BOOK XXV. XXI. 48-51 



like those of bulbs, and with a root fringed Hke that of 

 onions. The black hellebore kills horses, oxen and 

 pigs ; so they avoid it, although they eat the white 

 kind. The latter is said to be ripe at harvest, and it 

 grows abundantly on Mount Oeta, and the best on one 

 part of it, around the place called Pyra. The black 

 kind is to be found everywhere, but the better sort 

 grows on Helicon, a mountain celebrated also for 

 other plants. Next after the white hellebore of Oeta 

 that of Pontus is most approved ; the third place is 

 taken by that of Elea, which is said to grow among 

 vines, and the fourth by hellebore of Parnassus, 

 which is adulterated by hellebore from tlie neigh- 

 bouring country of AetoHa. Of these the black 

 kind they call melampodium ; with it they fumigate 

 and cleanse houses, sprinkUng it on sheep, and 

 adding a formal prayer." This kind is gathered 

 with even greater formaHties. First a circle is 

 drawn round it with a sword ; then the man who is 

 going to cut it looks at the East with a prayer 

 that the gods will grant him permission to do so. 

 He also keeps on the look-out for a flying eagle — for 

 generally one is present when men cut — and if an 

 eagle flies near, it is a sign that the gatherer will die 

 in that year. The white too is not easy to gather : 

 it is very oppressive to the head unless garHc is 

 eaten beforehand, wine swallowed every now and 

 then and the plant dug up quickly. Some call the 

 black kind ectomon,'' others polyrrhizon.'^ This 

 purges by stool, but the white kind does so by 

 vomiting, and carries away what might cause diseases ; 

 once regarded with horror it afterwards became so 



'^ " With many roots," and eKTOfxov means " cut out," or 

 perhaps " cut short," cf. decurtatae § 53. 



173 



