HALIEUTICA, II. 487-507 



wearied strength unchanged ; and not only on the 

 living creatures which it strikes does it belch mys- 

 terious bane but it hurts even tree and rock and 

 wherever it conies nigh. For if one take a lusty tree 

 that flourishes in its season, with goodly foliage and 

 fruitful crop, and wound it in the roots below with 

 that relentless stroke, then, smitten by an evil bane, 

 it ceases to put forth leaves and first droops as if by 

 disease and its beauty fades away ; and at no distant 

 date thou shalt behold the tree withered and worth- 

 less and its greenery gone. 



That sting it was which his mother Circe," skilled 

 in many drugs, gave of old to Telegonus for his long 

 hilted spear, that he might array for his foes death 

 from the sea. And he beached his ship on the island 

 that pastured goats ; and he knew not that he was 

 harrying the flocks of his own father, and on his aged 

 sire who came to the rescue, even on him whom he 

 was seeking, he brought an evil fate. There the 

 cunning Odysseus, who had passed through countless 

 woes of the sea in his laborious adventures, the 

 grievous Sting-ray slew vvith one blow. 



The Tunny and the Sword-fish are ever attended 

 and companioned by a plague, which they can never 



" The story was told in the Telegony (Kiukel, p. 57). 

 Cf. ApoUod. epit. vii. 36 TrjXe'Yoi'oj [son of Odysseus and 

 Circe] irapa. KipKrjs fjiaduv 6tl Trats 'OSvaffew^ ((ttIv, eirl tt)v 

 TOVTOv ^■i)Tr)<nv iKir\ti. irapayfv6iJ.€voi 5e els 'IdaKriv tt]v vijaov 

 axeXavvei riva rCiv ^offKrjfiaTtay, Kai 'Odvcrffea ^or]6ovvra r<jj /xtra 

 Xelpos Sopari TrfXtyovos <Tpiiy6vosy KivTpov Trjv alxP-V'' ^X'"''''' 

 TiTpJicTKet., Kal 'OSi'o-crei'S OvrjaKti ; Lycophr. Alex. 795 Kxevei 

 di Tvtj/as irXei'pd Xot'/ios arovv^ | Kevrpij) SvffdXdrji fXXoiros 

 ^apdwuiKTJs. According to one interpretation this is the 

 reference of the prophecy of Teiresias, Horn. Od. xi. 134 

 ddvaros 5c tol i^ dXos avT(f | d^Xrjxpbs fj.d\a toios (Kfvfferai, os 

 Ki ffe irii^yri kt\. 



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