ἑστιωμένων ἡμῶν ποτʼ ἐν Χαιρωνείᾳ καὶ παρατεθείσης παντοδαπῆς ὀπώρας, ἐπῆλθέ τινι τῶν κατακειμένων ἀναφθέγξασθαι τὸν στίχον ἐκεῖνον συκέαι τε γλυκεραὶ καὶ μηλέαι ἀγλαόκαρποι καὶ ἐλαῖαι τηλεθόωσαι ζήτησις οὖν ἦν, διὰ τί τὰς μηλέας ὁ ποιητὴς ἀγλαοκάρπους ἐξαιρέτως προσεῖπεν. καὶ Τρύφων μὲν ὁ ἰατρὸς ἔλεγε κατὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸ δένδρον εἰρῆσθαι σύγκρισιν, ὅτι μικρὸν ὂν κομιδῇ καὶ τὴν ὄψιν εὐτελὲς καλὸν καὶ μέγαν ἐκφέρει τὸν καρπόν. ἄλλος δέ τις ἔφη τὸ καλὸν ἐκ πάντων συντεθὲν μόνῳ τούτῳ τῶν ἀκροδρύων ὁρᾶν ὑπάρχον καὶ γὰρ τὴν ψαῦσιν ἔχει καθάριον, ὥστε μὴ μολύνειν ἀλλʼ εὐωδίας ἀναπιμπλάναι τὸν ἁπτόμενον, καὶ τὴν γεῦσιν ἡδεῖαν, ὀσφραίνεσθαί τε καὶ ἰδεῖν ἐπιτερπέστατόν ἐστι· διὸ καὶ πάσας ὁμοῦ τι τὰς αἰσθήσεις προσαγόμενον εἰκότως ἐπαινεῖσθαι.
As we were at supper in Chaeronea, and had all sorts of fruit at the table, one of the company chanced to speak these verses, The fig-trees sweet, the apple-trees that bear / Fair fruit, and olives green through all the year. / Upon this there arose a question, why the poet calls apple-trees particularly ἀγλαόκρποι, bearing fair fruit. Trypho the physician said, that this epithet was given comparatively in respect of the tree, because, being small and no goodly tree to look upon, it bears fair and large fruit. Somebody else said, that the particular excellencies that are scattered amongst all other fruits are united in this alone. As to the touch, it is smooth and clean, so that it makes the hand that toucheth it odorous without defiling it; it is sweet to the taste, and to the smell and sight very pleasing; and therefore there is reason that it should be duly praised, as being that which congregates and allures all the senses together.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἔφαμεν ἡμεῖς μετρίως λέγεσθαι· τοῦ δʼ Ἐμπεδοκλέους εἰρηκότος οὕνεκεν ὀψίγονοί τε σίδαι καὶ ὑπέρφλοια μῆλα, τὸ μὲν τῶν σιδῶν ἐπίθετον νοεῖν, ὅτι, τοῦ φθινοπώρου λήγοντος ἤδη καὶ τῶν καυμάτων μαραινομένων, ἐκπέττουσι τὸν καρπόν· ἀσθενῆ γὰρ αὐτῶν τὴν ὑγρότητα καὶ γλίσχραν οὖσαν οὐκ ἐᾷ λαβεῖν σύστασιν ὁ ἥλιος, ἂν μὴ μεταβάλλειν ὁ ἀὴρ ἐπὶ τὸ ψυχρότερον ἄρχηται· διὸ καὶ μόνον τοῦτό φησι Θεόφραστος τὸ δένδρον ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ βέλτιον ἐκπέττειν τὸν καρπὸν καὶ τάχιον. τὰ δὲ μῆλα καθʼ ἥντινα διάνοιαν ὁ σοφὸς ὑπέρφλοια προσειρήκοι, διαπορεῖν, καὶ μάλιστα τἀνδρὸς οὐ καλλιγραφίας ἕνεκα τοῖς εὐπροσωποτάτοις τῶν ἐπιθέτων, ὥσπερ ἀνθηροῖς χρώμασι, τὰ πράγματα γανοῦν εἰωθότος, ἀλλʼ ἕκαστον οὐσίας τινὸς ἢ δυνάμεως δήλωμα ποιοῦντος, οἷον ἀμφιβρότην χθόνα τὸ τῇ ψυχῇ περικείμενον σῶμα, καί νεφεληγερέτην τὸν ἀέρα καὶ πολυαίματον τὸ ἧπαρ,
This discourse we liked indifferently well. But whereas Empedocles has thus written, Why pomegranates so late do grow, / And apples bear a lovely show; / I understand well (said I) the epithet given to pomegranates, because that at the end of autumn, and when the heats begin to decrease, they ripen the fruit; for the sun will not suffer the weak and thin moisture to thicken into a consistence until the air begins to wax colder; therefore, says Theophrastus, this only tree ripens its fruit best and soonest in the shade. But in what sense the philosopher gives the epithet ὑπέρφλοια to apples, I much question, since it is not his custom to strive to adorn his verses with varieties of epithets, as with gay and florid colors. But in every verse he gives some dilucidation of the substance and virtue of the subject upon which he treats; as when he calls the body encircling the soul the mortal-encompassing earth; as also when he calls the air cloud-gathering, and the liver full of blood.
εἰπόντος οὖν ἐμοῦ ταῦτα, γραμματικοί τινες ἔφασαν ὑπέρφλοια λελέχθαι τὰ μῆλα διὰ τὴν ἀκμήν· τὸ γὰρ ἄγαν ἀκμάζειν καὶ τεθηλέναι φλοίειν ὑπὸ τῶν ποιητῶν λέγεσθαι. καὶ τὸν Ἀντίμαχον οὕτω πως φλοίουσαν ὀπώραις εἰρηκέναι τὴν τῶν Καδμείων πόλιν· ὁμοίως τὸν Ἄρατον ἐπὶ τοῦ Σειρίου λέγοντα καὶ τὰ μὲν ἔρρωσεν, τῶν δὲ φλόον ὤλεσε πάντα, τὴν χλωρότητα καὶ τὸ ἄνθος τῶν καρπῶν φλόον προσαγορεύειν εἶναι δὲ καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων τινάς, οἳ Φλοίῳ Διονύσῳ θύουσιν. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν μάλιστα τῶν καρπῶν ἡ χλωρότης καὶ τὸ τεθηλέναι τῷ μήλῳ παραμένει, ὑπέρφλοιον αὐτὸ τὸν φιλόσοφον προσαγορεῦσαι. Λαμπρίας δʼ ὁ πάππος ἡμῶν ἔφη τὴν ὑπὲρ φωνὴν οὐ μόνον τἄγαν καὶ τὸ σφοδρὸν δηλοῦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἔξωθεν καὶ τὸ ἄνωθεν· οὕτω γάρ ὑπέρθυρον καὶ ὑπερῷον καλεῖν ἡμᾶς, τὸν δὲ ποιητὴν καὶ κρέʼ ὑπέρτερα τὰ ἔξω τοῦ ἱερείου, ὥσπερ ἔγκατα τὰ ἐντός. ὅρα τοίνυν ἔφη μὴ πρὸς τοῦτο μᾶλλον ὁ Ἐμπεδοκλῆς πεποίηκε τὸ ἐπίθετον, ὅτι, τῶν ἄλλων καρπῶν τὸ ἔξωθεν ὑπὸ τοῦ φλοιοῦ περιεχομένων καὶ τὰ καλούμενα λεπύχανα καὶ κελύφη καὶ ὑμένας καὶ λοβοὺς ἐπιπολῆς; ἐχόντων, ὁ τοῦ μήλου φλοιὸς ἐντός ἐστι κολλώδης χιτὼν καὶ λιπαρός, ᾧ προσίσχεται τὸ σπέρμα· τὸ δʼ ἐδώδιμον, ἔξωθεν αὐτῷ περικείμενον, εἰκότως ὑπέρφλοιον ὠνόμασται.
When now I had said these things myself, certain grammarians affirmed, that those apples were called ὑπέρφλοια by reason of their vigor and florid manner of growing; for to blossom and flourish after an extraordinary manner is by the poets expressed by the word φλοίειν. In this sense, Antimachus calls the city of Cadmeans flourishing with fruit; and Aratus, speaking of the dog-star Sirius, says that he To some gave strength, but others did consume, / Their bloom and verdure parching; / calling the greenness of the trees and the blossoming of the fruit by the name of φλόος. Nay, there are some of the Greeks also who sacrifice to Bacchus surnamed Φλοῖος. And therefore, seeing the verdure and floridness chiefly recommend this fruit, philosophers call it ὑπέρφλοιον. But Lamprias our grandfather said that the word ὑπέρ did not only denote excess and vehemency, but external and supernal; thus we call the lintel of a door ὑπέρθυρον, and the upper part of the house ὑπερῷον; and the poet calls the outward parts of the victim the upper-flesh, as he calls the entrails the inner-flesh. Let us see therefore, says he, whether Empedocles did not make use of this epithet in this sense, seeing that other fruits are encompassed with an outward rind and with certain skins and membranes, but the only husk that the apple has is a glutinous and smooth tunic (or core) containing the seed, so that the part which is fit to be eaten, and lies without, was properly called ὑπέρφλοιον, that is over or outside of the husk.
μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα περὶ τῶν σύκων διηπορήθη, τί δήποτε πίων καὶ γλυκὺς οὕτω καρπὸς ἀπὸ δένδρου φύεται πικροτάτου· τῆς γὰρ συκῆς καὶ τὸ φύλλον διὰ τὴν τραχύτητα θρῖον ὠνόμασται, καὶ τὸ ξύλον ὀπῶδές; ἐστιν, ὥστε καόμενον μὲν ἐκδιδόναι δριμύτατον καπνὸν κατακαυθὲν δὲ τὴν ἐκ τῆς τέφρας κονίαν ῥυπτικωτάτην παρέχειν ὑπὸ δριμύτητος. ὃ δʼ ἐστὶ θαυμασιώτατον, ἀνθούντων ἁπάντων ὅσα βεβλάστηκε καὶ καρπογονεῖ, μόνον ἀνανθές ἐστι τὸ τῆς συκῆς φυτόν· εἰ δʼ, ὥς φασιν, οὐ κεραυνοῦται, καὶ τοῦτʼ ἄν τις ἀναθείη τῇ πικρότητι καὶ καχεξίᾳ τοῦ στελέχους· τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων οὐ δοκοῦσιν ἐπιθιγγάνειν οἱ κεραυνοί, καθάπερ οὐδὲ τῆς φώκης τοῦ δέρματος οὐδὲ τῆς ὑαίνης. ὑπολαβὼν οὖν ὁ πρεσβύτης ἔφη, ὅσον ἂν ἐνῇ τῷ φυτῷ γλυκύτητος, ἅπαν τοῦτο συνθλιβόμενον εἰς τὸν καρπὸν. εἰκότως δριμὺ ποιεῖν καὶ ἄκρατον τὸ λειπόμενον· ῶσπερ γὰρ τὸ ἧπαρ, εἰς ἕνα τόπον τοῦ χολώδους ἀποκριθέντος, αὐτὸ γίγνεται γλυκύτατον οὕτω τὴν συκῆν εἰς τὸ σῦκον ἅπαν τὸ λιπαρὸν καὶ νόστιμον ἀφιεῖσαν αὐτὴν ἄμοιρον εἶναι γλυκύτητος. ἐπεί, ὅτι γε μετέχει τινὸς εὐχυμίας τὸ ξύλον, ἐκεῖνοἔφηποιοῦμαι σημεῖον, ὃ λέγουσιν οἱ κηπουροί· λέγουσι γουσι δὲ τοῦ πηγάνου τὸ φυόμενον ὑπʼ αὐτῇ καὶ παραφυτευόμενον ἣδιον εἶναι καὶ τῷ χυμῷ μαλακώτερον, ὡς ἂν ἀπολαῦόν τινὸς γλυκύτητος, κατασβέννυται τἄγαν βαρὺ καὶ κατάκορον, εἰ μὴ νὴ Δία τοὐναντίον ἡ συκῆ περισπῶσα τὴν τροφὴν ἐξαιρεῖ τὸ τῆς δριμύτητος.
THIS discourse ended, the next question was about fig-trees, how so luscious and sweet fruit should come from so bitter a tree. For the leaf from its roughness is called θρίον. The wood of it is full of sap, and as it burns sends forth a very biting smoke; and the ashes of it thoroughly burnt are so acrimonious, that they make a lye extremely detersive. And, which is very strange, all other trees that bud and bear fruit put forth blossoms too; but the fig-tree never blossoms. And if (as some say) it is never thunderstruck, that likewise may be attributed to the sharp juices and bad temper of the stock; for such things are as secure from thunder as the skin of a sea calf or hyena. Then said the old man: It is no wonder that when all the sweetness is separated and employed in making the fruit, that which is left should be bitter and unsavory. For as the liver, all the gall being gathered in its proper place, is itself very sweet; so the fig-tree having parted with its oil and sweet particles to the fruit, reserves no portions for itself. For that this tree hath some good juice, I gather from what they say of rue, which growing under a fig-tree is sweeter than usual, and hath a sweeter and more palatable juice, as if it drew some sweet particles from the tree which mollified its offensive and corroding qualities; unless perhaps, on the contrary, the fig-tree robbing it of its nourishment draws likewise some of its sharpness and bitterness away.
ἐζήτει Φλῶρος, ἑστιωμένων ἡμῶν παρʼ αὐτῷ, τίνες ἂν εἶεν· οἱ περὶ ἅλα καὶ κύαμον ἐν τῇ παροιμίᾳ λεγόμενοι. καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ἐκ προχείρου διέλυσεν Ἀπολλοφάνης ὁ γραμματικός· οἱ γὰρ οὕτω συνήθεις ἔφη τῶν φίλων, ὥστε καὶ πρὸς ἅλα δειπνεῖν καὶ κύαμον, ὑπὸ τῆς παροιμίας προβάλλονται. τὴν δὲ τῶν ἁλῶν τιμὴν ἀφʼ ὅτου γένοιτο διηποροῦμεν, Ὁμήρου μὲν ἄντικρυς λέγοντος πάσσε δʼ ἁλὸς θείοιο· Πλάτωνος δὲ τῶν ἁλῶν σῶμα κατὰ νόμον ἀνθρώπων θεοφιλέστατον εἶναι φάσκοντος· ἐπέτεινε δὲ τὴν ἀπορίαν τὸ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἱερέας ἁγνεύοντας ἀπέχεσθαι τὸ πάμπαν ἁλῶν, ὥστε καὶ τὸν ἄρτον ἄναλον προσφέρεσθαι. πῶς γάρ, εἰ θεοφιλὲς καὶ θεῖον, ἀφωσιώσαντο;
FLORUS, when we were entertained at his house, put this question, What are those in the proverb who are said to be about the salt and cummin? Apollophanes the grammarian presently satisfied him, saying, by that proverb were meant intimate acquaintance, who could sup together on salt and cummin. Thence we proceeded to enquire how salt should come to be so much honored as it is; for Homer plainly says, And after that he strewed his salt divine, and Plato delivers that by man’s laws salt is to be accounted most sacred. And this difficulty was increased by the customs of the Egyptian priests, who professing chastity eat no salt, no, not so much as in their bread. For if it be divine and holy, why should they avoid it?
Φλῶρος μὲν οὖν ἐᾶν ἐκέλευσε τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους, Ἑλληνιστὶ δʼ αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν τι πρὸς τὸ ὑποκείμενον. ἐγὼ δʼ ἔφην οὐδὲ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους μάχεσθαι τοῖς Ἕλλησιν· αἱ γὰρ ἁγνεῖαι καὶ παιδοποιίαν καὶ γέλωτα καὶ οἶνον καὶ πολλὰ τῶν ἄλλως ἀξίων σπουδῆς ἀφαιροῦσι· τοὺς δʼ ἅλας τάχα μὲν ὡς ἐπὶ συνουσίαν ἄγοντας ὑπὸ θερμότητος, ὡς ἔνιοι λέγουσι, φυλάττονται καθαρεύοντες· εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ ὡς ὄψον ἣδιστον παραιτεῖσθαι. κινδυνεύουσι γὰρ οἱ ἅλες τῶν ἄλλων ὄψων ὄψον εἶναι καὶ ἥδυσμα διὸ καὶ χάριτας ἔνιοι προσαγορεύουσιν αὐτούς, ὅτι τῆς τροφῆς τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἡδὺ ποιοῦσιν.
Florus bade us not mind the Egyptians, but speak according to the Grecian custom on the present subject. But I replied: The Egyptians are not contrary to the Greeks in this matter; for the profession of purity and chastity forbids getting children, laughter, wine, and many other very commendable and lawful things; and perhaps such votaries avoid salt, as being, according to some men’s opinions, by its heat provocative and apt to raise lust. Or they refuse it as the most pleasant of all sauces, for indeed salt may be called the sauce of all sauces; and therefore some call salt χάριτας; because it makes food, which is necessary for life, to be relishing and pleasant.
ἆρʼ οὖν ὁ Φλῶρος ἔφη διὰ τοῦτο θεῖον εἰρῆσθαι τὸν ἅλα φῶμεν;ἔστι μὲν δή εἶπονοὐδὲ τοῦτʼ ἐλάχιστον. οἱ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι τὰ κοινὰ καὶ διήκοντα ταῖς χρείαις ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον ἐκθειάζουσιν, ὡς τὸ ὕδωρ, τὸ φῶς, τὰς ὥρας· τὴν δὲ γῆν οὐ μόνον θεῖον, ἀλλὰ καὶ θεὸν ὑπολαμβάνουσιν· ὧν οὐδενὸς λείπεται χρείᾳ τὸ τῶν ἁλῶν, θρίγκωμα τῆς τροφῆς γιγνόμενον εἰς τὸ σῶμα καὶ παρέχον εὐαρμοστίαν αὐτῇ πρὸς τὴν ὄρεξιν. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ σκόπει, μὴ κἀκεῖνο θεῖον αὐτῷ συμβέβηκεν, ὅτι τῶν σωμάτων τὰ νεκρὰ διατηροῦν ἄσηπτα καὶ μόνιμα πολὺν χρόνον ἀντιτάττεται τῷ θανάτῳ καὶ οὐκ ἐᾷ παντελῶς ἐξολέσθαι καὶ ἀφανισθῆναι τὸ θνητόν· ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἡ ψυχή, θειότατον οὖσα τῶν ἡμετέρων, τὰ ζῷα συνέχει καὶ ῥεῖν οὐκ ἐᾷ τὸν ὄγκον, οὕτως ἡ τῶν ἁλῶν φύσις τὰ νεκρὰ παραλαμβάνουσα καὶ μιμουμένη τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἔργον ἀντιλαμβάνεται φερομένων ἐπὶ τὴν φθορὰν καὶ κρατεῖ καὶ ἵστησιν, ἁρμονίαν παρέχουσα καὶ φιλίαν πρὸς ἄλληλα τοῖς μέρεσι. διὸ καὶ τῶν Στωικῶν ἔνιοι τὴν ὗν σάρκα νεκρὰν γεγονέναι λέγουσι, τῆς ψυχῆς, ὥσπερ ἁλῶν, παρεσπαρμένης ὑπὲρ τοῦ διαμένειν. ὁρᾷς δʼ ὅτι καὶ τὸ κεραύνιον πῦρ ἱερὸν ἡγούμεθα καὶ θεῖον, ὅτι τὰ σώματα τῶν διοβλήτων ἄσηπτα πρὸς πολὺν ἀντέχοντα χρόνον ὁρῶμεν. τί οὖν θαυμαστόν, εἰ ὁ καὶ τὸν ἅλα, τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχοντα τῷ θείῳ δύναμιν πυρί, θεῖον ὑπέλαβον οἱ παλαιοί.
What then, said Florus, shall we say that salt is termed divine for that reason? Indeed that is very considerable, for men for the most part deify those common things that are exceeding useful to their necessities and wants, as water, light, the seasons of the year; and the earth they do not only think to be divine, but a very God. Now salt is as useful as either of these, being a sort of protector to the food as it comes into the body, and making it palatable and agreeable to the appetite. But consider farther, whether its power of preserving dead bodies from rotting a long time be not a divine property, and opposite to death; since it preserves part, and will not suffer that which is mortal wholly to be destroyed. But as the soul, which is our diviner part, connects the limbs of animals, and keeps the composure from dissolution; thus salt applied to dead bodies, and imitating the work of the soul, stops those parts that were falling to corruption, binds and confines them, and so makes them keep their union and agreement with one another. And therefore some of the Stoics say, that swine’s flesh then deserves the name of a body, when the soul like salt spreads through it and keeps the parts from dissolution. Besides, you know that we account lightning to be sacred and divine, because the bodies that are thunder-struck do not rot for a long time; what wonder is it then, that the ancients called salt as well as lightning divine, since it hath the same property and power?
σιωπήσαντος δʼ ἐμοῦ, Φιλῖνος ὑπολαβών τὸ δὲ γόνιμον οὐ δοκεῖ σοι ἔφη θεῖον εἶναι, εἴπερ ἄρχει ὁ θεὸς πάντων; ὁμολογήσαντος δʼ ἐμοῦκαὶ μήν ἔφη τὸν ἅλα οὐκ ὀλίγον πρὸς γένεσιν συνεργεῖν οἴονται, καθάπερ αὐτὸς ἐμνήσθης τῶν Αἰγυπτίων· οἱ γοῦν τὰς κύνας φιλοτροφοῦντες, ὅταν ἀργότεραι πρὸς συνουσίαν ὦσιν, ἄλλοις τε βρώμασιν ἁλμυροῖς καὶ ταριχευτοῖς κρέασι κινοῦσι καὶ παροξύνουσι τὸ σπερματικὸν αὐτῶν ἡσυχάζον. τὰ δʼ ἁληγὰ πλοῖα πλῆθος ἐκφύει μυῶν ἄπλετον, ὡς μὲν ἔνιοι λέγουσι, τῶν θηλειῶν καὶ δίχα συνουσίας κυουσῶν, ὅταν τὸν ἅλα λείχωσιν· εἰκὸς δὲ μᾶλλον ἐμποιεῖν τὴν ἁλμυρίδα τοῖς μορίοις ὀδαξησμοὺς καὶ συνεξορμᾶν τὰ ζῷα πρὸς τοὺς συνδυασμούς. διὰ τοῦτο δʼ ἴσως καὶ κάλλος γυναικὸς τὸ μήτʼ ἀργὸν μήτʼ ἀπίθανον, ἀλλὰ μεμιγμένον χάριτι καὶ κινητικόν , ἁλμυρὸν καὶ δριμὺ καλοῦσιν. οἶμαι δὲ καὶ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην ἁλιγενῆ τοὺς ποιητὰς προσαγορεύειν καὶ μῦθον ἐπʼ αὐτῇ πεπλασμένον ἐξενεγκεῖν, ὡς ἀπὸ θαλάττης ἐχούσης τὴν γένεσιν, εἰς τὸ τῶν ἁλῶν γόνιμον αἰνιττομένους. καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸν τὸν Ποσειδῶνα καὶ ὅλως τοὺς πελαγικοὺς θεοὺς πολυτέκνους καὶ πολυγόνους ἀποφαίνουσιν. αὐτῶν δὲ τῶν ζῴων οὐδὲν ἂν χερσαῖον ἢ πτηνὸν εἰπεῖν ἔχοις οὕτω γόνιμον, ὡς πάντα τὰ θαλάττια· πρὸς ὃ καὶ πεποίηκεν ὁ Ἐμπεδοκλῆςφῦλον ἄμουσον ἄγουσα πολυσπερέων καμασήνων. /
I making no reply, Philinus subjoined: Do you not think that that which is generative is to be esteemed divine, seeing God is the principle of all things? And I assenting, he continued: Salt, in the opinion of some men, for instance the Egyptians you mentioned, is very operative that way; and those that breed dogs, when they find their bitches not apt to be hot, give them salt and seasoned flesh, to stir up and awaken their sleeping lechery and vigor. Besides, the ships that carry salt breed abundance of mice; the females, as some imagine, conceiving without the help of the males, only by licking the salt. But it is most probable that the salt raiseth an itching in animals, and so makes them salacious and eager to couple. And perhaps for the same reason they call a surprising and bewitching beauty, such as is apt to move and entice, ἁλμυρὸν καὶ δριμύ, saltish. And I think the poets had a respect to this generative power of salt in their fable of Venus springing from the sea. And it may be farther observed, that they make all the sea Gods very fruitful, and give them large families. And beside, there are no land animals so fruitful as the sea animals; agreeable to which observation is that verse of Empedocles, Leading the foolish race of fruitful fish.
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