THE COMPOSITION OF THERIACA

Latine · Mayhoff 1906

Et discessuri ab hortensiis unam conpositionem ex his clarissimam subteximus adversus venenata animalia incisam in lapide versibus Coi in aede Aesculapi: serpylli duum denariorum pondus, opopanacis et mei tantundem singulorum, trifolii seminis pondus denarii, anesi et feniculi seminis et ammi et apii denarium senum e singulis generibus, ervi farinae denarium XII. haec tusa cribrataque vino quam possit excellenti digeruntur in pastillos victoriati ponderum. ex his singuli dantur ex vini. mixti cyathis ternis. hac theriace Magnus Antiochus rex adversus omnia venenata usus traditur aspide excepta.

English · Bostock & Riley 1855–57

But as we are now about to leave the garden plants, we will take this opportunity of describing a very famous preparation extracted from them as an antidote against the stings of all kinds of venomous animals: it is inscribed in verse upon a stone in the Temple of Æsculapius at Cos.

Take two denarii of wild thyme, and the same quantity of opopanax and meum respectively; one denarius of trefoil seed; and of aniseed, fennel-seed, ammi, and parsley, six denarii respectively, with twelve denarii of meal of fitches. Heat up these ingredients together, and pass them through a sieve; after which they must be kneaded with the best wine that can be had, and then made into lozenges of one victoriatus each: one of these is to be given to the patient, steeped in three cyathi of wine. King Antiochus the Great, it is said, employed this theriaca against all kinds of venomous animals, the asp excepted.