BOOK XXIV. cii. 161-163 



tures " from divers phantoms of spirits that haunt 

 them ; he also called it hippophobas, because mares 

 have an intense aversion to it. 



The theombrotion ** grows, says Democritus, thirty Theombro- 

 sclioeni '^ from the Choaspes, being like a peacock in 

 its colourings and of a very fine scent. He goes on 

 to state that the kings of Persia take it in drink for 

 all bodily disorders and for instabihty of intellect 

 and of the sense of justice,'' and that it is also called 

 semnion * from the majesty of its power. 



Democritus goes on to mention another plant, the 

 adamantis,/ a native of Armenia and Cappadocia ; Adamatnu 

 if it be placed, he says, near Uons they He on their ".lantsf'^ 1 

 backs and wearily yawn. The reason for the name 

 is because the plant cannot be crushed. 



Ariana is given as the home of the arianis, a plant 

 of the colour of fire. It is gathered, he says, when 

 the sun is in Leo, and pieces of wood soaked in oil 

 catch fire at its touch. 



Democritus says that the therionarca,? growing 

 in Cappadocia and Mysia, makes all wikl beasts 

 become torpid, and that they cannot be revived un- 

 less sprinkled with the urine of a hyaena. 



He tells us that the aethiopis grows in Meroe, that 

 therefore its other name is the merois, that it has the 

 leaf of the lettuce and that it is very beneficial for 

 dropsy if taken in honey wine. 



•^ The text here is uncertain. Detlefsen's conjecture, 

 yielding a good sense, would mean : " to keep unshaken 

 their intellectual powers and sense of justice " ; Maj'hotE'8 : 

 " bodily disorders; from its reliability, and from the majesty, 

 etc." 



' The word semnion means " the august plant." 



^ " Unbreakable." 



' " That benumbs beasts." 



115 



