ASTERISCUS 115 
Against this emendation, it may be noted, besides the observa- 
tions noted above, that the best and oldest manuscripts support 
the reading dozepioxog ; and so Wimmer in the Didot edition of 
Theophrastus (Paris, 1866) retains doreptoxoc,* stating that he fol- 
lows scrupulously the codex Urbinas, ‘“‘ much the oldest and best 
and fullest of the codices of Theophrastus.” 
Theophrastus’ chief contribution to the knowledge of Aster con- 
sists of the use of this name as¢eriscus, with mention of the small 
seeds. 
IV. NICANDER 
Nicander, Greek poet and priest of Apollo,t a native of 
Colophon, and therefore writing in the Ionic dialect, who flour- 
ished about 160 B.C., is the source of the first commonly-received 
citation for Aster. His numerous descriptions and references to 
plants do not include Asters in his longer surviving works, his 
Theriaca and his Alexipharmaca, which poems have a combined 
length of more than 1,500 lines, and have a great deal to say of 
the classic conyza, but no mention of Aster. Nicander’s actual 
reference to Aster is ina fragment of the second book of his 
Georgica, a lost poem of some length and apparently of much 
beauty. We owe the preservation of this and other fragments of 
Nicander’s Georgics to Athenaeus,} that indefatigable collector of 
choice bits of Greek poetry. Some of these brief fragments were 
quoted by Athenaeus from tattered MSS. where he could not read 
more than he quoted. 
This fragment is of some feng including 72 lines.§ The 
Aster is mentioned in line 66, following immediately ona catalog 
of flowers which, as Nicander says, “you may cull for posies,” 
powers from amaracus to ee 
8 Though i in his Latin translation he pee renders dorepioxoc by ‘‘ exterion,” 
as if a misprint for ‘ asterion,’? another Dioscoridean igs for Aster Atticus. 
t Priest of Apollo Didymaeus, at Claros, Tonia ; of Damnaeus and known as 
Colophonius from the neighboring city of his birth ; . is = thought by. Meyer aa. have te 
about 133 B.C. ; mentions about 125 plants in g frag g 
to ny Attalus III., says Suidas. 
t Athenaeus, Deipnosophists, XV, 683, of about 200 A. yy; 
§ Meyer claiming that the text is corrupt and ‘¢ dim with mythologic fancies,’’ says 
he will not translate it, Geschichte, 1: 244, perhaps because he deemed line 72 
unintelligible. 
