ANTIQUITY OF THE CITRON- TREE IN EGYPT. 



147 



mcdicum, or assyricum. Theophrastus, under one of these 

 names, described the Citron -tree so minutely that it is not 

 possible to mistake it for any other fruit-bearing tree. Theo- 

 phrastus wrote of it in the fourth century B.C. 



Then the Citron was not eaten, but only used medicinally, 

 and mainly as an antidote for all sorts of poisons ! 



M. Loret mentions several ancient authors who wrote of the 

 Citron-tree, viz. Florentinus, who probably lived in the second 

 century B.C. ; Diophane de Nicee, who lived in the first century 

 b.c. ; the brothers Gordianus and Maximus Quintilius, who 

 lived between 140 and 183 a.d. ; Sextus Julius Africanus, who 

 lived 209-235 a.d.; Anatolius, who died 360 a.d. 



Palladius in the fifth century a.d. writes that it was well 

 established then in Italy, and it appears that he cultivated it him- 

 self in Naples and Sardinia. 



Antiphanes mentions seeds having been imported into Greece 

 from Persia. This not improbably was soon after' it had been 

 discovered by the Greeks in Media and Persia. Then its intro- 

 duction into Italy would have been soon after. 



From the researches of M. Loret, it appears that at the 

 commencement of the fourth century a.d. the Citron-tree, under 

 the Coptic name of Ghitrc, KitJiri, or Ketri, was commonly 

 cultivated in Upper Egypt, which would mean that it was 

 known to the Egyptians long before. There appears to be, 

 indeed, documentary evidence to show that it was known there 

 about the middle of the second century a.d., and even sold among 

 the lower classes. 



On the authority of MM. Bonastre and Decaisne, there exists 

 in the Louvre a Citrus discovered in an Egyptian tomb in 

 Thebes, belonging to the epoch of the Ramessides in the twelfth 

 century b.c. 



But there appears to be sufficient evidence to show that the 

 Citron-tree was known to the ancient Egyptians even before that 

 period, for Mr. G. Ebers has observed it in a document still 

 older. 



In a part of the Temple of Karnak, built by Thotmes III. in 

 the fifteenth century b.c, is a chamber, on the walls of which 

 are figured many fruit-trees, brought during Pharaonic expedi- 

 tions into Asia. 



l 2 



