42 PLINY'S NATUEAL HISTORY. [Book XVIII. 



it will produce roses more odoriferous by far than the cultivated 

 rose : for the earth here is never tired of producing, a circum- 

 stance in which originated the common saying, that Campania 

 produces more unguents 37 than other countries do oil. 



In the same degree, however, that the Campanian soil excels 

 that of all other countries, so does that part of it which is 

 known to us as Laboria3, 38 and to the Greeks as Phlegrseum, 

 surpass all the rest. This district is bounded on two sides by 

 the consular high road, which leads from Puteoli to Capua on 

 the one side, and from Cumae on the other. 



Alica is prepared from the grain called zea, which we have 

 already mentioned 39 as being known to us as " seed" wheat. 

 The grain is cleansed in a wooden mortar, for fear lest stone, 

 from its hardness, should have the effect of grating it. The 

 motive power for raising the pestle, as is generally known, is 

 supplied by slaves working in chains, the end of it being en- 

 closed in a case of iron. After the husks have been removed 

 by this process, the pure grain is broken to pieces, the same 

 implements being employed. In this way, there are three 

 different kinds of alica made, the finest, the seconds, and the 

 coarse, which last is known as " aphaerema." 40 Still, however, 

 these various kinds have none of them that whiteness as yet 

 for which they are so distinguished, though even now they are 

 preferable to the Alexandrian alica. With this^view a most 

 singular factchalk 41 is mixed with the meal, which, upon 

 becoming well incorporated with it, adds very materially to 

 both the whiteness and the shortness 42 of the mixture. This 

 chalk is found between Puteoli and Neapolis, upon a hill called 

 Leucogaeum ; 43 and there is still in existence a decree of the 

 late Emperor Augustus, (who established a colony at Capua), 

 which orders a sum of twenty thousand sesterces to be paid 

 annually from his exchequer to the people of Neapolis, for the 

 lease of this hill. His motive for paying this rent, he stated, 

 was the fact that the people of Campania had alleged that it 

 37 Or perfumed oils. 



18 See B. iii. c. 9. A volcanic district. 



In c. 20 of this Book. 

 40 Grain from which the husk is removed 



*itSl*3!?' UiS 6ti " ^fctho* P*^ of Campa- 



12 Teneritatem. 



13 From the Greek, meaning " white earth." 



