BOOK III. 11. 26-29 



if only it is free from rain, because in some regions 

 its wine is racked off for long keeping, and especially 

 because it alone gives a good name to even the 

 poorest of soil by reason of its o^vn fertility. [Celsus 27 

 includes also] such as the Spionian, rich in must but 

 fruitful in the size rather than the number of its 

 clusters ; such as the Horconian,« the Murgentine," 

 which is the same as the Pompeian, the Numisian, 

 the Venuculan, also called Scirpulan and Sticulan ; * 

 such as the black Fragellan, the Merican, the 

 Rhaetian, and that most prolific of all vines within 

 our acquaintance, the greater Arcelacan," wrongly 

 considered by many to be the Argitis. For as to 28 

 those that have recently come to my knowledge — 

 I mean the Pergulan, the Irtiolan, and the Fereolan — 

 I could not easily declare with certainty in what 

 class they are to be considered ; for, though I know 

 that they are passably fruitful, I have not been able 

 as yet to pass judgment on the quality of the wine 

 that they produce. We have discovered also that 

 there is an early-ripe vine, hitherto unknown to us 

 and called Dracontion after the Greek fashion, which 

 may be compared in fruitfulness and agreeableness 

 to the Arcelacan, the Basihc, and the Bituric vines, 

 and in its high quahty to the Aminean. There are, 29 

 besides, many sorts of vines of which we can relate 



" Cf. Pliny, N.H. XIV. 35. 



" Pliny, N.H. XIV. 34. 



•^ Not mentioned as such by other writers. 



argillis SA. 



nuper gulanam (mihi cognitas per- om.) SA. 



249 



