307 
from Africa (Libya). As C. Schoenanthus has not so far been 
observed in Arabia north of 18° N., we must assume either that 
the author took the term Nabataea in a wider sense than we do in 
confining it to Arabia Petraea, or that the article arrived through 
Nabataean channels, whence Nabataea acquired the reputation of | 
being the home of the drug. Considering the position which 
that region long occupied in the commercial relations of Arabia 
with the Levantine countries, the latter explanation is the more 
probable. The source of the ‘ Babylonian’ article is undoubtedly 
that small and rather isolated area which extends from Rakka* 
on the Euphrates east and south-east to the Turco-Persian 
frontier. Pliniust (23-79 A.D.) merely repeats Theophrastus’ 
and Dioscorides’ statements concerning the origin of cyoivoc, or as 
he calls it, Jwncus odoratus. Galenust (131-200 A.D.) also refers to 
Arabia as the home of the cyoivoc, adding that he does not know 
why it is vulgarly called “ cyoivov ayvOoc,” there being as a rule 
no flowers with the grass as imported from Arabia: for the 
camels are very fond of it and eat off the tops. This is the first 
time that cyoivov ayfoc is mentioned. Its Latin equivalent, 
however, ‘ Schoent edorati flos, occurs already in a prescription 
of the Roman surgeon Scribonius (about 4() A.D.). On the other 
hand the contracted form ‘ Schoenanthus’ (Squinanthus) does 
not appear until the fourth century when Palladius§$ uses it in a 
recipe for spicing wine. That the inflorescences, however, were 
used and valued long before Galenus is evident from Dioscorides, 
who says (l.c): “Usus est floris culmorum radicisque” and 
recommends for medicinal purposes the selection of many-flowered 
(zod\vav6y) specimens. Possibly it was just the rarity of the 
flowers which enhanced their value in the Greek and Roman 
markets. Asa medicinal drug it was chiefly appreciated as an 
active carminative, diuretic and emmenagogue. I have referred 
to the use of cyoivoc for spicing or perfuming wine. It is already 
recorded by Catol] (223-149 B.C.). For that purpose it was either 
pounded in mortars (Cato) or boiled with the wine (Columella). q 
Similarly it was used for aromatising oil, and the ‘oleum 
juncinum’ of Plinius** was probably nothing but olive-oil 
perfumed with ‘Schoenanthus. Ina similar way it entered 
into the preparation of laurel-, rose-, and quince-oil (Dioscorides),tT 
and was no doubt, even in those remote days an ingredient of 
cosmetics and perfumes, so that Propertius{{ could very well say : 
*“ Afflabunt tibi non Arabum de gramine odores, sed quos ipse 
suis fecit Amor manibus.” 
It is quite in keeping with the general character of Greek 
and Roman literature that we do not meet with any serious 
* Rauwolf, Beschreih. Raiss. Morgenland. (1583). p. 169. 
+ Plinius, Nat. Hist. ; ed. Dalecamp. (1615), lib. xii., cap. xxii., p. 256. 
+ Galenus, Lib. de antid. i., cap xiv., according to Stapel in his edition of 
Theophrastus, l.c. 
§ Palladius, Agricultura, xi. (October), 13. 
|| Cato, De Re Rust., cap. civ. (p. 45 of ed. Lugd., apud Gryphium, 1541). 
€ Columella, Rei Rust., lib. xii., cap. xx. 
** Plinius, Le., lib. xv. cap. vii. 
+t Dioscorides, Le., pp. 55, 57, 58. 
tt Propertius, ii., 29, 17-18. 
