BOOK XV. IV. 14-17 



quantitv of lees, to discover how much larger an 

 amount is found in the same kind of oHve with every 

 day that is added. There is an entirely unconquer- 

 able and widely prevalent mistake which supposes 

 that the swelHng of the oHve increases the amount of 

 the oil, in spite of the fact that the absence of con- 

 nexion between the size of the berry and its yield 

 of oil is proved by the oHves caUed ' royal oHves, 

 and by some people * large-size oHves,' and by others 

 ' babbiae ' — but anyhow a very large oHve with very 

 Httle juice, and also that the very fleshy oHves in 

 Egypt produce a scanty amount of oil, while the 

 extremely small oHves at DecapoHs in Syria, not 

 larger than a caper, nevertheless have an attractive 

 flesh. It is on this account that imported oHves are 

 preferred for the table to those grown in Italy, in 

 spite of their being inferior for making oil, and in 

 Italy itself the oHves of Picenum and the Sidicini are 

 preferred to aU the other kinds. Those oHves are 

 kept separate and steeped in salt, as weH as in lees 

 or boiled must Hke the rest, and also some of them 

 are left floating in their own oil and clean, without 

 any adventitious attraction — the kind caHed in Greek 

 * swimmers ' ; these oHves are also crushed and then 

 seasoned with a flavouring of green herbs. OHves 

 however unripe are actually made to ripen early by 

 pouring boiHng water on them ; and it is surprising 

 how oHves suck up a sweet juice and take on a flavour 

 that does not belong to them. As with grapes, so 

 also among oHves there are purple varieties, the posia 

 almost shading off into black. Beside the kinds 

 already mentioned there is also the ' proud oHve,' as 

 weH as the very sweet variety, which is merely 

 dried by itself and is sweeter than a raisin ; this 



299 



