72 CHRONOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 



In "B. C. 338," the accession of Arses, the second Persian king who 

 ruled reconquered Egypt, took place. 



In " B. C. 336," the accession of Darius III., the third Persian king 

 who ruled reconquered Egypt, took place. 



The mnosEAiNON of Aristotle (Probl. xx. 7), and Theophrastus vii. 

 6, identified by Columella and Pliny with the " atrum olus" of Plautus 

 (Pseudol. iii. 2) and others, is usually referred to the Smyrnium olusa- 

 trum. — Apuleius Barbarus speaks of the plant being known in Egypt ; 

 but the S. olusatrum has not been found there by modern travellers. 



The XOAOKYNG12 of Aristotle (Probl. xx. 14) and others, called also 

 (according to Dioscorides) " kolokyntha alexandrine," is clearly the fruit 

 of the colocynih (Cucumis colocynthis). — This plant does not grow as far 

 north as Greece ; but is known to be indigenous in the Desert, from 

 Eg}'pt to the Euphrates and Hindostan. 



The aiktamnos of Aristotle viii. 6, Theophrastus, Antigonus Ca- 

 rystius, and Andromachus, according to the received opinion, is the 

 Origanum dictamnus. — Alpinus speaks of the "dictamnus cretensis" 

 being used medicinally in Egypt. 



In Egypt, the dried fruit of the Uvaria aromatica is called "amama;" 

 in which word we recognise, the amhmon of Aristotle and Athengeus 

 xi. 11 : and the descriptions by Dioscorides, Pliny, and Isidorus, are 

 found to correspond. According to Matthioli, Lobel, and Delile, the 

 fruit of the Uvaria is brought down the Nile from Interior Africa. 



The meaeatpis of Aristotle, Clytus Milesius, Menodotus, Pliny, and 

 Athengeus, according to the received opinion, is the Guinea-foirt (Nu- 

 mida meleagris). — Callixenus states, that " meleagrides" were carried at 

 Alexandria in the festival of Ptolemy Philadelphus : and according to 

 Browne, Guinea-fowl are still imported into Egypt by the Darfour 

 caravans. 



In " B. C. 332," Greek rule was established in Egypt by Alexander. 

 In the following year, Alexander proceeded on his Eastern Expedition ; 

 which, among other results, contributed essentially to render India 

 better known to the Mediterranean nations. 



About this time, Greek inscriptions make their appearance in Egypt. 

 Among the earliest, perhaps, is the papyrus containing a large portion 

 of a lost oration of Hyperides, recently discovered in Egypt by 

 Mr. A. C. Harris. 



