162 The Fig Tree. 



The story of Romulus and Remus being suckled by a wolf un- 

 der a fig tree, proves that this fruit must have been early known 

 in Italy. 



The Egyptians and Greeks held this fruit in great estimation; 

 it was their custom to carry a basket of figs next to the vessel of 

 wine used in the DionysiUy or festivals in honor of Bacchus; and 

 it is related to have been the favorite fruit of Cleopatra, who was 

 the most luxurious queen the world ever produced. The asp 

 with which she terminated her life, was conveyed to her in a bas- 

 ket of figs. 



Saturn, one of the Roman deities, was represented crowned 

 with new figs; he being supposed to have first taught the use of 

 agriculture in Italy. There was a temple in Rome dedicated to 

 this god, before which, grew a large fig tree. The vestals, when 

 they removed this tree in order to build a chapel on the spot, offer- 

 ed a propitiatory sacrifice; this happened about 268 years after 

 the foundation of the city. 



The fig was a fruit much admired by the Romans, who brought 

 it from most of the countries they conquered, and had so increas- 

 ed the varieties in Italy, by ihe commencement of the christian 

 era, that Pliny has furnished us with a description of twenty-nine 

 sorts that were familiar to him. He says, ' figs are restorative, 

 and the best food that can be taken by those who are brought low 

 by long sickness and are on the recovery.' He adds, ' that figs 

 increase the strength of young people, preserve the elderly in bet- 

 ter health and make them look younger and with fewer wrinkles. 

 They are so nutritive as to cause corpulency and strength ; for 

 this cause,' continues he, 'professed wrestlers and champions 

 were in times past fed with figs.' This naturalist mentions the 

 African figs as being admired; but says, ' it is not long since they 

 began to grow figs in Africa.' These appear to have been of an 

 early kind; for we find when Cato wished to stimulate the sena- 

 tors to declare w^ar against Carthage, he took an early African fig 

 in his hand, and then addressing the assembly, he said, ' I would 

 demand of you how long it is since this fig was gathered from, the 

 tree?' and when they all agreed that it was freshly gathered, ' yes,' 

 answered Cato, ' it is not yet three days since this fig was gather- 

 ed at Carthage; and by it, see how near to the walls of our city 

 we have a mortal enemy.' With this argument he prevailed upon 

 them to begin the third Punic war, in which Carthage, that had 

 so long been a rival to Rome, was utterly destroyed. ' The Lyd- 

 ian figs,' says Pliny, 'are of a reddish-purple color; the Rhodi- 

 an, of a blackish hue; as is the Tiburtine, which ripens before 

 others. The white figs were from Herculaneum, Albicerale and 



