Theophylactus Simocatta, Physical Questions

of knowledge. But if it seems good to you, shall we sit for a little while by this plane tree here? For the plane tree is spreading, and the height of the chaste tree and the deep shade are altogether beautiful. {POL.} Lead on, then. {ANT.} Tell me, O son of Sossius, do you think, do you really think that the hind sheds her horn? {POL.} I say so indeed; I have seen this countless times, when I was a boy in age, but rather rustic in mind, at the time when the hunter's arts seemed to me most important, when I marveled at glens and hills, and the high-crested mountains were my haunts. {ANT.} But at any rate I too will say why indeed hinds, having shed their horn as if shorn, flee their usual haunts. There is perception even in irrational animals, Polycrates, by which they have received the discernment for their own safety. The cuttlefish knows the device of its own dark ink and has often brought about for hunters the invisibility of its prey; the crooked-clawed creatures know the strength in their talons; the hare knows how to fend off the hunter's plots through running and the swiftness of its feet; the hind, having shed its horns, knows that its nature is weaker to defend itself against those who would harm it. Therefore it hides itself like some unarmed soldier fearing to be drawn up for battle and wishing to be far away from the fight; and in addition to this, the 21 animal suffers somehow most terribly in its head. Nature understands these things and philosophy has been initiated into them. {POL.} What a good hunter you are, my friend, having caught a most mighty concept on our walk. Now musical breezes breathe around us under a beautiful plane tree, from whence it is possible to draw a splendid oracle. Come now, guide me to the wonders of Libya; for the Corinthian said he saw something paradoxical there, that snakes avoid rue, as if some power were scaring them away. What is the meaning? Answer your Polycrates, as if making your responses from some Pythian tripod. {ANT.} You were quite inquisitive, O Polycrates; but, by wisdom, it escaped my notice. But since this too is desirable to you for contemplation, you will not find us unconcerned with regard to this subject either. A snake has received a nature that is excessively cold, and moreover dry and sinewy. Let this in turn be a proof of the truth for you; in the season of winter a snake loves its dens as if they were caves and makes its haunt in the depths of the earth, since in the winter season they are warmer and have a dwelling suitable 22 for warmth; but again, when summer is here, it comes to the surface of the earth and welcomes the region's surface. And the snake knows the turnings of the seasons, though not taught astronomy or the sophistries of the Chaldeans. Libyan rue, therefore, is exceedingly dry and immediately makes snakes faint, as if providing a kind of hangover and dizziness by the excess of its dryness. {POL.} The account seems very complete to me, bringing forth images of truth. And for me again there is a desire to travel to the sea. For whenever my mind looks toward the wonders of the land, it wishes to flee to the sea; but whenever again it sails toward the creation of the sea, it desires to come up from the depths of its wonders and awaits the contemplations of the continent. {ANT.} If, then, there is need of words again, Polycrates, tell me, tell me, how indeed do your contemplations sail? {POL.} I hear that sailors cleverly create a calm on the sea by pouring oil into it, as if contriving that from this the 23 surging sea will become gracious. Indeed, fishermen too are accustomed to do this for the catching of fish; ferry me over to this contemplation with your reason, as if in some boat, Antisthenes. {ANT.} The wind is by nature very fine, Polycrates; but oil is viscous because it is smooth. The wind, therefore, slipping because of the smoothness, is unable to provide a surge to the waters. From this the sea smiles with a calm, as if soothing its temper with some benevolent oil. {POL.} I will hold on to you still and would not let you go, Antisthenes; for because of my love of pleasure, I am deprived of satiety. The Corinthian tells a marvelous tale that vultures are pregnant for a period of three years, and it seems to me to be strange to the laws of nature. For not yet such a thing

γνώσεως. ἀλλ' εἴ σοι δοκεῖ περὶ ταυτηνὶ τὴν πλάτανον καθῆσθαι μικρόν; ἀμφιλαφὴς γὰρ ἡ πλάτανος τοῦ τε ἄγνου τὸ ὕψος καὶ τὸ σύσκιον πάγκαλον. {ΠΟΛ.} Πρόαγε δή. {ΑΝΤ.} ῏Αρά γε, ὦ παῖ Σοσσίου, οἴει ἆρα οἴει τὸ κέρας ἀποβάλλειν τὴν ἔλαφον; {ΠΟΛ.} Φημὶ δή· ἀπειράκις τοῦτο τεθέαμαι, ὁπότε παῖς μὲν ἦν τὴν ἡλικίαν, ἀγροικότερος δὲ τὸν νοῦν, ἡνίκα τὰ κυνηγέτου μοι ἐφαίνετο περισπούδαστα, ὅτε αὐλῶνας καὶ γηλόφους ἐθαύμαζον καὶ τῶν ὀρῶν μοι τὰ ὑψηλόκομα ἦν ἐναυλίσματα. {ΑΝΤ.} ᾿Ατὰρ γοῦν λέξω κἀγώ, τί δῆτα τὰς συνήθεις διατριβὰς δραπετεύουσιν ἔλαφοι τὸ κέρας ὥσπερ ἀποκειράμεναι. ἔστιν αἴσθησις καὶ τοῖς ἀλόγοις ζῴοις, Πολύκρατες, καθ' ἣν τῆς ἰδίας σωτηρίας ἀπειλήφασι τὴν διάγνωσιν. οἶδεν ἡ σηπία τῆς οἰκείας ἀχλύος τὸ σόφισμα καί που θηραταῖς ἀορασίαν ἄγρας πολλάκις ἐνέθηκεν· οἶδε τὰ γαμψώνυχα τὴν διὰ τῶν ὀνύχων ἀλκήν· οἶδεν ὁ λαγωὸς διὰ τοῦ δρόμου καὶ τῆς τῶν ποδῶν ὀξύτητος κυνηγέτου ἐπιβουλὰς ἀποπέμπεσθαι· οἶδεν ἡ ἔλαφος ἀποκειραμένη τὰ κέρατα ἀσθενεστέραν τὴν φύσιν ἀμύνασθαι τοὺς λυπήσαντας. οὐκοῦν ἀποκρύπτεται οἷα στρατιώτης τις ἄνοπλος δεδιὼς παρατάττεσθαι καὶ πόρρω που ἀπόμαχος εἶναι βουλόμενος· προσεπὶ τούτοις ἀλγεῖ πως τὸ 21 ζῷον τὴν κάραν δεινότατα. ταῦτα φύσις ἐπίσταται καὶ φιλοσοφία μεμύηται. {ΠΟΛ.} ῾Ως ἀγαθὸς κυνηγέτης, ὦ φίλος, μεγίστην θηράσας τινὰ τῷ περιπάτῳ κατάληψιν. νῦν ἡμᾶς μουσικαὶ περιπνέουσιν αὖραι καλῇ ὑπὸ πλατανίστῳ, ὅθεν ἀγλαόν ἐστιν ἀρύσασθαι λόγιον. ∆εῦρο δὴ ἐπὶ τὰ Λιβύης ξεναγώγει με θαύματα· ἐκεῖ γάρ τι παράδοξον ὁ Κορίνθιος ἔφη θεάσασθαι, ἀποφεύγειν τοὺς ὄφεις τὸ πήγανον, ὥσπερ τινὸς αὐτοὺς ἀποσοβούσης δυνάμεως. τίς ὁ νοῦς; ἀπόκριναι τῷ σῷ Πολυκράτει, ὥσπερ ἔκ τινος τρίποδος Πυθικοῦ τὰς ἀποκρίσεις ποιούμενος. {ΑΝΤ.} φιλοπευθὴς ἄγαν τις ἦν, ὦ Πολύκρατες· ἐμὲ δὲ, νὴ τὴν φρόνησιν, διελάνθανεν. ἀλλ' ἐπεί σοι καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς Θεωρίαν ἐπέραστον, οὐκ ἀπεριμερίμνους καὶ πρὸς τουτονὶ τὸν λόγον ἕξεις ἡμᾶς. ψυχρὰν ἄγαν ἔτι γε μὴν καὶ ξηρὰν καὶ νευρώδη τὴν φύσιν ὄφις ἀπείληφεν. ἔστω δ' αὖ τουτί σοι τῆς ἀληθείας τεκμήριον· ὥρᾳ χειμῶνος ὥσπερ ἄντρων τινῶν τῶν φωλεῶν ὄφις ἐρᾷ καὶ πρὸς τὰ βάθη τῆς γῆς ἐναυλίζεται, ἅτε δὴ θερμοτέρων ὥρᾳ χειμῶνος καὶ πρὸς ἀλέαν ἐχόντων ἐπιτή22 δειον ἐνδιαίτημα· αὖθις δ' αὖ θέρους ἐνόντος ἐπιπολάζει τῇ γῇ καὶ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν ἀσπάζεται τὴν περίγειον. καὶ οἶδεν ὄφις ὥρας τροπὰς οὐκ ἀστρονομίαν παιδευθεὶς ἢ τὰ Χαλδαίων σοφίσματα. πήγανον τοίνυν Λιβυκὸν ξηρότατον ἄγαν ἐστὶ καὶ λειποψυχεῖν εὐθὺς τοὺς ὄφεις ἐποίησεν, ὥσπερ κραιπάλην τινὰ καὶ σκοτοδινίαν ταῖς ὑπερβολαῖς τῆς ξηρότητος παρεχόμενον. {ΠΟΛ.} ῎Αρτιός μοι λίαν ὁ λόγος ἀληθείας ἰνδάλματα προφερόμενος. ᾿Εμοὶ δὲ πάλιν ἔρως ἐπὶ τὴν θάλατταν ἐκδημεῖν. ὅτε γάρ μοι ὁ νοῦς ἀπίδοι πρὸς τὰ τῆς χέρσου θαύματα, ἐπὶ τὴν θάλατταν δραπετεύειν ἐθέλει· ὁπηνίκα δὲ πάλιν πρὸς τὴν τῆς θαλάττης δημιουργίαν ναυτίλλεται, ἐκ τῶν βυθῶν ἐρᾷ τῶν θαυμάτων ἀνεῖναι καὶ τὰς κατ' ἤπειρον θεωρίας ἐκδέχεται. {ΑΝΤ.} Εἴπερ οὖν αὖθις τῶν λόγων, Πολύκρατες, δεῖ, φράσον δή μοι φράσον, πῶς δῆτά σοι τὰ τῆς θεωρίας ναυτίλλεται. {ΠΟΛ.} Τοὺς πλωτῆρας ἀκούω γαλήνην σοφίζεσθαι τῇ θαλάττῃ ἐνιέντας τὸ ἔλαιον, ὥσπερ ἵλεων ἔσεσθαι ἐντεῦθεν 23 αὐτὴν ἐπικυμαίνουσαν μηχανώμενοι. τοῦτό τοι καὶ θαλαττουργοὶ περὶ τὰς τῶν ἰχθύων ἄγρας πράττειν εἰώθασιν· ἐπὶ ταυτηνί με τὴν θεωρίαν τῷ λόγῳ, οἷα λέμβῳ τινί, ᾿Αντίσθενες, διαπόρθμευε. {ΑΝΤ.} Λεπτότατον ἔφυ τὸ πνεῦμα, Πολύκρατες· τὸ δὲ ἔλαιον γλίσχρον διὰ τὸ λεῖον καθέστηκεν. ὀλισθαῖνον γοῦν τὸ πνεῦμα διὰ τὴν λειότητα ἀδυνατεῖ παρέχεσθαι τοῖς ὕδασι κλύδωνα. ἐντεῦθεν ἐπιγελᾷ γαλήνην ἡ θάλασσα, ὥσπερ φιλανθρώπῳ τινὶ ἐλαίῳ τὸν θυμὸν κατευνάζουσα. {ΠΟΛ.} ῎Ετι σου καθέξομαι κοὐκ ἂν ἀφείην, ᾿Αντίσθενες· ὑπὸ γὰρ φιληδονίας τὸν κόρον ἀφῄρημαι. Τοὺς γῦπας ἐγκυμονεῖν τριετῆ χρόνον ὁ Κορίνθιος τερατεύεται, καὶ ξένον μοι τῶν τῆς φύσεως νόμων εἶναι δοκεῖ. οὐ γάρ πω τοιοῦτόν