PLINY: NATURAL HISTORY 



est : alii enim Pelasgum, alii eupetalon, alii stephanon 

 Alexandri vocant. et hic frutex est ramosus, cras- 

 siore ac molHore quam laurus foUo, cuius gustatu 

 accendatur os, bacis e nigro rufis. notatum antiquis, 

 nullum genus laurus in Corsica fuisse, quod nunc 

 satum et ibi provenit. 



133 XL. Ipsa pacifera, ut quam praetendi etiam inter 

 armatos hostes quietis sit indicium. Romanis prae- 

 cipue laetitiae victoriarumque nuntia additur litteris 

 et militum lanceis piHsque, fasces imperatorum 



134 decorat. ex his in gremio lovis optimi maximique 

 deponitur quotiens laetitiam nova victoria adtuht, 

 idque non quia perpetuo viret, nec quia pacifera est, 

 praeferenda ei utroque olea, sed quia spectatissima 

 in monte Parnaso ideoque etiam grata ApolUni visa, 

 adsuetis eo dona mittere, oracula inde repetere iam 

 et regibus Romanis teste L. Bruto, fortassis etiam in 

 argumentum, quoniam ibi hbertatem pubUcam is 

 meruisset lauriferam teUurem iUam osculatus ex 

 responso, et quia manu satarum receptarumque in 



135 domos fulmine sola non icitur. ob has causas equidem 



" See Livy I. 56. L. Junius, nephew of Tarquinius 

 Superbus, in order to escape the fate of his elder brother whom 

 Tarquin had murdered, feigned idiocy, and hence got the 

 name of Brutus. He accompanied Tarquin's sons to Delphi 

 to consuU the oracle as to the portent of a snake that had 

 appeared in the king's palace. The two princes took the 

 opportunity of asking the oracle who should succeed to the 

 throne. The answer given was : The one who first kisses his 

 inother. Brutus pretended to stumble and kissed the earth, 

 the mother of aU mankind. 



378 



