58 CHRONOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 



genous in Europe ; but this is not altogether certain. — Arrian states, 

 that Alexander met with priests of Bacchus on the Upper Indus, who 

 informed him, That the ivy in that quarter grew only upon Mount 

 Meros. Hasselquist found the ivy on Mount Tabor ; and I have been 

 informed, of some recent unsuccessful attempts to cultivate the plant 

 in Egypt. 



The 4>eaaos of iEschylus and Pindar (Pyth. ii.), is referred by 

 Theodorus Gaza and others to the cork-tree (Quercus suber). — This 

 species of oak grows in Italy (as remarked by Theophrastus iii. 16); 

 and also, in Spain ; but was not seen by Sibthorp in Greece. The 

 economical uses of the bark, were doubtless communicated to Egypt 

 at an early period. 



The EAATHnoN of iEschylus (Choeph. 962), Hippocrates, Theo- 

 phrastus ix. 14, and Dioscorides, is considered to be the drug obtained 

 from the Momordica elaterium. — The plant was seen by Sibthorp in 

 Greece ; and was received from Egypt by Linnaaus. 



The zeainon KHnAioN of Pindar, Aristophanes, and Dioscorides, 

 translated "apium" by Cato, Virgil, and Pliny, seems to correspond 

 with the parsley (Petroselinum sativum). — The parsley was seen by 

 Forskal and Delile in gardens at Cairo; but according to Clot-Bey and 

 Figari, is rare in Egypt. 



The KAAAMiNeH of the Batrachomyomachia, Aristophanes, and Dios- 

 corides, according to Sibthorp's account of the Greek usage, would 

 seem to be the Mentha syloestris. — This plant was seen by Forskal and 

 Delile, growing spontaneously at Rosetta. 



In " B. C. 485," the accession of Cheschearscha or Xerxes, the third 

 Persian king who ruled Egypt, took place. His name has been found 

 in hieroglyphic characters on rocks on the Kosser road ; and on 

 movable articles, now in the museums of Europe ; together with the 

 date of the twelfth year of his reign. 



In " B. C. 480," Xerxes set out from Sardis, in Asia Minor, on his 

 memorable invasion of Greece. 



The earliest Greek coins hitherto discovered, are those issued by 

 Alexander I., the Macedonian king who accompanied the army of 

 Xerxes. The letters on them, are the Greek capital letters used at 

 the present day. 



Statues holding the " fruit of the garden-pine," the work of Ptolichus 

 and Calamis, were seen by Pausanias. — Pine-nuts are mentioned by 

 Mnesitheus, Theophrastus, Diodes, Alexander Myndius, Nicander, 



