BOOK XV. xxxiv. 117-XXXV1. 120 



not be omitted : it cannot be called either flesh or 

 wood or cartihige, and it would not be given any 

 other name. 



XXX\\ The nature of the juices produced is par- Myrtiejuxce. 

 ticularly remarkable in the case of the myrtle, 

 because it is the only one among all the trees that 

 gives two kinds of oil and of wine, beside the drink 

 called myrtidanum, as we said. In former times xiv. 104. 

 another use was also made of the myrtle-berry, 

 which held the place of pepper before pepper was 

 discovered ; in fact, in the case of one kind of savoury 

 dish the name is derived from this, it being to this 

 day called myrtle sausage. Also the flavour of wild 

 boar is improved from the same source, as the pickle 

 usually has myrtle-berries added to it. 



XXX\'I. The actual tree is recorded to have been iiuioryof 

 seen for the first time on the hither side of Europe, ^atRotm! 

 beginning from the Ceraunian Mountains, on the 

 grave of Elpenor at Circello, and it still keeps its Greek 

 name, showing it to be an exotic. At the time of the 

 foundation of Rome myrtles grew on the present site 

 of the city, as tradition says that the Romans and 

 Sabines, after having wanted to fight a battle because 

 of the carrying off of the maidens, laid down their 

 arms and purified themselves with sprigs of myrtle, at 

 the place now occupied by the etatues of Venus 

 Cluacina, cluere being the old word meaning ' to 

 cleanse.' And a kind of incense for fumigation is 

 also contained in this tree, which was selected for the 

 purpose on the occasion referred to because Venus the 

 guardian spirit of the tree also presides over unions, 

 and I rather think that it was actually the first of 

 all trees to be planted in pubUc places at Rome, fraught 

 indeed with a prophetic and remarkable augury. 



369 



