INTRODUCTION 



is the work of a Syrian imitator, dedicated very 

 naturally to Caracalla, with regard to whom, amid so 

 many uncertainties, nothing about his later years 

 seems certain except his close relations with Syria. 



11. Zoology before Oppian 



The earliest classification of animals in any detail 

 that we possess occurs in Book II. of the Utpl Aiai-n/s, 

 a treatise in the Corpus Hippocrateum, the collection 

 of writings which pass under the name of Hippocrates. 

 This particular treatise is assigned to the oth century 

 and has been by some ascribed to Herodicus of 

 Selymbria, teacher of Hippocrates and father of 

 Greek Medicine {cf. Suid. s. 'iTTTroK/aaTrjs, Soranus, 

 Vit. Hippocr., Tzetz. Chil. viii. 155). This classifica- 

 tion is purely incidental and is confined moreover to 

 animals which are eaten. The author is discussing 

 the qualities of the flesh of various edible animals 

 (Trepl ^wcov twv ecr^to/xei'wi' wSe \pi] yivwcTKeiv) and he 

 divides them according to their habitat, on land, in air, 

 in water, into the three popular genera of Beasts — 

 or as the writer calls them Quadrupeds (T€T/)a7ro8a) — 

 Birds (opvi6'es). Fish ('X^^'^O- Such grouping as 

 there is within these great divisions is based on 

 similarity in quality of flesh — distinguished as light 

 or heavy, firm or flaccid, and so forth. Under the 

 first genus he distinguishes Cattle, Goats, Swine 

 (Wild and Tame), Sheep, Asses, Horses, Dogs, Deer, 

 Hares, Foxes, Hedgehogs, Under the second genus 

 he specifies (f>a(Tcra (Ringdove), TrepLo-repd (Domestic 

 Pigeon), Partridge, Cock, Turtle-dove, Goose ; then 



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