rUNY: NATURAL HISTORY 



si competant coitus in novissimum diem brumae, illa 

 fit ^ aeterna materies ; proxime cum supra dictis 

 sideribus. quidam et canis ortum addunt et sic 



192 caesas materias in forum Augustum. nec novellae 

 autem ad materiem nec veteres utilissimae. cir- 

 cumcisas quoque in meduUam aliqui non inutiliter 

 relinquunt, ut omnis umor stantibus defluat. mirum 

 apud antiquos primo Punico bello classem Duilli 

 imperatoris ab arbore lx die navigavisse, contra 

 vero Hieronem regem ccxx naves effectas diebus 

 XLV tradit L. Piso ; secundo quoque Punico Scipionis 

 classis XL die a securi navigavit. tantum tempesti- 

 vitas etiam in rapida celeritate pollet. 



193 LXXV. Cato hominum summus in omni usu de 

 materiis haec adicit : ' Prelum ex sappino ^ atra 

 potissimum facito. ulmeam, pineam, nuceam, hanc 

 atque aliam materiem omnem cum ecfodies, luna 

 decrescente eximito post meridiem sine vento austro. 

 tum erit tempestiva cimi semen suum maturum erit. 

 cavetoque per rorem trahas aut doles.' idemque 



194 mox : ' Nisi intermestri lunaque dimidiata ne tangas 

 materiem; quam effodias aut praecidas abs terra, 



^ Dalec. : sit. ^ carpino Cato. 



" In 260 B.c. the first fleet ever built at Rome, commanded 

 by Cn. Comelius Scipio Asina, was defeated by the Cartha- 

 gmians off Lipara ; the command was transferred to the other 

 consul, Duilius, who fitted the ships with boarding-bridges, and 

 defeated the Carthaginians at Mylae by boarding their vessela. 



* Hiero, king of Syracuse, in alliance with Carthage, made 

 war against Rome 264 b.c. and was defeated and conchided a 

 peace in the next year. 



<= R.R. XXXI. 1-2. " Ib. XXXVII. 3-4. 



512 



