II] OF PIGS 175 



they are called by some people delici^^ and are no 

 longer spoken of as ^* sucking-pigs." On the tenth'' 

 day after birth they are considered *^ pure," and on 

 that account were termed by the ancients sacres, 

 because they are said to be then first fit for sacrifice. 

 And so in the '* Menaechimi "of Plautus, where the 

 scene is laid in Epidamnus, one of the characters, 

 thinking a man mad and in need of an expiatory 

 sacrifice, asks him, *' What's the price here of 

 ' sacred ' {s acres) ^ pigs? " 



It is usual to give grape-skins and grape-stalks 

 if the farm supplies them. When they have lost the 



* Delici. Derived, no doubt, from delinquo. As relinquo 

 ^WQs relicuos (Plaut.), which eariy in the first century became 

 rclicus^ so from delinquo we may suppose delicuos, which later 

 became delicus. This etymology would explain the use of the 

 word delicultis by Cato (2, 7), delicula armenta, deliculas oves, 

 cattle and sheep quae delinquuntur — are removed, got rid of 

 by sale. 



* Decimo die. Pliny (N. H., vlli, 51) says on the fifth day. 

 Suis foetus sacHficio die qui n to purus est, pecoris die octavo ^ 

 horvis trigesimo. Festus (p. 318) agrees with Varro. 



* Sacres. The lines alluded to by Varro are (Plaut., Men- 

 aechm., 289, etc.): 



Adolescens quibus hie pretiis porci veneunt 



Sacres, sinceri? Cy. Nummo. Me. Eum a me accipe 



Jube te piari de mea pecunia 



Nam, ego quidem insanum esse te certo scio 



Qui mihi molesius homini ignoto, quisquis es. 



For the parasitic vowel in Menaechimis (for Menaechmis— 

 Mivaix/ioic), compare mina for Greek /xi/a, Tecumessa for 

 JtKfiiiffan, etc. 



