i.] OF THE ANCIENTS. 27 



are driven in these cases to explain the epithet 

 applied in some other manner, quite apart from any 

 consideration of sex. 



Liddell and Scott accordingly consider the so- 

 called male plant as the Spruce, and the female 

 one as the Silver Fir. 



This identification, however, would seem irrecon- 

 cileable with the fact, that the former tree is not 

 indigenous either in Greece or in the Levant. 



Lenz, on the contrary, lays it down that the 

 male Fir is the red, and the female the white variety 

 of the Spruce ; to which idea of course the same 

 objection applies. 



All we can say for certain on this subject is, that 

 the one called the male Fir was the loftier, hardier, 

 and handsomer tree of the two. It is, therefore, 

 probably the one which Homer alludes to as soar- 

 ing to the sky, (ovpavofi-qK^^) and describes as 

 growing in the Isle of Calypso, along with the 

 Alder, the Poplar, and other lofty trees : 



NJJCTOU ITT ecr^aTirjs, odt 8ev8pen paupa Tre(pvKfi, 

 /, T a'iyeipos T', e'Aan; T* ?)v ov 



" On the lone island's utmost verge there stood 

 Of poplars, pines, and firs, a lofty wood, 

 Whose leafless summits to the skies aspire, 

 Scorched by the sun, or seared by heavenly fire." 



The word e'Aarr; indeed is used by Dioscorides in 

 quite a different sense, namely, to indicate the young 



1 Odyss. v. 239. 



