154 PLINY'S NATTTEAL HI8T0EY. [Book XII. 



two trees, the olive and the vine, by two different methods. 

 It is produced from the former by pressing the olive while it 

 is still in the white state. That is of an inferior quality which 

 is made from the druppa — such being the name that is given 

 to the olive before it is ripe and fit for food, but already 

 beginning to change its colour. The difference between them 

 is, that the latter kind is green, the former white. The om- 

 phacium that is made from the vine is extracted from either 

 the psythian 88 or the Aminean grape, when the grapes are 

 about the size of a chick-pea, just before the rising of the Dog- 

 star. The grape is gathered when the first bloom is appearing 

 upon it, and the verjuice is extracted, after which the residue 89 

 is left to dry in the sun, due precautions being taken against 

 the dews of the night. The verjuice, after being collected, is 

 put into earthen vessels, and then, after that, stored in jars 

 of Cyprian copper. 90 The best kind is that which is of a 

 reddish colour, acrid, and dry to the taste. The price at 

 which it sells is six denarii per pound. Omphacium is also 

 made another way — the unripe grape is pounded in a mortar, 

 after which it is dried in the sun, and then divided into 

 lozenges. 



CHAP. 61. (28.) BEYON, (ENANTHE^ AND MASSAEIS. 



Bryon 91 also bears an affinity to these substances, being the 

 clusters of berries produced by the white poplar. The best 

 kinds grow in the vicinity of Cnidos, or in Caria, in spots that 

 are destitute of water, or else in dry and rugged localities. A 



remarks, that made from the olive is correctly described as a kind of oil, 

 but that made from the grape must have been a rob, or pure verjuice. 

 These two liquids must have had totally different qualities, and resembled 

 each other in nothing but the name. That extracted from the olive is 

 mentioned again in B. xxiii. c. 4, in reference to its medicinal properties. 



88 These grapes are described in B. xiv. c. 4 and c. 11. 



* 9 " Eeliquum corpus." It is not clear what is the meaning of this. 

 Tbe passage is either in a corrupt state, or defective. 



90 A singular metal, one would think, for keeping verjuice in. 



91 From the Greek /3puov, " moss." He speaks again of these .grapes 

 of the white poplar in B. xxiv. c. 34 ; also in c. 51 of the present Book. 

 Hardouin thinks that he is speaking of moss. Fee is of opinion, that the 

 blossoms or buds of the tree are meant, which have a fragrant smell. This 

 is the more probable, as we find Pliny here speaking of the oenanthe, or vine- 

 flower, by which Fee supposes that he means the blossom of the Yitis 

 vinifera of Linnaeus, which exhales a delightful perfume. 



