PLINY : NATURAL HISTORY 



facie aut capite sucus eius in aqua triduo maceratae 

 sanat. 



155 XCVm. Oenobreches folia lentis habet, longiora 

 paulo, florem rubentem, radicem exiguam et graci- 

 lem. nascitur circa fontes. siccata in farinae 

 modum et inspersa vino albo strangurias finit, alvum 

 sistit. sucus eius perunctis cum oleo sudores movet. 



156 XCIX. In promisso herbarum mirabilium occurrit 

 aliqua dicere et de magicis. quae enim mirabiliores ? 

 primi eas in nostro orbe celebravere Pythagoras 

 atque Democritus, consectati Magos. coracesia 

 et calicia Pythagoras aquam glaciari tradit, quarum 

 mentionem apud alios non reperio, nec apud eum 

 alia de his. 



157 C. Idem minvada appellat et nomine aUo corin- 

 thiam, cuius decocto in aqua suco protinus sanari 

 ictus serpentium, si foveantur, dicit. eundem 

 effusum ^ in herbam qui vestigio contigerint aut forte 

 respersos insanabili leto perire, monstrifica prorsus 

 natura veneni praeterquam contra venena. 



158 CI. Ab eodem Pythagora aproxis appellatur herba 

 cuius radix e longinquo concipiat ignes ut naphtha, de 

 qua in terrae miraculis diximus. idem tradit, qui 



^ eundem effusum vidg., Mayhoff: eandem efEusam codd., 

 Dedefsen. Difficilior Jiaec lectio non potior. 



" These, perhaps " girls' plant " and " beauty plant," have 

 not been identified with any certainty. It is said that 

 Cissampelos pareira gives a kind of consistency to •water with- 

 out impairing its transparency. It is diiBcult, if not impossible, 

 to identify the plants mentioned in this section of Pliny with 

 their scanty descriptions, fanciful names, and " magical " 

 properties. 



* Is it unreasonable to suppose that the names minyas and 

 corinthia are not unconnected with the legend of the sorceress 



