BOOK XXII. L. 109-L1. III 



and the signs of its value," I discussed when treating 

 of the nature of bees ** and again when I eame 

 to flowers,"^ since the plan of my work necessitated 

 the division of things that have to be afterwards com- 

 bined again by those who wish to learn thoroughly 

 the works of Nature. 



LI. In deaHng with the benefits of honey I must tiydromei. 

 include those of hydromeL There are two kinds of 

 it : one is made for the occasion and used fresh, and 

 the other is the matured. Occasional hydromel, made 

 from skimmed honey, is extremely useful as an in- 

 gredient of the light diet of invaUds (that is strained 

 wheat ^) for restoring the strength, for soothing 

 the mouth and stomach, and for cooling feverish 

 heat. For it is cold hydromel that is better to be 

 given for loosening the bowels. My authorities state 

 that it should be given to drink to persons subject 

 to chill, and also to those of a poor, weak spirit, whom 

 the same authorities called [jHKpoiJjv^^oi,^ in harmony 

 with the very ingenious theory / that had its origin in 

 Plato. This says that the atoms of things, being 

 smooth or rough, angular or round, are accordingly 

 more or less adapted to the nature of different indi- 

 viduals, and that therefore the same things are not 

 bitter or sweet to everybody ; and so, when we are 

 tired or thirsty we are more prone to anger. There- 

 fore also this roughness of the mind, or rather I 

 should say of the soul, is made smoother by a sweeter 

 flavour, which soothes the wind-pipe and makes 



' Dioscorides V. 9 (Wellmann) says of /LteAtV-paTor, just 

 before coming to hydromel : toj 8e acf^rjip-qfievw eVi Tajv fjnKpo- 

 a4)VKTcov Kal aadevuyv. So since Sahnasius many scholars 

 have believed that Phny thought he heard [iiKpoipvxot. (weak- 

 souled) ioT iJ.iKp6o(f>vKToi (with a weak pulse). 



' See Seneca de ira III. 9, 4. 



373 



