CYNEGETICA, I. 308-329 



eyed " against bears ; tawny-eyed against leopards ; 

 fiery and flaming against swine ; brilliant and grey of 

 eye against the grey-eyed Uon. In beauty the most 

 excellent of all horses is the Nesaean,* which wealthy 

 kings drive ; beautiful to behold, gentle to ride and 

 obedient to the bit, small of head but shaggy-maned, 

 glorying in the yellow locks on either side his neck. 

 Yet another lovely breed thou mayst see, the 

 dappled conspicuous breed which men call the Orynx,'' 

 either because they flourish on the grassy hills 

 (ovpea-w), or because they are very eager to mate 

 (opot'etv) with their females. In the case of the 

 Orynxes there are two species of many-patterned 

 beauty. One species are inscribed on neck and 

 broad hairy back with a series of long stripes, even 

 as the swift tigers, the offspring of rapid ZephjTus.'* 

 The others are adorned all about with densely set 

 round spots, hke those of leopards ; this species 

 while they are still but baby foals, are tattooed by 

 skilful men, who brand their long hair with the 

 flaming bronze. And ofttimes men have contrived 

 other subtle devices for inscribing « the foal while yet 



525, 530 ; Athen. 194- e ; Amin. Marc, xxiii. 6. 30 ; Synes. 

 Ep. +0; Arr. Anah. vii. 13; A. 632 a 30; Lucian, Hint. 39; 

 Ridg. pp. 190ff. 



' Oppian seems to denote by this name two species of 

 horses : (1) with neck and back striped like tiger, (2) spotted 

 like leopard. The first he regards as a natural breed, the 

 second as an artificial production. Cf. Eutecn. tovs fxev 

 irpJ}Tovs i) <pvais ovto} diei^coypaKprjae, tQv deiTepwu 5' avSpCcu 

 €vpr]fj.aTa ra TroiKiXtxcLTa. The first suggests the zebra. 



<* The West Wind (Lat. Faronhis) was supposed to have 

 an impregnating influence ; Hom. //. xvi. 150 ; Plin. xvi. 

 93; Lucr. i. 11 ; Verg. G. iii. 272 ff.; Plin. x. 166; Varr. 

 ii. 1. 19; Colum. vi. 27; A. 560 a 6 ; 6'.^. 749 b 1. Of 

 other winds : Hom. II. xx. 3-2-2 ; Ael. vii. 27 ; Solin. xlv. 18. 



• Cf. O.T. Genesis xxx. 37 flF.; Scott, Bed Gauntlet, c. xviii. 



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