Chap. 64.] HOUSES. 317 



the poultry-yard with the dog's food ; or else, if they are al- 

 ready attacked by the disease, by giving them hellebore. 



(41.) We have a single remedy against the bite, which has 

 been but lately discovered, by a kind of oracle, as it were 

 the rcot of the wild rose, which is called cynorrhodos, 26 or dog- 

 rose. Columella informs us, that if, on the fortieth day after 

 the birth of the pup, the last bone of the tail is bitten off, the 

 sinew will follow with it ; after which, the tail will not grow, 

 and the dog will never become rabid. 27 It is mentioned, among 

 the other prodigies, and this I take to be one indeed, that a 

 dog once spoke j 28 and that when Tarquin was expelled from 

 the kingdom, a serpent barked. 



CHAP, 64. (42.) THE NATURE OP THE HOBSE. 



King Alexander had also a very remarkable horse ; 20 it 

 was called Bucephalus, either on account of the fierceness of 

 its aspect, or because it had the figure of a bull's head marked 

 on its shoulder. It is said, that he was struck with its beauty 

 when he was only a boy, and that it was purchased from the 1 stud 

 of Philonicus, the Pharsalian, for thirteen talents. 30 When it 

 was equipped with the royal trappings, it would suffer no one 

 except Alexander to mount it, although at other times it would 

 allow any one to do so. A memorable circumstance connected 

 with it in battle is recorded of this horse ; it is said that when 

 it was wounded in the attack upon Thebes, it would not allow 

 Alexander to mount any other horse. Many other circum- 

 stances, also, of a similar nature, occurred respecting it ; so that 

 when it died, the king duly performed its obsequies, and built 

 around its tomb a city, which he named after it. 31 



It is said, also, that Caesar, the Dictator, had a horse, which 



26 The history of this supposed discovery is related more at large, B. xxv. 

 c. 2 and 6. The popular name of the plant is still the " dog-rose." B. 



27 Columella says, that the operation prevents the tail from acquiring 

 " fcedum incrementum," " a foul increase ;" and, as many shepherds say, 

 secures the animal from the disease. B. 



28 This is one of the marvellous tales related by Julius Obsequens, 

 c. 103. B. 



29 Plutarch, in his Life of Alexander, gives some account of this cele- 

 brated horse, and Aulus Gellius, B. v. c. 2, devotes a chapter to it. B. 



30 Ajasson estimates the price to have been 70,200 francs, 2925 

 sterling. B. 



31 Situate on the river Hydaspes ; Q. Curtius calls it Bucephalus. B. 

 See B. vi. c. 23, where it is called Bucepliala. 



