BOOK XII. XXXV. 70-xxxvi. 72 



The prices vary with the supply of buyers ; that of Prices oj 

 stacte ranges from 3 to 50 denarii a pound, whereas the '"^"^ ' 

 top price for cultivated myrrh is 11 denarii and for 

 Erythrean 16 — this kind is passed off as Arabian — 

 and for the kernel of Cave-dweller 16J, but for the 

 variety called scented myrrh 12. Myrrh is adulter- 

 ated with lumps of lentisk and with gum, and also 

 with cucumber juice to give it a bitter taste, as it is 

 with Htharge of siher to increase its weight. The 

 rest of the impurities can be detected by taste, 

 and gum by its sticking to the teeth. But the 

 adulteration most difficult to detect is that prac- 

 tised in the case of Indian myrrh, which is col- 

 lected in India from a certain thorn-bush ; this is the 

 only commodity imported from India that is of '^ 

 worse quaUty than that of other countries — indeed 

 it is easily distinguished because it is so very 

 inferior. 



XXXVI. Consequently Indian myrrh passes over MasHch. 

 into '^ mastich, which is also obtained from a thom 

 in India, and in Arabia as well ; it is called laina. 

 Of mastich also there are two kinds, since in Asia 

 and Greece there is also found a plant sending out 

 from its root leaves and a prickly head Uke an apple, 

 full of seed and of juice which spurts out when an 

 incision is made in the top, so that it can scarcely be 

 distinguished from true mastich. Moreover, there 

 is also a third kind in^Pontus which is more Uke bitu- 

 men ; but the kind most highly praised is the white 

 mastich of Chios, which fetches a price of 10 denarii 

 a pound, while the black kind costs 2 denarii. It is 

 said that the Chian mastich exudes from the lentisk 

 Uke a kind of gum. Like frankincense it is adulter- 

 ated with resin. 



53 



