114 Aster History; THEOPHRASTUS 
Two interpretations have been set up for this reference: Ist, 
that dotep:oxoc means the Aster Atticus; 2d, that it means Parte- 
taria officinalis L., of which polymorphous congeries P. diffusa, 
M. et K. is the chief representative now in Greece and Italy. 
In favor of the rendering of asteriscus by Aster Atticus are the 
following facts : 
1. Asteriscus is given among the Dioscoridean synonyms as a 
name used by some for Aster Adticus. 
2. Most lexicographers have so received it in this passage; 
Stephanus, and Liddell and Scott, incline to do so; in support of 
which Stephanus and DuCange quote a mediaeval MSS. lexicon as 
agreeing (Codex Reg., 1843). 
3. Theodorus Gaza, first translator, so understood it, translating 
asteriscus here by herba inguinalis, a common Latin equivalent for 
Aster Atticus. 
4. Apuleius Platonicus, about 400 A.D., used asteriscus (with- 
out special reference to this passage, however) as equivalent to 
herba inguinalis, t. ¢., Aster Atticus ; fide Stephanus. 
5. Actuarius,* the Constantinople physician of about 1300 
A.D., identified asteriscus with Aster Atticus. 
_ 6, Most commentators and editors retain this view; as the 
elaborate commentary of Bodaeus, 1644, after reviewing the other 
side at some length. 
The contrary interpretation, that Theophrastus’ asteriscus means. 
Parietaria officinalis 1, (see supra, 80, 81) is due to the commen- 
tator and lexicographer, Robertus Constantinus, + who, in_ his 
Greek lexicon (Geneva, 1 592), omits detepiozxoc ; in his commen- 
tary on Theophrastus he proposes this emendation : 
“’Aatsptexov, corrupte pro datepixo). De Asterico herbs sive 
perdicio vel herba urceolaris t habes apud Pliniam 22, 17." 
‘  ialieainie Actnarius (Auctuarius of some), whose works are published i in n Ideler’ ss 
Physici Gr. Minores ; first published in Latin translation by Ruellius, Paris, 1539, by 
title of ** De medicamentorum compositione.’’ See infra. . 
t Styled «* praestans vir?’ by Tournefort, Institutiones, 1 : 5 ; his Commentary had 
been published 1584, Leyden, and 1644, Amsterdam, the latter by Bodaeus. He is said 
written in Paris e infra 
Pliny quotes these names as synonyms ; Billerbeck identifies dene with Parie- 
taria officinalis L., the Roman perdicium, by Galen called ‘‘ repdixeov, because the — 
partridge’s delight, ” by Celsus murali: , by Ammianus farietina, by Apule eius perdi- ey 
cals, by Dioscorides and others é égivn, ** a semine aspero vestibus adhaerente,’”’ by the 
known as Glaskraut, and, like the pansy, as Zug und Nacht. 
