ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORDS CROCUS AND SAFEMON. 



mentioned by Thee.phrns.ns, except the Kp 6 m rfo^os, which is doubtless C. sa lmu L 



When grown ,„ England the seen, of the flower is fain, ; the adjective may point 



o a greater development of scent in a sunnier climate, or the anther's though. C 



have been scent-producing ' rather than ■ scented ' W Y 



deli J,s e ,o be a t , ° t d h d er T re P T ge ^^ P ' a '"- Vl 6) ' Speaki "K ° f * P'- »^h 

 deflghts to be trodden down, and grows best by waysides, but as Kp i KK here is onlv 



i TcZf::ir ror ,apW " we may fair,y doubt whaher "- p>- — X 



Both Dioscorides i, 7 , 2J , &c „ and Galen ix, 4 , &c, discuss the Saffron Crocus 

 and ,ts medtcal uses, but add nothing botanically 



his dtTrtiof J^w ■ Wh ° Wr ° ,e VVW ' St AUgUStUS " aS em P™ r . '* - m 

 i ; ' A ' , " ° f C " C,a (X ' V ' 5 ' § 5) ^at the best Saffron {lcp 6 m) g rew there 

 m the so-called Corycan ■ cave ■ near the promontory and town of Corycus • He 

 desenbes ^ 'cave' as a circular hollow, sheltered by surrounding cliffs much f 



IT eXCeIen . e of C '!>='a-. and especially Corycian Saffron is confirmed by 



many passages m Latm authors, .,, Pliny ,,, 6 (ty), and Sallust. Hist. ii. „ Hehn 

 even supposes ,t probable that Corycus took its name from the Crocus grown there 

 O course th.s ,s a fane ful speculation, but i, is not impossible. Nor is I mpo ssibTe 

 that the Crocus may have taken its name from Corycus, if that was one o, he 

 arl.es d.stncts ,„ which Saffron was used. But i, should be remembered th 

 four o,e r places were known to Greek geography by the name K^v.o (, 

 of Crete ' " ^ '" *™* y ** "" ""^ « * e "orth-wesfpromonio" 



scent™ V S " 0t ^ P ' aCe J° diSC " SS ,he USe ° f Saffro " ^ "« -cients as a dye a 

 scent, and an unguent. Hehn points ou, that in early times the Saffron robe was 



ymbol of majesty, like the purple, which probably superseded it from its ea 

 brdhancy.r The rish kings wore the Saffron robe, and till late in the ,6 centurv 

 the lem-croch or Saffron shir, was worn by the Celts of the Hebrides t 



The dertvattves of «p„Vo s are of frequent occurrence in Greek literature ; when 



* KapuKor, now Korghoz. 



t Hehn cites Aesch. Pers., 657; A<? 210 • />,W P,,/* , 

 <4r. 77,« w ., I044 . *"' " 39 ' • P) ' K 4 ' 232 ; Nem - '• 37 ; £«r. #«, 466 ; ffaj, , 49I . 



J Martin's >»rwy to the Western Islands. 



