]50 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



which consisted of about one bushel of flour, eight mea- 

 sures of wine, five pounds of cheese, and two pounds and 

 a half of figs. 



The Athenians were so choice of their figs, that it was 

 forbidden to export them out of Attica. Those who gave 

 information of this fruit being sold contrary to law, were 

 called sykophantai, from two Greek words signifying the 

 discoverers of figs ; and as they sometimes gave malicious 

 information, the term was afterwards applied to all in- 

 formers, parasites, liars, flatterers, impostors, &c. from 

 whence the word sycophant is derived. 



The story of Romulus and Remus being suckled by a 

 wolf under a fig-tree, proves that this fruit must have been 

 early known in Italy. , ..;.r. 



It was customary to carry a basket of figs next to the 

 vessel of wine used in the Dionysia, or festivals in honour 

 of Bacchus. The fig is related to have been the favourite 

 fruit of Cleopatra, who was the most luxurious queen the 

 world ever produced. The asp with which she terminated 

 her life, was conveyed to her in a basket of figs. 



Saturn, one of the Roman deities, was represented 

 crowned with new figs ; he being supposed to have first 

 taught the use of agriculture in Italy. There was a temple 

 in Rome dedicated to this god, before which grew a large 

 fig-tree. The vestals, when they removed this tree (about 

 the year of Rome 260) in order to build a chapel on the 

 spot, offered an expiatory sacrifice. 



The fig was a fruit much admired by the Romans, who 

 brought it from most of the countries they conquered, 

 and had so increased the varieties in Italy, by the com- 

 mencement of the Christian era, that Pliny has furnished 

 us with a description of twenty-nine sorts that were fami- 

 liar to him. He says, " figs are restorative, and the best 

 fogd that can be taken by those who are brought low by 

 long sickness, and are on the recovery. They increase 



