24 
Pausanias travelled thtough Greece about the end of the 
second century of our era, and in his description of Greece 
has often occasion to refer to strange plants and trees, and 
the local legends connected with them. 
He tells us of the unknown flower, called Cosmosandalon, 
which white-robed boys wore in garlands on their heads, at 
the curious festival of Demeter, at Hermione in Argolis— 
like a hyacinth, he says, and with the same letters of woe 
inscribed thereon—perhaps again an orchid. 
Then he tells us of the myrtle-tree he saw at Troezen, with 
perforated leaves. ‘‘ Which was not once so,” he says, “ but 
Pheedra, sick of love for Hippolytus, with her brooch wreaked 
her fury on the leaves of the myrtle,” which everafter grew thus. 
And the grave of the suicide Menoeceus, too, he saw at 
Thebes, whereon grew the pomegranate, the inside of whose 
fruit was blood-red. This last fact was quite enough to con- 
nect the pomegranate in the superstitious mind with murder 
or suicide; and we may compare it with the bleeding tree 
of Virgil, on the grave of Polydorus, and the shrieking man- 
drake of German legend. 
In Virgil’s ‘‘ Georgics ”’ there are some more or less mythical 
plants mentioned. He recommends the Amellis, which is, 
perhaps the Attic Aster, as a specific for bees, when the swarm 
is not thriving. His description of the plant may be in part 
genuine, but the framework is obviously borrowed from 
Homer’s description of the Herb Moly. 
He also refers to Hippomazes, which occurs in Theocritus 
as a plant which drove mares and foals to madness, and was 
used as an ingredient in witches’ cauldrons. 
One more plant I must mention, which so constantly crops 
up in Greek and Latin literature—the Hellebore, which in the 
ancient world was regarded as the specific for madness. The 
most famous grew on the slopes of Mounts Helicon, Pat 
nassus and Oeta, and above all at the town Anticyra, in 
Phocis, where, probably, it was cultivated by the local phy- 
sicians. The plant is poisonous, and, I believe, still used as a 
drug. But there was a great deal of jugglery and super- 
stition connected with it in the old days. 
Pliny describes the method of gathering it :—“ First a 
circle is drawn round it with a sword. Then before cutting 
it you must face the east ; then pray for the favour of the gods 
on your undertaking ; then look out for an eagle flying; if 
one flies too near, you will die within the year. Then cut 
quickly, because a severe headache always accompanies the 
process.”’ 

