APULEIUS’ ASTER 173 
This chapter 61 on Asterion is unlike others in being without 
synonyms, at least in the Drouart edition—though Apuleius is 
often cited as using the synonyms Aster and Inguinalis. 
Apuleius once uses Aster also as name of our familiar Plantago 
major L.., quoting Aster among a long list of synonyms, saying 
of his Herba Plantago, “Some call it heptapleuron,— 
“alii plantaginem majore, a Graecis arnoglosson, Galli car- 
bidolupon ; alii aster ; alii arnion ; Hispani tyricam vel thesaricarn ; 
alii septracimam ... Itali plantaginem latam,”’ etc. 
Apuleius adds that this p/antago is a remedy for the bite of 
either a mad dog or a serpent. As Aster Atticus was in use for 
both purposes, its name had probably become confused with plan- 
tago on account of similarity of use.—Was it merely as a trans- 
lation of Apuleius’ As‘er that Plantago appears as *' Herba Stella” 
in Dodoens’ Pemptades, p. 109 ? 
XLX.. -PALLADIUS 
One of the most popular Latin writers on agricultural subjects, 
Palladius was of very uncertain date, perhaps about 440 A. D., 
at least not before 438, suggests Meyer, and not after 540 A. 
D., when he was mentioned by Cassiodorus. Palladius’ De re 
rustica, * in 14 books, consists in the main of a Farmer's Calendar, 
in 12 books beginning with January, with addition of an intro- 
‘ductory book and of another on grafting in the form of a poem of 
85 couplets. The whole is based on Columella, Pliny, Gargilius 
Martialis (about 210-240 A. D.) and Vitruvius. Palladius’ work 
was itself known to Cassiodorus, 540 A. D., Isidore, 600: A. 
to Albertus Magnus, and Vincent de Beauvais ; and to Petrus de 
Crescentiis,+ last of the great writers in Latin de re rustica. 
Columella was the author to whom Palladius was indebted 
* « Palladius Rutilius Taurus Aemilianus;”” in the Latin ‘ Scriptores rei rusticae 
by Gesner, Leipsic, 1735, etc., edited again, by Schneider, Leipsic, 1794- First printed 
by Jenson at Venice, 1472. An Eng/ish translation by Th. Owen appeared at Lo 
don, 1807 
} Petrus de Crescentiis, or Piero da Crescenzi, ‘* civis bononiae, 
Whose works were printed 1471 at Augsburg by Schiiszler under the title 
commodorum libri duodecim,’’ and by John de Westphalia at Louvain in 147 
was born, fide Meyer, shortly before 1235, must have completed his writings 17 is 305, 
and died between June, 1320, when he made his will, and Feb., 1321, when his son 
became administrator. 
7 ¢., of Bologna, 
« Ruralium 
4. He 
