostrils, and has a sharper perception. than any other cloven-hoofed animal. The cause of this I am unable to tell; I have only told what 1 know. But if the Goat also was a creation of Prometheus, what the intention of this contrivance was, I leave him to determine. 7

71

its breathing

ΠΝ ELLE LESS

AELIAN

_ 54. Kai ἔχεως δῆγμα καὶ ὄφεως ἄλλον φασὶν ἀντιπάλων μὴ διαμαρτάνειν φαρμάκων. καὶ τὰ μὲν αὐτῶν ἀκούω πώματα * εἶναι, τὰ δὲ χρίματα 3. καὶ ἐπαοιδαὶ δὲ ἐπράυναν τὸν ὃ ἐγχρισθέντα ἰόν. ἀσπίδος δὲ ἀκούω. μόνης α δῆγμα ἀνίατον εἶναι καὶ ἷ : J αι καὶ ἐπικουρίας κρεῖττον. καὶ μισεῖν ἄξιον τὸ ζῷον τῆς εὐκληρίας τῆς ἐς τὸ κακόν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτου Kis,

, Olav ἀκούομεν Καὶ TIV θείαν Kat

ΤΡ

7 3 Ἀ \ Ἁ “- Sani πο μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀσπίδων φάρμακα ‘ 4 ji nypatos ὅ ἔργα ἐστί, τὰ δὲ ἐκείνων ἀναιρεῖ ὃ καὶ

> , ~ - ἐκ μόνης τῆς ἁφῆς, φασί.

55. Κυνῶν θαλαττίων τρία γένη. καὶ οἱ μὲν ᾿αὐτῶν εἰ 20 3 ἱ ates σε μεγέθει μέγιστοι, καὶ κητῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀλκιμωτάτοις ἀριθμοῖντο ἄν: γένη δὲ δύο τὰ

- \ 4 ? λοιπά, πηλαῖοι pen Tip φύσιν, προήκουσι δὲ ἐς ᾿

πῆχυν τὸ μέγεθος. καὶ τούτων οἱ μὲν κατεστιγμέ- νοι καλοῖντο ἂν γαλεοί ͵ Σ ὀνομά

' ο ἂν γαλεοί, κεντρίνας δὲ ὀνομάζων τοὺς λοιποὺς οὐκ ἂν διαμαρτάνοις. οἱ μὲν οὖν

‘ A f- > ποικίλοι καὶ τὴν δοράν εἰσι μαλακώτεροι καὶ τὴν ¢ ee πλατύτεροι" ot δὲ ἕτεροι σκληροὶ ὃ τὴν Α 4 δορὰν ὄντες τὴν κεφαλὴν δὲ ἀνήκουσαν ἐς ὀξὺ A ἔχοντες τὴν " χρόαν ἐς τὸ λευκὸν ἀποκρίνονται. κέντρα δὲ ἄρα αὐτοῖς συμπέφυκε τὸ μὲν 11 κατὰ ς ba 3} τὴν λοφιάν, ὡς ἂν εἴποις, τὸ δὲ κατὰ τὴν οὐράν' 3 Ἀ é

σκληρὰ δὲ dpa τὰ κέντρα καὶ ἀπειθῆ ἐστι, καὶ ἰοῦ

: πόμ- MSS always. 2 χρίσματα.

τινων. 4 ud

ee μόνον. cha: καὶ δήγματος. 5. ἀναιρεῖν.

vi 4 4 4 4 3 “ μέγεθος καὶ τὸν μὲν αὐτοῖν γαλεὸν τὸν δὲ t ῦ ν δὲ κεντρὶ ΠΡ ΠΑ ρίτην φιλοῦσιν

72

θηρίον μιαρώτερον καὶ ἀφυλακτότερον γυνὴ φαρμα-.

ON ANIMALS, I. 54-55 54. They say that the bite of the Viper and of Bolionous

other snakes is not without countering remedies. - Some, I am told, are to be drunk, others are to be applied; spells too can mitigate poison injected by a sting. But the bite of the Asp @ alone, I am told, cannot be cured and is beyond help. This creature truly deserves to be hated for being blessed with the ower toinjure. Yet a monster more abominable and harder to avoid even than the Asp is a sorceress, such as (we are told) Medea and Circe were, for the poison from Asps is the result of a bite, whereas sorceresses kill by a mere touch, so they say. |

55. There are three kinds of Sea-hound.? The The Shark first is of enormous size and may be reckoned among the most daring of sea monsters.° The others are of two kinds, they live in the mud and reach to a cubit The | in length. Those that are speckled one may call Νὰ galeus (small shark), and the rest, if you call them Spiny Dog-fish you will not go fay wrong. Now the speckled ones have a softer skin and a flatter head, while the others, whose skin is hard and whose head tapers to a point, are distinguished from the rest by the whiteness of their skin. Moreover nature has provided them with spines, one on their crest, so to say, the other in the tail. And these spines are hard and resisting and emit a kind of poison. Of the

'@ The Egyptian cobra, Nata hate. ον The terms θαλάττιος κύων and γαλεός signify both dog-fish | and shark. See Inpex Ii. ¢ 7.6. the shark.

a

® μέντοι ὄντες καί. 11 τὸ μὲν τῆς κεφαλῆς.

73

8 , Η λ f μικροί τε καὶ σκληροὶ. , 10 καὶ τήν.

ey ne

πα re nner YEA I ELL TE LEER SL LEE

$i i ὃς

ἶ ξ ἢ cd

᾿ 2 i 3} ! δεν ᾿

AELIAN ON ANIMALS, I. 55-57 1 ; d ᾿ es ; ἐλ, o fs Se tories τ τὰ πῶ ᾿ small Dog-fish both kinds are caught in the ooze an | es pas arial re φῦλον Ν 1 | pr mud, hae manner of catching them I may as well

lain. By way of bait men let down a white fish at of which ney have cut the backbone. Directly one of the Dog-fish is caught and hooked, all those

37 \ “᾿ ie, , ὁ » 3 “a >? 4 ? ἰλύος καὶ τοῦ πηλοῦ, Kal ἡ ἄγρα, εἰπεῖν αὐτὴν οὐ χεῖρόν ἐστι. δέλεαρ αὐτῶν καθιᾶσιν ἰχθὺν λευκὸν

ἐκτετμημένον τὴν ῥάχιν. ὅταν. τοίνυν εἷς ἁλῷ καὶ that have seen him make ἃ rush for him and pene τῷ ἀγκίστρῳ περιπέσῃ, πάντες ot θεασάμενοι | him as he is drawn upwards, never stopping unt ἐμπηδῶσιν * αὐτῷ καὶ ὃ κάτωθεν ἑλκομένῳ ἕπον- they reach the boat. One might imagine that they ται * καὶ μέχρι τῆς νεὼς οὐκ ἀναστελλόμενοι, ὡς do this out of envy, as though he had pants ers εἰκάσαι ζηλοτυπίᾳ δρᾶν ταῦτα αὐτούς, οἷα ἐκείνου iece of food from somewhere ap or sae ; τι τῶν ἐς τροφὴν ἑαυτῷ μόνῳ ποθὲν ἀποσυλήσαν- And it often happens that some of them a af

leap into the boat and are caught of their own free

Tos’ καὶ ἐς τὴν ναῦν ye αὐτὴν ἐσεπήδησάν τινες will.

? 4 e f δ, πολλάκις, καὶ ἑκόντες ἑάλωσαν.

56. The barb of the Sting-ray nothing can with- ee stand. It wounds and kills instantly, and even those fishermen who have great knowledge of the sea dread its weapon.. For no man can heal the wound, nor will the creature that inflicted it; that was a gift vouchsafed, most probably, to the ashen spear from mount Pelion alone.*

56. Τῆς τρυγόνος τῆς θαλαττίας τὸ κέντρον ἐστὶν ἀπρόσμαχον. ἐκέντησε γὰρ καὶ ἀπέκτεινε οὐ παραχρῆμα, καὶ πεφρίκασιν αὐτῆς τόδε τὸ ὅπλον καὶ οἱ τῶν ἁλιέων δεινοὶ τὰ θαλάττια. οὔτε γὰρ ἄλλος ἰάσεται τὸ τραῦμα οὔτε ἡ τρώσασα' μόνῃ , ς᾽ \ > 7 A , , A yap, ws τὸ εἰκός, TH [1 ηλιώτιδι pedin® τοῦτο ἐδέδοτο. 57. The Cerastes is a small creature; itis a snake, a as and above its brow it has two horns, and these horns are like those of the snail, though unlike the snail 5 they are not soft. Now these snakes are the enemies of all other Libyans, but towards the Psylli, as ey ΤΡ are called, they are gently disposed, for the Psylii Sevill are insensible to their bites and have no difficulty 2 The spear of Achilles was made from an ash-tree on mt

Pelion (Hom. 11. 16. 148). Telephus, wounded by the spear, was afterwards cured by the rust from it.

57 A 4 6 θ 7 ¢ , i Σ᾿, δὲ cid . Λεπτὸν ὃ θηρίον 6 Képdorns. ἔστι δὲ ὄφις, 41 ὁ Α fan f a 4 , καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μετώπου κέρατα ἔχει δύο, καὶ ἔοικε “ “A ? \ τοῖς τοῦ. κοχλίου τὰ κέρατα, οὐ μήν ἐστιν ws 3 [4 t / “ “a ~ ἐκείνων ἁπαλά. οὐκοῦν τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις τῶν vA > é Ld \ “ Λιβύων εἰσὶ πολέμιοι: ἔστι δὲ αὐτοῖς πρὸς τοὺς 7 7 uv _@ > 2} καλουμένους. Ῥύλλους ἔνσπονδα, οἵπερ οὖν οὔτε τ / κ] he ~ αὐτοὶ δακόντων Eematovat,’ καὶ τοὺς τῷ τοιούτῳ

1 ζφῦλον» add. Reiske, {τόν add. Η.

“--οοννν-σσσσο, - πα ΣΝΝΝΝΝ ΣΩ͂Ν μαυτοττολι,5.....ὕ.τὐσλελυειμονγηγφουντιοαι " ΜΝ TTT,

2 συμπηδῶσιν. 3 καί τοι. 8 ἔπονταΐ TEs ee n

- ἐς, J 6 ἦ 7 ἀπαΐουσι τῶν δηγμάτων.

5 Reiske: βολῇ, υ«ἷ. μόνῃ. ᾿ λευκὸν. Ἶ

15. 74 4 | | | |

AELIAN

~ IA ta \ κακῷ περιπεσόντας ἰῶνται ῥᾷστα. καὶ ὃ τρόπος, Ἁ 1 wn LY ~ ~ 3 id f ἐὰν πρὶν ἢ πρησθῆναι τὸ πᾶν σῶμα ἀφίκηταί τις ~ > “- A λ \ 4 > \ iN τῶν ἐκεῖθεν κλητὸς ἢ κατὰ τύχην, εἶτα τὸ μὲν

. ἢ “ὃ > λ 7 ἢ > / δὲ A ~ στόμα ὕδατι ἐκκλύσηται, ἀπονίψῃ de τὰς χεῖρας

¢ ? \ A σι f κω ¢ 7] 9 ἑτέρῳ, καὶ πιεῖν τῷ δηχθέντι δῷ ἑκάτερον, ἀνερ- ρώσθη τε ἐκεῖνος καὶ κακοῦ παντὸς ἐξάντης τὸ 3 Af? 2 - Ἁ , 7 A ς ἐντεῦθέν ἐστι. διαρρεῖ δὲ καὶ λόγος Λιβυκὸς ὃ , 7 3 Α ε σι ᾿" we λέγων, Ῥύλλον ἄνδρα τὴν ἕαυτοῦ γαμετὴν ὑφο- ρᾶσθαι καὶ μισεῖν ὡς μεμοιχευμένην καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὸ ἐξ αὐτῆς βρέφος ὑποπτεύειν ὡς νόθον τε “- 7ὔ n > καὶ τῷ σφετέρῳ γένει κίβδηλον. πεῖραν οὖν “- τ ,ὔ 3 7 > / 7 καθεῖναι καὶ μάλα ἐλεγκτικήν φασιν αὐτόν. λάρ- λ ,ὔ : ~ 3 LAA 2 4 7 vaka πληρώσας κεραστῶν ἐμβάλλει 3' τὸ βρέφος, οἱονεὶ πυρὶ τὸν χρυσὸν τεχνίτης τὸ παιδίον ἐξελέγ- χων ἐκεῖνος τῇ ἀποθέσει. καὶ οἱ μὲν παραχρῆμα ἐπανίσταντο καὶ ἠγρίαινον καὶ τὴν συμφυῆ κακίαν ἠπείλουν: ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ παιδίον αὐτῶν προσέψαυσεν, ¢ \ 3 ᾽ὔ i > ΄ὦΟ ¢ f ” > οἱ δὲ ἐμαράνθησαν, Kat ἐντεῦθεν ὁ Λίβυς ἔγνω οὐ / : νόθου ἀλλὰ γόνου γνησίου πατὴρ ὦν. λέγονται δὲ καὶ τῶν ἑτέρων δακετῶν καὶ φαλαγγίων δὲ ἀντίπαλοι τόδε τὸ γένος εἶναι. καὶ ταῦτά γε εἰ ΄. ΓΑ 7 > > / 3 > κε ν΄ 2. A τερατεύονται Λίβυες, οὐκ ἐμέ, ἀλλ᾽ αὑτοὺς ἀπατῶν- τες ἴστωσαν.

58. Μελιττῶν δὲ ἐπίβουλοι καὶ ἐχθροὶ elev ἂν ἐκεῖνοι, οἵ τε αἰγίθαλοι καλούμενοι καὶ τὰ τούτων νεόττια καὶ ob σφῆκες καὶ αἱ χελιδόνες καὶ οἱ » , τ ἐλ , ie Ad 3 1 ς ὄφεις καὶ αἱ φάλαγγες καὶ at Τλύγγαιϊ.ὃ καὶ αἱ

1 ἐπικλύσηται.

2 Ges: καὶ ἐμβάλλει. ;

3 λύγγαι ‘vox nthilt,’ φάλλαιναι (or φρῦναι, cp. Arist. HA 626 ἃ 30) Gow.

76

ON ANIMAIS, I. 57-58

in curing those who have fallen victims to this yenomous creature. Their method is this: if one of that tribe arrive, whether summoned or by chance, before the whole body.is inflamed, and if he then rinse his mouth with water and wash the bitten man s hands and give him the water from both to drink, then the victim recovers and thereafter is free from all infection. And there is a story current among the Libyans that, if one of the Psylli suspects his wife and hates her on the ground that she has committed adultery ; and if moreover he suspects that the child born from her is a bastard and no true member of his tribe, he then puts it to a very severe test: he fills a chest with Cerastae and drops the baby among them, just as a goldsmith places gold in the fire, and puts the infant to the proof by thus exposing him. And immediately the snakes surge up in anger and.

threaten the child with their native poison. But _

directly the infant touches them, they wilt, and then the Libyan knows that he is the father of no bastard but of one sprung of his own race. This tribe is said also to be the enemy of other noxious beasts and of malmignattes.

Well, if the Libyans are here romancing, I would have them know that it is not I but themselves that they are deceiving.

58. The following creatures plot. and make war against Bees: the creatures known as Titmice and their young, also Wasps and Swallows and Snakes and Spiders and [Moths?]. Bees are afraid of these, and

77

Bees and their enemies

AELIAN

μὲν δεδίασι ταῦτα, οἱ δ᾽ οὖν μελιττουργοὶ ἐλαύ- νουσιν αὐτὰ am αὐτῶν ἢ κόνυζαν ἐπιθυμιάσαντες ἢ χλωρὰν ἔτι μήκωνα πρὸ τῶν σίμβλων καταστή- σαντες ἢ καταστρώσαντες. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐχθρά ἐστι τοῖς προειρημένοις, σφηκῶν δὲ ἅλωσις ἐκείνη ἂν εἴη. κύρτον ἀπαρτῆσαι χρὴ πρὸ τῆς σφηκιᾶς καὶ ἐνθεῖναι αὐτῷ λεπτὴν μεμ- pada ἢ μαινίδα ὀλίγην καὶ σὺν τούτοις ἴωπα ἢ χαλκίδα" οἱ δὲ σφῆκες ὑπὸ τῆς ἐμφύτου γαστριμαρ- γίας ἑλκόμενοι, καλοῦντος αὐτοὺς «φτοῦ» 3 δε- λεάσματος, ἐσπίπτουσιν ἀθρόοι, καὶ περιλαβόντος αὐτοὺς τοῦ κύρτου οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς τὴν ὀπίσω οὐκέτι ἐκπτῆναι. καὶ οἱ σαῦροι δὲ ἐπιβουλεύουσι ταῖς μελίτταις καὶ οἱ κροκόδιλοι οἱ χερσαῖοι" ὄλεθρος δὲ καὶ τούτοις ἐπιτετέχνηται ἐκεῖνος. ἄλφιτα γὰρ ἐλλεβόρῳ δεύσαντες ἢ τιθυμάλλου ὁπῷ ὑποχέαντες * ἢ μαλάχης χυλῷ διασπείρουσι πρὸ τῶν σίμβλων τὰ ἄλφιτα: ὅπερ οὖν ὄλεθρον φέρει τοῖς προειρημένοις ἀπογευσαμένοις αὐτῶν. ἐμβα- λὼν δὲ ἐς τὴν λίμνην φλόμου φύλλα ἢ κάρυα ἀπώλεσε τοὺς yupivous 6 τῶν μελιττῶν δεσπότης ῥᾷστα. αἱ δὲ φάλλαιναι ὅ ἀπόλλυνται νύκτωρ, ἐνακ- palovros® λύχνου τεθέντος πρὸ τῶν σμηνῶν καὶ ἀγγείων ἐλαίου πεπληρωμένων τῷ λύχνῳ ὑποκειμένων" αἱ δὲ πρὸς τὴν αὐγὴν πετόμε- vat ἐμπίπτουσιν ἐς τὸ ἔλαιον καὶ ἀπολώλασιν: ἑτέρως δὲ οὐκ ἂν αἱρεθεῖεν ῥᾷστα. οἱ δὲ αἰγίθαλοι

1 Schn: ἁλώσεις ἐκεῖνα. 2 <rot> add. Jac. ; ? “- ie » Ἢ - ᾿ , ὅ ἐκπτῆναι, καὶ ὕδωρ δ᾽ ἂν αὐτῶν κατασκεδάσας ῥᾷον διαφθείραις ἂν αὐτούς, καὶ πῦρ ἐξάψας καταπρήσαις. ,

* ὑποχέοντες.

78

3

| } + ᾿ { |

sranegret ttre PRAT deh RE POTTTTTTTA Hida FAN ht RN NNR κίεν.

ON ANIMALS, I. 58

so bee-keepers try to drive them away by using flea- bane as a fumigant or by placing or scattering pop- pies still green before the hives. Most of the aforesaid creatures dislike these things, but the way to catch Wasps is as follows. You should hang up a cage in front of the Wasps’ nest and insert a little smelt or a small sprat and with them a minnow or a sardine. And the Wasps, drawn by their natural greed and lured by the bait, fall into the cage in numbers, and once they are trapped, it is no longer possible for them to fly out again. Lizards also have designs upon Bees, so too have Land-crocodiles.¢ But a means

has been devised of destroying them too, thus:

soak some meal in hellebore, or pour upon it the sap of spurge or the juice of mallow and scatter it about in front of the hives. This is death to the aforesaid creatures, once they have tasted of it. If a bee-keeper drop the leaves of mullein or nuts ὃ into a pool, he will find it the simplest way of destroying Tadpoles. But Moths® are destroyed at. night- time by the placing of a strong light in front of the hives and vessels full of oil below the light. And the Moths fly to the brightness and fall into the oil and are killed.. Otherwise they would not be caught so very easily. But-the Titmice, once they have

α ‘The “ crocodile’ is the Psammosaurus griseus, a land lizard, which reaches a size of 3 feet’ (How-Wells on Hdt. 4, 192). . |

ὃ Perhaps some word has been lost indicating what kind of nut is intended.

¢ This may be the Wax-moth, which is found in bees’ nests, its larvae eating the comb; or it may be one of the Hawk- moths (fam. Sphingidae) which enter the nests for honey.

5 Ges: dddayyes Mss, ἢ. 8 ἐναυγάζοντος.

AELIAN

2\ [7 3 , | . ἀλφίτων οἴνῳ διαβραχέντων ἀπογευσάμενοι Kapy-

on “ ? Bapotow, εἶτα πίπτουσι, καὶ κείμενοι σπαίρουσι, καὶ εἰσίν αἱρεθῆναι ἴ γελοῖοι t+ ἀναπτῆναι μὲν σπεύδοντες, ἀρχὴν δὲ a ῆ ὴ Ἵ ἀν δίων ρχὴν δὲ ἀναστῆναι μὴ δυνάμενοι. οἱ δὲ τὴν χελιδόνα αἰδοῖ τῆς μουσικῆς οὐκ ἀποκτεί- zh) νουσι, καίτοι ῥᾳδίως ἂν αὐτὴν " τοῦτο δράσαντες" ? “a ; ἀπόχρη δὲ αὐτοῖς κωλύειν τὴν χελιδόνα πλησίον ~ s “A τῶν σίμβλων καλιὰν ὑποπῆξαι. 7 ἣν cs e ᾿Απεχθάνονται δὲ ἄρα αἱ μέλιτται κακοσμίᾳ πάσῃ καὶ μύρῳ spot y δ ὑπομέ: ῃ καὶ μύρῳ ὁμοίως, οὔτε τὸ δυσῶδες ὑπομέ- νουσαι οὔτε ἀσπαζόμεναι τῆς εὐωδίας τὸ τεθρυμ- , > A μένον, οἷα δήπου κόραι ἀστεῖαί τε καὶ σώφρονες τὸ μὲν βδελυττόμεναι τῆς δὲ ὑπερφρονοῦσαι.

; 59. κῦρος μέν, ὥς φασιν, ὁ πρεσβύτερος μέγα ἐφρόνει ἐπὶ τοῖς βασιλείοις τοῖς ἐν Περσεπόλει, οἷσπερ οὖν αὐτὸς φκοδομήσατο, Δαρεῖος δὲ "πὶ τῇ, κατασκευῇ τῇ τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων τῶν Σου- σείων 4: καὶ γὰρ 5 ἐκεῖνος ἐν Σούσοις τὰ ἀδόμενα ἐκεῖνα εἰργάσατο. Κῦρος δὲ ὁ δεύτερος ἐν Λυδίᾳ παράδεισον αὐτὸς κατεφύτευσε ταῖς χερσὶ ταῖς βασιλικαῖς év® τοῖς ἁβροῖς ἐκείνοις χιτῶσι καὶ τοῖς τερπνοῖς ἐκείνοις καὶ μέγα τιμίοις λίθοις, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ 7 ve ἐκαλλύνετο καὶ πρὸς ἄλλους μὲν τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ἀτὰρ οὖν καὶ πρὸς Λύσανδρον τὸν Λακεδαιμόνιον, ὅτε ἦλθε πρὸς τὸν Κῦρον ὁ Λύσανδρος ἐς τὴν Λυδίαν. καὶ ὑπὲρ μὲν τούτων

1 « “" ε

eis κοῦ Gow, ye οἷοι Jac, ῥᾷδιοι Lorenz.

: Oud: αὐτῇ Mss, H would delete. Περσαιπόλει.

4 Ἠροῖδκα: 7 ὔ ὶ γὰ : et ke: Σούσων. 5 καὶ γὰρ Kat. é our. 7 τούτοις.

80

ON ANIMALS, I. 58-59

tasted the wine-steep

ed meal, become drowsy ; then

they fall over and lie quivering and can readily( ?)

be captured as

they struggle to fly and

quite incapable of standing. But the Swallow

yefrain from killing out of resp though they might easily do so. το hinder the Swallow from attaching it

the hives.

Again, Bees dislike all bad s equally: they cannot endure fo they welcome ἃ luxurious fragrance, refined girls abhor the former while des

latter.

59, The elder Cyrus,? they say, was filled.

pride at the palace in Per

are men

ect for its music; They are content s nest below

mells and perfume ul odours nor do even as modest, pising the

with

had caused to be built; Darius? likewise at the magnificence of his buildings at Susa, for he it was

who contrived those farfamed dwelling-places.

Cyrus the Second ° with his own royal hands and clothed in his habitual delicate garments and adorned with his beautiful jewels of great price, planted his

Gardens in Lydia and pri before all the Greeks and even Spartan, when Lysander came t

‘ded himself on the fact before Lysander the o visit him in Lydia.

α Cyrus I, founder of the Achaemenid Persian empire, 549-29 5.56. City and palace of Persepolis were burned by Alexander the Great.

> Darius, son of Hystaspes, King of Persia, 521-485 B.c., Susa, on the river Choaspes. It was ὃ residence of the Persian kings during the springtime.

¢ Cyrus IT, younger son of Darius LI, ο: 430-401 B.c., Lysander, the Spartan admiral, with sums of money, thereby

reputed founder of

helped

ensuring the final victory of Sparta in the Peloponnesian war.

The ‘ Gardens’ wer

e at Sardes.

SI

Bees, their combs ai

sepolis which he himself hives

sone κι jn ae warenty: Lact ns A REIT! ΤῊΝ psepaccKscat arr ὅν: _ _ -- wns ~ ~~ pas v re ox x ΠΟ ΨΥ SE EPA RES VENEER RRA Sine LL ei PARR OWE: Ἂ

ΑΕΙΙΑΝ.

2 ᾷδουσιν οἱ συγγραφεῖς, αἱ δὲ τῶν μελιττῶν οἰκοδομαὶ σοφώτεραι οὖσαι κατὰ πολὺ καὶ τεχ- νηέστεραι,} ἀλλὰ τούτων γε 3, οὐδὲ ὀλίγην ἔθεντο ὥραν: ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ πολλοὺς ὃ λυπήσαντες εἰργάσαντο ὅσα εἰργάσαντο: οὐδὲν δὲ ἄρα Hy μελιττῶν εὐχαριτώτερον, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ σοφώτερον ἦν. πρώτους μὲν γὰρ ἐργάζονται τοὺς θαλάμους τοὺς τῶν βασιλέων, καὶ εὐρυχωρίαν ἔχουσιν οὗτοί, καὶ εἰσὶν ἀνώτεροι:" ὲ ΐ τούτοις, οἷονεὶ δὲ ΠΡ ν aaa εἰ ; ι ρίβολον, ἀποσε- μνύνουσαι καὶ ἐκ τούτου τὴν οἴκησιν τὴν βασίλειον. διαιροῦσι δὲ αὑτὰς ἐς τρία καὶ οὖν καὶ τὰς οἰκήσεις τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἐς τοσαῦτα... αἱ μὲν γὰρ πρεσβύταται 4 γειτνιῶσι τῇ τῶν βασιλέων αὐλῇ," αἱ δὲ νεώταται 6 μετὰ ταύτας ? οἰκοῦσιν, αἱ δὲ ἐν ἤβῃ καὶ ἀκμῇ οὖσαι ἐξωτέρω ἐκείνων, ὡς εἶναι τὰς μὲν πρεσβυτάτας φρουροὺς τῶν βασιλέων, τὰς δὲ νεάνιδας ἕρκος τῶν νεωτάτων. ᾿

60. Λέγει μέ Syos ἀκέντρους εἶ Λέγει μέν τις λόγος ἀκέντρους εἶναι τοὺς τούτων βασιλέας: λέγει δὲ καὶ ἕτερος καὶ πάνυ 7 raat τὰ κέντρα συμπεφυκέναι αὐτοῖς καὶ τεθηγμένα ἀνδρειότατα: οὔτε δὲ ἐπ᾽ ἀνδρί ποτε χρῆσθαι αὐτοῖς οὔτε ἐπὶ Tal: f Ἰλλὰ ὧν: οἷς οὔτε ἐπὶ ταῖς μελίτταις, ἀλλὰ συμπε- : 2, }: πλάσθαι φόβον ἄλλως" μὴ γὰρ θέμις εἶναι τὸν ἄρχοντα καὶ τῶν τοσούτων ἔφορον κακὸν ἐργά- σασθαι. καὶ τὰ λί δὲ τὰ LS ὁ σθαι. καὶ τὰς μελίττας δὲ τὰς λοιπὰς ὁμολο- 3 ~ γοῦσιν οἱ τούτων ἐπιστήμονες ἐν ὄψει τῶν ἀρχόντων “- : ξ ’ τῶν σφετέρων ὑποκλίνειν τὰ κέντρα, OlovEl τῆς 1 Pauw: τὰς δὲ. τεχνηεστέρας. 2. ὑπὲρ τούτων.

οἱ ὃ 4 i ΕΙΣ . οἰκοδομὰς σοφωτέρας οὖσας. ..

3 πολὺ καὶ πολλούς.

82

ON ANIMALS, I. 59-60

Historians celebrate these constructions, but the dwellings of Bees which are far cleverer and exhibit a greater skill, of these they take not the slightest notice. And yet, while those monarchs, wrought what they wrought through the affliction of multi- tudes, there never was any creature more gracious than the Bee, just as there is none cleverer. The first things that they construct are the chambers of their kings, and they are spacious and above all the rest. Round them they put a barrier, as it were 8 wall or fence, thereby also enhancing the importance of the royal dwelling. And they divide themselves into three grades, and their dwellings accordingly ‘nto the same number. Thus, the eldest dwell nearest the royal palace, and the latest born dwell next to them, while those that are young and in the

rime of life are outside the latter. In this way the eldest are the king’s bodyguard, and the youthful ones are a protection to the latest born.

60. According to one story the King Bees are The th King Bee

stingless; according to another they are born wi stings of great strength and trenchant sharpness ; and yet they never use them against a man nor against bees: the stings are a pretence, an empty scare, for it would be wrong for one who rules and directs such numbers to do an injury. And those who understand their ways bear witness to the fact that the other Bees when in presence of their rulers withdraw their stings, as though shrinking and giving OO π΄’ ---ἷ--------

4 ‘4 4 ¢ A 7 πρεσβύταται καὶ αἱ παλαιόταται. 5 ee ε ᾿ ὃ 2 \ ee 5 αὐλῇ οἱονεὶ δορύφοροι καὶ φρουροὶ οὕτοι. ? a ᾿ . 8 νεώταται καὶ αἱ αὐτοετεῖς. ? ταῦτα.

83

ve Sinise eae

ed BA ED ESRD 8) SALEEM ANAC ELEN AEE HAIN ELI TALUS IRE RAS IRMA NCES rete

eure ant nb Ae bE ESOL EHIME EEE EER EERDEI EILEEN toa ERd SERDAR ἡ στε

AELIAN

> , 5, ? 4 7 δ, ἐξουσίας ἀφισταμένας Καὶ παραχωροῦσάας. εΕεκΚατε- —

3. ν᾿», 3 , {1 OA pov δ᾽ ἄν τις ἐκπλαγείη τὸ τῶν βασιλέων ἐκείνων" 2 4 \ em” ὔ “" ~ εἴτε yap μὴ ἔχουσι πόθεν ἀδικήσουσι, μέγα τοῦτο" i \

3 A 3 a \ ~ “~ εἴτε Kal παρὸν ἀδικῆσαι μὴ ἀδικοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῦτό

΄- “a 7 3 ye PaKp® KPElLTTOV εστίιν.

84.

| | |

ON ANIMALS, I. 60

way before authority. And one might well be astonished at either of the aforesaid characteristics in these King Bees: if they have no means of injuring, this is remarkable; if with all the means of injuring they do no injury, then this is far more to their credit. —

85

a TC RCE A εν οσοννος

ἘΜ SEALE CLEVE MISSA NAS! A AL ALLEL TLD

ΉΤΟ ΘΟΝΝΝΝΝ LAN PEE NE PLE TORN TER O LEN ALES ELT ESTE TELE ELE i Hs em

υϑδάνοτ" τεῦ

Β

1. Ὅταν τὰ ἤθη τὰ τῶν Θρᾳκῶν καὶ τοὺς κρυμοὺς ἀπολείπωσι τοὺς Θρᾳκίους αἱ γέρανοι, ἀθροίζονται μὲν ἐς τὸν Ἕβρον, λίθον δ᾽ ἑκάστη καταπιοῦσα, ὡς ἔχειν καὶ δεῖπνον καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἐμβολὰς τῶν ἀνέμων ἕρμα, πειρῶνται τοῦ μετοι- κισμοῦ καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν Νεῖλον ὁρμῆς, ἀλέας τε καὶ χειμερίου + συντροφίας πόθῳ τῆς ἐκεῖθι. μελ- λουσῶν δὲ αὐτῶν αἴρεσθαι καὶ τοῦ πρόσω ἔχεσθαι, ὁ παλαίτατος γέρανος περιελθὼν τὴν πᾶσαν ἀγέλην ἐς τρίς, εἶτα μέντοι πεσὼν ἀφίησι τὴν ψυχήν. ἐνταῦθα * οὖν οἱ λοιποὶ θάπτουσι μὲν τὸν νεκρόν, φέρονται δὲ εὐθὺ τῆς Αἰγύπτου, τὰ μήκιστα πελάγη περαιούμενοι τῷ ταρσῷ τῶν πτερῶν, καὶ οὔτε ὁρμίζονταί που οὔτε ἀναπαύονται. σπείροντας δὲ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους καταλαμβάνουσι, καὶ τράπεζαν

ς ba} 3} 27 A > ce! > ’ ef? ὡς ἂν εἴποις ἄφθονον τὴν ἐν ταῖς ἀρούραις εὑρόντες

s v ? , εἶτα ἄκλητοι ξενίων μεταλαγχάνουσιν.

2. Τίκτεσθαι μὲν ἐν ὄρεσι ζῷα καὶ ἐν ἀέρι καὶ 3 f “ΨΥ 3 LA v4 s . \ ἐν θαλάττῃ, θαῦμα οὔπω μέγα: ὕλη yap Kal τροφὴ καὶ φύσις ἡ τούτων αἰτία: ἔκγονα δὲ πυρὸς πτηνὰ εἶναι τοὺς καλουμένους πυριγόνους, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ βιοῦν καὶ τεθηλέναι, καὶ δεῦρο καὶ ἐκεῖσε περιποτᾶσθαι, τοῦτο ἐκπληκτικόν. καὶ τὸ ἔτι θαῦμα, ὅταν ἔξω τοῦ πυρὸς τοῦ συντρόφου ἐκνεύ-

τῆς χειμερίου. 2 ἐντεῦθεν.

88

μιννω φυσϑούκῶν: δὲ ARLE Rte eats a ne eee SAN OER ONE την στ λον τὶ κμρκα κα παννι στα αν ΡΒΕΝΕΡΌΘΌΟΝΝ εἶ

BOOK II

‘|. When Cranes are about to leave their Thracian ee nae haunts and the frosts of Thrace, they collect on the of Granes

river Hebrus,* and when each one has swallowed a stone by way of food and as ballast against the on- slaught of winds, they prepare to emigrate and to set out for the Nile, longing for the warmth and for the food that is to be had there during the winter. And just when they are on the point of rising and moving off, the oldest Crane goes round the entire flock thrice and then falls to the ground and breathes his last. So the others bury the dead body on the spot and fly straight to Egypt, traversing the widest seas on outstretched wing, never landing, never pausing to rest. And they fall in with the Egyptians as they are sowing their fields, and in the ploughlands they find, so to speak, a generous table, and though uninvited partake of the Egyptians’ hospitality.

9. That living creatures should be born upon the mountains, in the air, and in the sea, is no great

* Pire-fiies ἢ

marvel, since matter, food, and nature are the cause.

But that there should spring from fire winged crea- tures which men call ‘ Fire-flies,’® and that these should live and flourish in it, flying to and fro about it, is a startling fact. And what is more extra-

ordinary, when these creatures stray outside the

@ Mod. Maritza. > Lit. ‘ fire-born’; these are not what are now called fire- flies,’ and are unknown to modern science.

80 .

AELIAN

\ 35} “~ σωσι Kal ἀέρος ψυχροῦ μεταλάχωσιν,ἷ ἐνταῦθα δὴ ε ς > 7 ᾿ τεθνήκασι. Kat ἥτις ἡ αἰτία τίκτεσθαι μὲν πυρΐ, ἀέρι δὲ ἀπόλλυσθαι, λεγέτωσαν ἄλλοι.

ON ANIMALS, II. 2-4

yange of the heat to which they are accustomed and take in cold air, they at once perish. And why they

should be born in the fire and die in the air others must explain. |

¢ . ἡ“) ee | 3. Of μὲν ὄρνιθες ot ἕτεροι ἀναβαίνονται, ws Ad-

γος, αἱ δὲ 'χελιδόνες οὔ, ἀλλὰ τούτων ye ἐναντία 3, With other birds the hen is mounted by the cock, Swallows

neir

ἡ μίξις ἐστί. καὶ τὸ αἴτιον otdev ἡ φύσις. λέγει δὲ ὁ πλείων λόγος ὅτι πεφρίκασι τὸν Τηρέα καὶ δεδοίκασι μή ποτε ἄρα προσερπύσας λάθρᾳ εἶτα ἐργάσηται τραγῳδίαν καινήν. ἦν δὲ ἄρα καὶ τοῦτο χελιδόνι δῶρον ἐκ τῆς φύσεως, ὥς γε ἐμὲ κρίνειν, Τὸ τιμιώτατον" ᾿πηρωθεῖσα τὴν ὄψιν περόναις. ἐὰν τύχῃ, ὁρᾷ αὖθις. τί οὖν ἔτι τὸν Τειρεσίαν ddoper, καίτοι μὴ ἐνταυθὶ 5 ζμόνον»,} ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἄδου σοφώτατον, ὡς Ὅμηρος λέγει; ὯΝ

, 1: Ζῷα ἐφήμερα οὕτω κέκληται, λαβόντα τὸ ὄνομα ἐκ τοῦ μέτρου τοῦ κατὰ τὸν βίον: τίκτεται 5 ~ 2 ἃ 3 7

γὰρ ἐν τῷ οἴνῳ, καὶ ἀνοιχθέντος τοῦ σκεύους τὰ δὲ ἐξέπτη καὶ εἶδε τὸ φῶς καὶ. τέθνηκεν. οὐκοῦν παρελθεῖν μὲν αὐτοῖς ἐς τὸν βίον ἔδωκεν ἡ φύσις, τῶν δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ κακῶν ἐρρύσατο τὴν ταχί- στην, μήτε τι τῶν ἰδίων συμφορῶν σθημένοις μήτε μὴν Twos τῶν ἀλλοτρίων μάρτυσι γεγενημέ- νοις.

"ἢ é 2 μεταλάβωσιν. 2 ἐνταυθοῖ. 3 <udvov> add. H. 4 σοφώτατον ψυχῶν.

. μὲν yap.

@ 'Tereus Tied Procne and later anes false . oe : retences, her-sister Philomela, ‘To punish him Procne slow there son Itys and then fled with her sister. When pursued by Tereus

96 ᾿

so they say ; not so Swallows: their manner of coupling mating

is the reverse. Nature alone knows the reason for this. But the common explanation is that the hens are afraid of Tereus,* and fear lest one day he steal

secretly upon them and enact a fresh tragedy. Now

in my opinion the most valuable gift that Nature has bestowed upon the Swallow is this, that if it chance to be blinded with a brooch-pin, it regains its sight. Why then do we continue to sing the praises. of Teiresias, even though he was the wisest of men not only on earth but also in Hades, as Homer tells us

(Od. 10. 493]?

4. There are creatures called Ephemera (living only ‘Ephemera’

for ἃ day) ® that take their name from their span of life, for they are generated in wine, and when the

vessel is opened they fly out, see the light, and die.

Thus it is that Nature has permitted them to come to

life, but has rescued them as soon as possible from

life’s evils, so that they are neither aware of their

own misfortune nor are spectators of the misfortune. of others. .

all three were changed into birds, T. into a hoopoe (or hawk), Procne a swallow, Philomela into a nightingale.

> Perhaps the ‘ Vinegar-fly,’ belonging to the genus Droso- phila. ; |

ΟἹ

ἘΠ Ὡς: ἮΝ ᾿ ξ 3 4 : ὶ Ἷ y 8 i i

AELIAN

5. Ἤδη μέντοι τις Kal ἀσπίδος ἐν μακρῷ τῷ χρόνῳ πληγὴν ἰάσατο ἢ τομὴν παραλαβὼν ἢ πῦρ ὑπομείνας εὖ μάλα τλημόνως ἢ ἀναγκαίοις φαρμά- κοις τὸ κακόν, ἵνα μὴ πρόσω ἑρπύσῃ,, στήσας ὁ δείλαιος: σπιθαμὴ δὲ βασιλίσκου τὸ μῆκός ἐστι, καὶ μέντοι καὶ θεασάμενος ὁ τῶν ὄφεων μήκιστος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐς ἀναβολὰς ἀλλὰ ἤδη ἐκ τῆς τοῦ φυσήματος προσβολῆς αὖός ἐστιν. εἰ δὲ ἄνθρωπος κατέχοι ῥάβδον, εἶτα ταύτην ἐκεῖνος ἐνδάκοι, τέθνηκεν 6 κύριος τῆς λύγου.

.6. Τὴν τῶν δελφίνων φιλομουσίαν καὶ τὸ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐρωτικόν, τὸ μὲν ἄδουσι Κορώθιοι,) καὶ ὁμολογοῦσιν αὐτοῖς Λέσβιοι, τὸ δὲ Ἰῆται 4" τὰ μὲν ᾿Αρίονος ° τοῦ Μηθυμναίου ἐκεῖνοι, τά γε μὴν ἐν τῇ Ἴῳ δ ὑπὲρ τοῦ παιδὸς τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ τῆς νήξεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ δελφῖνος οἱ ἕτεροι. λέγει δὲ καὶ Βυζάντιος ἀνήρ, Λεωνίδης ὄνομα, ἰδεῖν αὐτὸς παρὰ τὴν Αἰολίδα πλέων ἐν τῇ καλουμένῃ Ποροσελήνῃ πόλει δελφῖνα ἠθάδα καὶ ἐν λιμένι τῷ ἐκείνων οἰκοῦντα καὶ ὥσπερ. οὖν ἰδιοξένοις χρώμενον τοῖς ἐκεῖθι. καὶ ἐπί γε τούτῳ ὁ αὐτὸς λέγει πρεσβῦτιν 7 τινα καὶ γέροντα δὲ συνοικοῦντα αὐτῇ ἐκθρέψαι τόνδε τὸν τρόφιμον δελέατά 8 οἱ προτείνοντας καὶ μάλα 5 γε ἐφολκά. καὶ μέντοι καὶ ὁμότροφός of ἦν ὁ τῶν πρεσβυτῶν υἱός, καὶ ἐτιθηνοῦντο ἄμφω τὸν δελφῖνα καὶ τὸν παῖδα τὸν

: Jac: προσερπύσῃ. 2 δάκοι.

Η ΟΣ Αἰγύπτιοι. 4 Valesius: Tyirat. ίωνος. 8 jus: Tt ’Ap i Valesius : Tye. Kat πρεσβῦτιν. 8 δέλεάρ τε.

3. ἄλλα.

92

de peemner tet AMEIAMASSET a ωνυνίμα κασττ τ δ

while from the bite of an Asp,? either by summoning

‘And if a man has a stick in his hand and the Basilisk

ON ANIMALS, II. 5-6

5. Men have, it is true, recovered after a long The Asp, 1 }

excision to their aid or with the utmost fortitude enduring cautery, or they have in their plight pre- vented the poison from spreading by taking the necessary medicines.

The Basilisk measures but a span, yet at the sight The α. of it the longest snake not after an interval but on the instant, at the mere impact of its breath, shrivels.

pONPENSH τη,

peed PEAT, eR SS RUSS BEREAN REEL SORGAREIAEEY, os sennssancvnatehd WEARER SSA

“λλύρυεε εν FE tated SLAY I ASFA CAS PEIN TELLS EOLA LSE ITLL EES PTLD EEG TEEN LEE

psi Lib εθλβυγδ,

ipa

αὶ seinen tte tO OCURENERLE ESOS Πόσον

bites it, the owner of the rod dies.

6. The Dolphin’s love of music and its affectionate Dolphin and nature are a constant theme, the former with the ΠΟΥ eae people of Corinth (with whom the Lesbians concur), | the latter with the inhabitants of 105. The Lesbians ἡ | tell the story of Arion of Methymna ; what happened in Ios with the beautiful boy and his swimming and the Dolphin is told by the inhabitants of Ios.

ΠΑ certain Byzantine, Leonidas by name, declares that while sailing past Aeolis he saw with his own eyes at the town called Poroselene ὃ a tame Dolphin which lived in the harbour there and behaved towards the inhabitants as though they were personal friends. And further he declares that an aged couple fed this foster-child, offering it the most alluring baits. What is more, the old couple had a son who was brought up along with the Dolphin, and the pair

@ But see 1. 54. δ᾽ Poroselene, island and town, the largest of the Hecatonnesi

lying between Lesbos and Asia Minor.

93

AELIAN

! ἢ : - , 3 , σφέτερον, Kat πὼς ἐκ τῆς συντροφίας ἐλαθέτην > Ld 3 ? : ἐς ἔρωτα ἀλλήλων ὑπελθόντε 6 τε ἄνθρωπος καὶ

A “~ / “~ : ὃ 4 4 10 ᾽ὔ, Ὁ /... 1 “τὸ ζῷον, καὶ, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ᾳἀδόμενον, ὑπέρσεμνος f

avrépws ἐτιμᾶτο ἐν τοῖς προειρημένοις. ὁ τοίνυν δελφὶς ὡς μὲν πατρίδα ἐφίλει τὴν ἸΠοροσελήνην,3 ὡς δὲ ἴδιον οἶκον ἠγάπα τὸν λιμένα, καὶ δὴ καὶ τὰ τροφεῖα τοῖς θρεψαμένοις ἀπεδίδου. καὶ τοῦτων γε ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ τρόπος. τέλειος ὧν τῆς ἀπὸ χειρὸς τροφῆς ἐδεῖτο ἥκιστα, ἤδη γε μὴν καὶ περαιτέρω προνέων καὶ περινηχόμενος καὶ σκοπῶν ἄγρας ἐναλίους τὰ μὲν ἑαυτῷ δεῖπνον εἶχε, τὰ δὲ τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀπέφερεν: οἱ δὲ ἤδεσαν τοῦτο καὶ

, 4 > £f : 4 3 ~ : : - μέντοι Kal ἀνέμενον τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ φόρον ἀσμένως.

καὶ μία μὲν ἣν nde ἡ πρόσοδος, ἐκείνη δὲ ἄλλη. ὄνομα ὃ τῷ δελφῖνι ὡς τῷ παιδὶ ot θρεψάμενοι ἔθεντο: καὶ 6 παῖς τῇ συντροφίᾳ θαρρῶν, τοῦτο * αὐτὸν ἐπί τινος προβλῆτος στὰς τόπου ἐκάλει, καὶ ἅμα τῇ κλήσει καὶ ἐκολάκευεν". 6 δέ, εἴτε πρὸς εἰρεσίαν ἡμιλλᾶτό τινα, εἴτ᾽ ἐκυβίστα τῶν ἄλλων ὅσοι περὶ τὸν χῶρον ἐπλανῶντο ἀγελαῖοι κατα- σκιρτῶν, εἴτ᾽ ἐθήρα ὃ ἐπειγούσης τῆς γαστρὸς αὐτόν, ἐπανήει καὶ μάλα γε ὦκιστα δίκην ἐλαυνο- μένης νεὼς πολλῷ τῷ ῥοθίῳ, καὶ πλησίον τῶν

~ la By - παιδικῶν γενόμενος συμπαίστης τε ἦν καὶ συνε-

fs 4 ΄᾿ \ aN \ . “᾿ ᾿

σκίρτα, καὶ πῇ μὲν τῷ παιδὶ παρενήχετο, πῇ δὲ ὁ a ‘ ᾿ 7 τ +e

δελφὶς οἷα προκαλούμενος εἶτα μέντοι ἐς τὴν

ῳ \_. \ \ Α “» :

ἅμιλλαν τὴν πρὸς ὃ αὑτὸν τὰ παιδικὰ ὑπῆγε. Kal 1. καὶ μάλα ὑ.

2 προειρημένην.

3. ὄνομα δὲ καί.

+ Schn: τοῦτον. ee ae Ἢ

5 εἴτε ἐς θήραν Kai μάλα ye.’ °° 8 εἰς:

94

aes ᾿ " ; πὰ a acco ae 2 oa μξω ο Pr ; β ah

SEAS ALG SLENTAID EN BETLLSL BRS EE FCPS ALAN SES EDN YE LE

ON ANIMALS, IT. 6

cared for the Dolphin and their own son, and some- how by dint of being brought up together the man-

child and the fish gradually came without knowing it

to love one another, and, as the oft-repeated tag has it, ‘a super-reverent counter-love was cultivated ’ by the aforesaid. So then the Dolphin came to_ love Poroselene as his native country and grew as fond of the harbour as of his own home, and what is more, he repaid those who had cared for him what they had spent on feeding him. And this was how he did it. When fully grown he had no need of being fed from the hand, but would now swim . further out, and as he ranged abroad in his search for some quarry from the sea, would keep some to feed himself, and the rest he would bring to his ‘relations.’ And they were aware of this and were even glad to wait for the tribute which he brought. This then was one gain; another was. as follows. As to the boy so to the Dolphin his foster-parents gave a name, and the boy with the courage born of their common upbringing would stand upon some spot jutting into the sea and call the name, and as he called would use soothing words. Whereat the

‘Dolphin, whether he was racing with some oared

ship, or plunging and leaping in scorn of all other fish that roamed in shoals about the spot, or. was hunting under stress of hunger, would rise to the surface with all speed, like a ship that raises a great wave as it drives onward, and drawing near to

his loved oné would frolic and gambol at his side;

at one moment would swim close by the boy, at another would seem to challenge him and even induce his favourite to race with him. And what was even more astounding, he would at times even decline

95

AELIAN

τὸ ἔτι θαῦμα, ἀπέστη καὶ τῆς πρώτης ποτὲ Kal δὴ καὶ ὑπενήξατο αὐτῷ, οἷα νικώμενος ἡδέως δήπου. ταῦτα τοίνυν ἐκεκήρυκτο, καὶ τοῖς πλέου- σιν ὅραμα ἐδόκει σὺν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὅσα ἡ πόλις ἀγαθὰ εἶχε, κἀὶ τοῖς πρεσβύταις καὶ τῷ μειρακίῳ πρόσοδος ἦν. ᾿

7. Ἔν Λιβύῃ ἡμιόνους 1 ἢ τετρωμένους ᾿Αρχέ- λαος λέγει ἢ ἀπειπόντας ὑπὸ δίψους ἐρρῖφθαι νεκροὺς πολλούς. πολλάκις δὲ ὄφεων ἐπιρρεῦσαν φῦλον πάμπολυ τῶν κρεῶν ἐσθίειν: ἐπὰν δὲ βασιλίσκου συρίγματος ἀκούσῃ, τὰ μὲν ὑπὸ τοῖς εἰλυοῖς 5 καὶ τῇ ψάμμῳ ἀφανίζεσθαι τὴν ταχίστην καὶ ἀποκρύπτεσθαι, τὸν δὲ προσελθόντα κατὰ πολλὴν τὴν εἰρήνην δειπνεῖν, εἶτα αὖθις ὑποσυρίζειν καὶ ἀπαλλάττεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ ἡμιόνους καὶ τὸ δεῖπνον τὸ ἐξ αὐτῶν σημαίνεσθαι τὸ ἐντεῦθεν, τὸ τοῦ λόγου τοῦτο, ἄστροις.

8. Λόγοι φασὶν Ἐβοέων δεῦρο φοιτῶντες, τοὺς ἁλιέας τοὺς ἐκεῖσε τοῖς δελφῖσι τοῖς ἐκεῖθι ἰσομοι- ρίαν τῆς θήρας ἀπονέμειν: καὶ ἀκούω τὴν ἄγραν τοιαύτην. γαλήνην εἶναι χρή, καὶ εἰ ταῦθ᾽ οὕτως

3 ΄- rf ~ 3 i : : ἔχει, τῆς πρῴρας τῶν ἀκατίων κοίλας τινὰς

ἐξαρτῶσιν ἐσχαρίδας πυρὸς ἐνακμάζοντος. καὶ εἰσὶ διαφανεῖς, ὡς καὶ στέγειν ὃ τὸ πῦρ καὶ μὴ κρύπτειν τὸ φῶς. ἐπνοὺς καλοῦσιν αὐτάς. οἱ τοίνυν ἰχθῦς δεδίασι τὴν αὐγὴν καὶ τὴν λαμπηδόνα δυσωποῦνται" καὶ οἱ μὲν οὐκ εἰδότες 6 τι βούλεται

ε é 1 ἡμιόνους τινάς. 2 ἰλύσι.

3 Reiske: στέγειν καὶ.

οὔ

them lanterns. ness and are dazzled by the glare, and some of them

ON ANIMALS, IT. 6-8 |

the winner’s place and actually swim second, as though presumably he was glad to be defeated.

These happenings were noised abroad, and those who sailed thither reckoned them among the excel- lent sights which the city had to show; and to the old people and to the boy they were a source of revenue.

7. Archelaus tells us that in Libya mules that have been wounded or which have succumbed from thirst are thrown out for dead in great numbers. And frequently a multitude of snakes of all kinds comes streaming up to eat their flesh, but whenever they hear the hiss of the Basilisk they disappear as swiftly as possible into their dens or beneath the

The Basilisk

and other

snakes

sand, and hide; so the Basilisk on reaching the spot

feasts in complete tranquillity. Then again with a hiss he is off, and thereafter as to the mules and to the feast which they provide, ‘ he marks their place,’ as the saying has it, ‘ only by the stars.’ ὦ

8. There are stories which reach us from Euboea of ae

fisher-folk in those parts sharing their catch equally Dolphin

with the Dolphins in those parts. And 1 am told that they fish in this way. The weather must be calm, and if it is, they attach to the prow of their boats some hollow braziers with fire burning in them, and one can see through them, so that while retain- ing the fire they do not conceal the light. They call Now the fish are afraid of the bright-

not knowing what is the purpose of the thing they see, 4.7.6. he never returns; cp. Jebb on Soph. OT 795.

97

VOL. I. E

AELIAN”

TO δρώμενον, πλησιάζουσι, μαθεῖν. βουλόμενοι τοῦ

φοβοῦντος σφᾶς τὴν αἰτίαν: εἶτα ἐκπλαγέντες ἢ πρός τινι πέτρᾳ ἡσυχάζουσιν ἀθρόοι παλλόμενοι τῷ δέει ἢ ἐς τὴν ἠόνα ἐκπίπτουσιν ὠθούμενοι, καὶ ἐοίκασι τοῖς ἐμβεβροντημένοις. οὕτω γε “μὴν διακειμένους ῥᾷστόν ἐστιν ἤδη καὶ τριαίνῃ πατάξαι. ἐπειδὰν οὖν θεάσωνται οἱ deAdives τοὺς ἁλιέας τὸ πῦρ ἐξάψαντας, ἑαυτοὺς εὐτρεπίζουσι. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἠρέμα ὑπερέττουσιν, οἱ δὲ δελῴϊνες τοὺς ἐξωτέρω τῶν ἰχθύων φοβοῦντες ὠθοῦσι καὶ τοῦ διαδιδράσκειν ἀναστέλλουσιν. οὐκοῦν ἐκεῖνοι πιε- ζόμενοι πανταχόθεν καὶ τρόπον τινὰ κεκυκλωμένοι ἔκ τε τῆς τούτων εἰρεσίας καὶ τῆς νήξεως τῆς ἐκείνων συνιᾶσιν ἀφυκτα εἶναί σφισι, καὶ παρα- μένουσι καὶ ἁλίσκονται πάμπολύ τι χρῆμα. καὶ οἱ deAdives προσίασιν 1 ὡς ἀπαιτοῦντες τοῦ κοινοῦ πόνου τὴν ἐπικαρπίαν τὴν ὀφειλομένην σφίσιν ἐκ τῆς νομῆς, καὶ οἵ γε ἁλιεῖς πιστῶς καὶ εὐγνωμόνως ἀφίστανται τοῖς συνθήροις τοῦ δικαίου μέρους, εἰ βούλονται καὶ πάλιν σφίσι συμμάχους ἀκλήτους ᾿ς παρεῖναι καὶ ἀπροφασίστους. πιστεύουσι γὰρ ot ᾿ ἐκεῖ θαλαττουργοὶ ὅτι παραβάντες ἕξουσιν ἐχθροὺς οὗς εἶχον πρότερον φίλους.

9, "EAados ὄφιν νικᾷ, κατά τινα φύσεως δωρεὰν

θαυμαστήν: καὶ οὐκ ἂν αὐτὸν διαλάθοι ἐν τῷ φω-.

λεῷ ὧν ὁ ἔχθιστος, ἀλλὰ προσερείσας τῇ κατα- δρομῇ τοῦ δακετοῦ 5 τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μυκτῆρας βιαιό- TaTa, ἐσπνεῖ, καὶ ἕλκει ὡς ἴυγγι τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ ἄκοντα προάγει, καὶ προκύπτοντα αὐτὸν ἐσθίειν ἄρχεται" καὶ μάλιστά γε διὰ χειμῶνος δρᾷ τοῦτο. 98 1 Schn: προΐασιν. |

: Weil atin sp Rerle ie. ie των 1o- dort nro esp hictttre th RAITT OC a sae oo ealae Sid basis facie

ccnanrenireiti SE 6 6,

i ae ΗΝ ΑΝΘΘΟΌΟαΟ, οἱ ς.---..... ΕΛ ρον ον

ΡΣ τιν

τὰ

ah eeevancect beens

teste PELLETED CE o bE ee ptosis ate an ATR te κττυτοτο

ON ANIMALS, II. 8-9

draw pear from a wish to discover: what it is that. frightens them. Then terror-stricken they either lie still in a mass close to some rock, quivering with fear, or are cast ashore as they are jostled along, and seem thunderstruck. Of course in that condition it is perfectly easy to harpoon them. | So. when the Dolphins observe that the fishermen have lit their fire, they get ready to act, and while the men row softly the Dolphins scare the fish on the outskirts and push them and prevent any escape. Accordingly the fish sressed on all sides and in some degree surrounded, yealise that there is no escaping from the men that

row and the Dolphins that swim; so they remain

where they are and are caught in great numbers. And the Dolphins approach as though demanding the profits of their common labour due to them from this store of food. And the fishermen loyally and gratefully resign to their comrades in the chase their just portion—assuming that they wish them to come again, unsummoned and prompt, to their aid, for those toilers of the. sea are convinced that if they omit to do this, they will make enemies of those who

were once friends.

9. A Deer defeats a snake by an extraordinary gift that Nature has bestowed. And the fiercest snake lying in its den cannot escape, but the Deer applies its nostrils to the spot where the venomous creature lurks, breathes into it with the utmost force, attracts it by the spell, as it. were, of its breath, draws it

forth against its will, and when it peeps out, begins

to eat it. Especially in the winter does it do this.