CORACESTA AND CALLICIA

Latine · Mayhoff 1906

In promisso herbarum mirabilium occurrit aliqua dicere et de magicis. quae enim mirabiliores? primi eas in nostro orbe celebravere Pythagoras atque Democritus, consectati Magos.

Coracesia et calicia Pythagoras aquam glaciari tradit, quarum mentionem apud alios non reperio, nec apud eum alia de his. idem Minyada appellat et nomine alio Corinthiam, cuius decocto in aqua suco protinus sanari ictus serpentium, si foveantur, dicit. eundem effusum in herba qui vestigio contigerint aut forte respersos insanabili leto perire, monstrifica prorsus natura veneni praeterquam contra venena. ab eodem Pythagora aproxis appellatur herba, cuius radix e longinquo concipiat ignes, ut naphtha, de qua in terrae miraculis diximus. idem tradit, si qui morbi humano corpori inciderint florente brassica, quamvis sanatos admonitionem eorum sentire, quotiens floreat; item si florente acciderint aut frumento aut cicuta aut viola, similem conditionem habere. nec me fallit hoc volumen eius a quibusdam Cleemporo medico adscribi, verum Pythagorae pertinax fama antiquitasque vindicant, et id ipsum auctoritatem voluminum adfert, si quis alius curae suae opus illo viro dignum iudicavit, quod fecisse Cleemporum, cum alia suo et nomine ederet, quis credat?

Democriti certe chirocmeta esse constat. at in his ille post Pythagoram Magorum studiosissimus quanto portentosiora tradit! ut aglaophotim herbam, quae admiratione hominum propter eximium colorem acceperit nomen, in marmoribus Arabiae nascentem Persico latere, qua de causa et marmaritim vocari; hac Magos uti, cum velint deos evocare. —Achaemenida, colore electri, sine folio nascentem Taradastilis Indiae, qua pota in vino noxii per cruciatus confiteantur omnia per varias numrinum imaginationes; eandem hippophobada appellat, quoniam equae praecipue caveant eam.—Theombrotion xxx schoenis a Choaspe nasci, pavonis picturis similem, odore eximio; hanc a regibus Persarum bibi contra omnia corporum in- commoda; a stabilitate [mentis et iustitiae ], eandem semnion a potentiae maiestate appellari.—Aliam deinde adamantida, Armeniae Cappadociaeque alumnam; hac admota leones resupinari cum hiatu lasso. nominis causam esse quod conteri nequeat.—Arianida in Arianis gigni, igneam colore; colligi, cum sol in leone sit. huius tactu peruncta oleo ligna accendi. —Therionarca in Cappadocia et Mysia nascente omnes feras torpescere nec nisi hyaenae urina adspersa recreari. Aethiopida in Meroe nasci, ob id et Meroida appellari, folio lactucae, hydropicis utilissimam e mulso potam; ophiusam in Elephantine eiusdem Aethiopiae, lividam difficilemque aspectu, qua pota terrorem minasque serpentium obversari ita, ut mortem sibi eo metu consciscant; ob id cogi sacrilegos illam bibere. adversari ei palmeum vinum.—Thalassaeglen circa Indum amnem inveniri, quae ob id nomine alio potamaugis appellatur; hac pota lymphari homines obversantibus miraculis.—Theangelida in Libano Syriae, Dicte Cretae montibus et Babylone et Susis Persidis nasci, qua pota Magi divinent; gelotophyllida in Bactris et circa Borysthenen. haec si bibatur cum murra et vino, varias obversari species ridendique finem non fieri nisi potis nucleis pineae nucis cum pipere et melle in vino palmeo.—Hestiaterida a convictu nominari in Perside, quoniam hilarentur illa, eandem protomediam, qua primatum apud reges obtineant; casigneten, quoniam secum ipsa nascatur nec cum aliis ullis herbis, eandem dionysonymphadem, quoniam vino mira conveniat.—Helianthes vocat in Themiscyrena regione et Ciliciae montibus maritimis, folio myrti. hac cum adipe leonino decocta, addito croco et palmeo vino, perungui Magos et Persarum reges, ut fiat corpus aspectu iucundum; ideo eandem heliocallida nominari. —Hermesias ab eodem vocatur ad liberos generandos pulchros bonosque non herba, sed conpositio e nucleis pineae nucis tritis cum melle, murra, croco, vino palmeo, postea admixto theombrotio et lacte. bibere generaturos iubet et a conceptu, puerperas partum nutrientes; ita fieri excellentes animi et formae bonis. atque harum omnium magica quoque vocabula ponit.

Adiecit his Apollodorus adsectator eius herbam aeschynomenen, quoniam adpropinquante manu folia contraheret, aliam crocida, cuius tactu phalangia morerentur, Crateuas onothurin, cuius aspersu e vino feritas omnium animalium mitigaretur, anacampseroten celeber arte grammatica paulo ante, cuius omnino tactu redirent amores vel cum odio depositi. et abunde sit hactenus attigisse insignia Magorum in herbis alia de his aptiore dicturis loco.

English · Bostock & Riley 1855–57

While I am treating of plants of a marvellous nature, I am induced to make some mention of certain magical plants—for what, in fact, can there be more marvellous than they? The first who descanted upon this subject in our part of the world were Pythagoras and Democritus, who have adopted the accounts given by the Magi. Coracesta and callicia, according to Pythagoras, are plants which congeal water. I find no mention made of them, however, by any other author, and he himself gives no further particulars relative to them.

Pythagoras gives the name of minsas too, or corinthia, to another plant; a decoction of which, used as a fomentation, will effect an instantaneous cure of stings inflicted by serpents, according to him. He adds too, that if this decoction is poured upon the grass, and a person happens to tread upon it, or if the body should chance to be sprinkled with it, the result is fatal beyond all remedy; so monstrously malignant are the venomous proporties of this plant, except as neutralizing other kinds of poison.

Pythagoras makes mention, too, of a plant called aproxis, the root of which takes fire at a distance, like naphtha, of which we have made some mention, when speaking of the marvellous productions of the earth. He says too, that if the human body happens to be attacked by any disease while the cabbage is in blossom, the person, although he may have been perfectly cured, will be sensible of a recurrence of the symptoms, every time that plant comes into blossom; a peculiarity which he attributes to it in common with wheat, hemlock, and the violet.

I am not ignorant, however, that the work of his from which I have just quoted is ascribed to the physician Cleemporus by some, though antiquity and the unbroken current of tradition concur in claiming it for Pythagoras. It is quite enough, however, to say in favour of a book, that the author has deemed the results of his labours worthy to be published under the name of so great a man. And yet who can believe that Cleemporus would do this, seeing that he has not hesitated to publish other works under his own name?

As to Democritus, there can be no doubt that the work called “Chirocmeta” belongs to him. How very much more marvellous too are the accounts given in this book by the philosopher who, next to Pythagoras, has acquired the most intimate knowledge of the learning of the Magi! According to him, the plant aglaophotis, which owes its name to the admiration in which its beauteous tints are held by man, is found growing among the marble quarries of Arabia, on the side of Persia, a circumstance which has given it the additional name of “marmaritis.” By means of this plant, he says, the Magi can summon the deities into their presence when they please.

The achæmenis, he says, a plant the colour of amber, and destitute of leaves, grows in the country of the Tradastili, an Indian race. The root of it, divided into lozenges and taken in wine in the day time, torments the guilty to such a degree during the night by the various forms of avenging deities presented to the imagination, as to extort from them a confession of their crimes. He gives it the name also of “hippophobas,” it being an especial object of terror to mares.

The theobrotion is a plant found at a distance of thirty schœni from the river Choaspes; it represents the varied tints of the peacock, and the odour of it is remarkably fine. The kings of Persia, he says, are in the habit of taking it in their food or drink, for all maladies of the body, and derangements of the mind. It has the additional name of semnion, from the use thus made of it by majesty.

He next tells us of the adamantis, a plant grown in Armenia and Cappadocia: presented to a lion, he says, the beast will fall upon its back, and drop its jaws. Its name originates in the fact that it is impossible to bruise it. The arianis, he says, is found in the country of the Ariani; it is of a fiery colour, and is gathered when the sun is in Leo. Wood rubbed with oil will take fire on coming in contact with this plant. The therionarca, he tells us, grows in Cappadocia and Mysia; it has the effect of striking wild beasts of all kinds with a torpor which can only be dispelled by sprinkling them with the urine of the hyæna. He speaks too of the æthiopis, a plant which grows in Meroë; for which reason it is also known as the “meroïs.” In leaf it resembles the lettuce, and, taken with honied wine, it is very good for dropsy. The ophiusa, which is found in Elephantine, an island also of Æthiopia, is a plant of a livid colour, and hideous to the sight. Taken by a person in drink, he says, it inspires such a horror of serpents, which his imagination continually represents as menacing him, that he commits suicide at last; hence it is that persons guilty of sacrilege are compelled to drink an infusion of it. Palm wine, he tells us, is the only thing that neutralizes its effects.

The thalassægle he speaks of as being found on the banks of the river Indus, from which circumstance it is also known as the potamaugis. Taken in drink it produces a delirium, which presents to the fancy visions of a most extraordinary nature. The theangelis, he says, grows upon Mount Libanus in Syria, upon the chain of mountains called Dicte in Crete, and at Babylon and Susa in Persis. An infusion of it in drink, imparts powers of divination to the Magi. The gelotophyllis too, is a plant found in Bactriana, and on the banks of the Borysthenes. Taken internally with myrrh and wine, all sorts of visionary forms present themselves, and excite the most immoderate laughter, which can only be put an end to by taking kernels of the pine-nut, with pepper and honey, in palm wine.

The hestiatoris, he tells us, is a Persian plant, so called from its promotion of gaiety and good fellowship at carousals. Another name for it is protomedia, because those who eat of it will gain the highest place in the royal favour. The casignetes too, we learn, is so called, because it grows only among plants of its own kind, and is never found in company with any other; another name given to it is “dionysonymphas,” from the circumstance of its being remarkably well adapted to the nature of wine. Helianthes is the name he gives to a plant found in the regions of Themiscyra and the mountainous parts of maritime Cilicia, with leaves like those of myrtle. This plant is boiled up with lion’s fat, saffron and palm wine being added; the Magi, he tells us, and Persian monarchs are in the habit of anointing the body with the preparation, to add to its graceful appearance: he states also, that for this reason it has the additional name of “heliocallis.” What the same author calls “hermesias,” has the singular virtue of ensuring the procreation of issue, both beautiful as well as good. It is not a plant, however, but a composition made of kernels of pine nuts, pounded with honey, myrrh, saffron, and palm wine, to which theobrotium and milk are then added. He also recommends those who wish to become parents to drink this mixture, and says, that females should take it immediately after conception, and during pregnancy. If this is done, he says, the infant will be sure to be endowed with the highest qualities, both in mind and body. In addition to what has here been stated, Democritus gives the various names by which all these plants are known to the Magi.

Apollodorus, one of the followers of Democritus, has added to this list the herb æschynomene, so called from the shrinking of its leaves at the approach of the hand; and another called “crocis,” the touch of which is fatal to the phalangium. Crateuas, also, speaks of the œnotheris, an infusion of which in wine, sprinkled upon them, has the effect of taming all kind of animals, however wild. A celebrated grammarian, who lived but very recently, has described the anacampseros, the very touch of which recalls former love, even though hatred should have succeeded in its place. It will be quite sufficient for the present to have said thus much in reference to the remarkable virtues attributed to certain plants by the Magi; as we shall have occasion to revert to this subject in a more appropriate place.