to himself. And from this, a twofold advantage: for either in his pain he kills his own, consoling an incurable pain, or being unable to stand, he falls with all his forces. Now, all spoils from wars are venerable, but an elephant brings more venerable ones than all; not so valuable is the shield of a general, nor the breastplate of a slain hero, as a living captive elephant or the first-fruits of the elephant for a victorious king. 1.19 Paradoxes of Agriculture Nor indeed will agricultural matters be omitted here, just as everywhere else; for it will have something useful even for those at war. It is a blessed thing to cultivate an all-bearing land in peacetime, receiving varied fruit from different seasons, to gather, to reap, to harvest grapes, taking pure wealth from a single country, not needing foreign goods, nor waiting for hopes from abroad. But now all countries do not bear all things ; some, because of an excess of cold, nourish only standing crops, others, being sandy, harvest the vine or the olive; and the widely stretched plains possess and bear little wine, and others even only a poor one. Therefore let us devise a means for both: to find it when it is not present, and the transformation of the poor into the better. Let the measure of wine with water be tenfold; then let it be boiled with a great fire, until the tenth part of the mixture is consumed; a loss of the water occurs, but a gain for the wine which has become better in quality, of which the flame is mother. Doing this, the ancients proclaimed that fire delivered Dionysus. And as many as do not have vines, nor have they been fortunate with the fruit from these plants, they have imitated wine by preparing it from other seeds or fruits or by a composition of roots, refusing the drink of pure water. Thus the Egyptians drink zythos, the Paeonians camum, the Celts cervesia, the Babylonians sikera. For Dionysus, being angry, left them and bestowed on them nothing of viticulture, reserving the victory-songs for the Greek farmers alone [the saying is boastful]. Let us imitate Dionysus, let us drink a toast to men, the pledge of friendship without the grape; I know other fruits to be creators of wine. [Preparation of wine]. This then is the preparation of wine: 1 mina of dried figs, 3 choes of clean sea-water, 2 bundles of licorice. Having chopped the roots and thrown them into an earthenware jar from the fig, then again having inserted a part of the root up to three times, and then pour on the sea-water [and under the vessel let there be horse-fennel, as two bundles] and let it be soaked for 5 days and pour it off through a strainer [and let it be sweet]; then give the same measure of fresh water and let it be soaked for 5 days and having strained this, mix it with the former; then, having stoppered it, put it away in a shady place and it will be a fine wine. But if, having poured in water, you let it soak on these for 7 days and having drained it, you throw in the grape-skins from the earthenware jars and having stoppered it for up to ten days [Preparation of vinegar], you will make vinegar [and do this in winter]. And the vinegar itself is not to be neglected. Vinegar is multiplied if, having boiled beet, you add to the chous of water 4 drachmas of Cretan licorice and having boiled it, you add 1 drachma of Hellenic natron; to this preparation is mixed 1 measure of vinegar with double the water. And all vinegar is strengthened by adding to the metretes 5 drachmas of pepper and likewise of juniper. Now, concerning only the spoiling of wine, the expectation is slow and not the prayer of a farmer, and I know that vinegar is forced to speed by all sorts of devices, having already turned and changed for the worse. For some throw in burnt barley, others heated earthenware, and others iron. And often honey is also thrown in. But I shall make a natural and sweet vinegar, bringing use and pleasure, without the loss of the wine. For the pressed grape-stone is sufficient; along with the grape-skins it is steeped in water, so that the water takes on the quality of must; then, thrown into a cauldron, it is heated from below and boiled down to half and having been cooled, it is poured into another vessel. It changes, then, as though mixed with water, but remains sweet like boiled-down must. And vinegar might also be made without grapes; coat last year's perfect pine-cones with liquid pitch and scorch them until the pitch is burned off; then sweeten them all with a feather. And let there be water in a large vessel, and the
ἑαυτῷ. ∆ιπλοῦν δὲ ἐκ τούτου πλεονέκτημα· ἢ γὰρ ἀλγήσας ἀναιρεῖ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ παραμυθούμενος ἀνίατον ἀλγηδόνα, <ἢ> ἴστασθαι μὴ δυνηθείς, πασσυδὶ πίπτει. Πάντα μὲν οὖν σεμνὰ τὰ ἐκ πολέμων λάφυρα, σεμνότερα <δὲ> πάντων ἐλέφας φέρει· οὐκ ἀσπὶς οὕτως στρατηγοῦ τιμία, οὐ θώραξ ἀριστέως πεφονευμένου, ὡς ἐλέφας ζῶν αἰχμάλωτος ἢ τὰ τοῦ ἐλέφαντος ἀκροθίνια βασιλεῖ νενικηκότι. 1.19 Γεωργίας παράδοξα Οὐδὲ μὴν ἐνταυθοῖ παραλειφθήσεται τὰ γεωργικὰ ἴσα καὶ πανταχοῦ· ἕξει γάρ τινα καὶ τοῖς πολεμοῦσι χρήσιμα. Μακάριον μὲν γῆν πάμφορον ἐπ' εἰρήνης γεωργεῖν, καρπὸν ποικίλον διαφόρων δεχό μενον ὡρῶν, δρέπεσθαι, θερίζειν, τρυγᾶν, λαμβάνοντα διαψιλῆ πλοῦτον ἐκ χώρας μιᾶς, μὴ δεόμενον ἀγαθῶν ξένων, μηδὲ περιμένοντα περαίας ἐλπίδας. Νυνὶ δὲ πάντα <αἱ χῶραι οὐ φέρουσι πᾶσαι>· αἳ μέν, ὑπερβολῇ κρύους, μόνα τρέφουσαι λήϊα, ψαμμώδεις ἄλλαι ἄμπελον ἢ ἐλαίαν τρυγῶσαι· τὰ δὲ πολὺ ἡπλωμένα πεδία σπάνιον τὸν οἶνον κέκτηται καὶ φέρει, τὰ δὲ κἂν φαῦλον μόνον. Ἀμφοτέρων οὖν πορισώμεθα μηχανήν· εὑρεῖν οὐκ ὄντος, καὶ τοῦ φαύλου τὴν ἐς τὸ κρεῖττον μεταβολήν. ∆εκαπλάσιον ἔστω μεθ' ὕδατος οἴνου μέτρον· εἶθ' ἑψέσθω πολλῷ πυρί, ἔστ' ἂν τὸ δέκατον τοῦ κράματος ἀπαναλωθῇ· ζημία τοῦ ὕδατος γίγνεται, κέρδος δὲ τοῦ οἴνου γεγενημένου κρείττονος τὴν ἀρετὴν ἧς ἡ φλὸξ μήτηρ. Τοῦτο δρῶντες οἱ παλαιοὶ ἐφήμισαν ὅτι τὸν ∆ιόνυσον τὸ πῦρ ἐμαιώσατο. Ὅσοι δὲ ἀμπέλους οὐκ ἔχουσιν, οὐδὲ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶνδε τῶν φυτῶν εὐτυχήκασι καρπόν, ἐμιμήσαντο οἶνον ἑτέρων ἢ σπερμάτων ἢ ἀκροδρύων σκευασίᾳ ἢ ῥιζῶν συνθέσει, τὴν καθαροῦ ὕδατος πόσιν παραιτούμενοι. Πίνουσι γοῦν ζῦθον Αἰγύπτιοι, κάμον Παίονες, Κελτοὶ κερβησίαν, σίκερα Βαβυλώνιοι. ∆ιόνυσος γὰρ αὐτοὺς κατέλιπεν ὠργισμένος καὶ οὐδὲν ἐκείνοις ἀμπελουργίας ἐδωρήσατο, μόνοις τὰ ἐπινίκια γεωργοῖς Ἕλλησι τηρῶν [ἀλαζὼν ὁ λόγος]. ∆ιόνυσον μιμησώμεθα, προπίωμεν ἀνθρώποις τὴν δίχα βότρυος φιλοτησίαν· ἑτέρους οἴνου δημιουργοὺς οἶδα καρπούς. [Οἴνου σκευασία]. Ἥδε οὖν οἴνου σκευασία· ἰσχάδων μνᾶ αʹ, θαλάσσης καθαρᾶς χόες γʹ, δεσμίδια γλυκυρίζου βʹ. Κόψας τὰς ῥίζας καὶ βαλὼν εἰς κεράμιον ἐκ τοῦ σύκου εἶτ' αὖθις ἐν μέρει τῆς ῥίζης διεί ρας ἕως τρίς, καὶ τότε ἐπίχει τὴν θάλασσαν [ὑπὸ δὲ τὸ ἀγγεῖον ἱππομάραθρον ἔστω ὡς δεσμίδια δύο] καὶ ἔα βρέχεσθαι ἡμέρας εʹ καὶ ἀπόχει διὰ ἠθμοῦ [καὶ ἔστω γλυκύς]· εἶτα ὕδωρ γλυκὺ τὸ αὐτὸ μέτρον δὸς καὶ ἔασον ἡμέρας εʹ βρέχεσθαι καὶ τοῦτο διηθήσας μίξον τῷ προτέρῳ· εἶτα πωμάσας ἀπόθου ἐν σκιᾷ καὶ ἔσται οἶνος καλός. Εἰ δὲ ἐγχέας ὕδωρ ἐάσαις ἐπὶ τούτοις ἡμέρας ζʹ βρέχεσθαι ἀποσειρώσας τε ἐμβάλλοις τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν κεραμίων στέμφυλα καὶ πωμάσας ἕως ἡμέρας δέκα [Ὄξους σκευασία], ποιήσεις ὄξος [ποίει δὲ χειμῶνος]. Καὶ αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ ὄξους οὐκ ἀμελητέον. Ὄξος πολλαπλασιοῦται εἰ, τεῦτλον ἀναζέσας, εἰς τὸν χοῦν τοῦ ὕδατος ἐπιβάλλοις γλυκυρίζου Κρητικοῦ δραχμὰς δʹ καὶ ζέσας προσεμβάλλοις Ἑλληνικοῦ νίτρου δραχμὴν αʹ· ταύτῃ μίγνυται τῇ σκευασίᾳ ὄξους μέτρῳ αʹ ὕδατος τὸ διπλάσιον. Πᾶν δὲ ὄξος ἐπιτείνεται προσμισγομένων τῷ μετρητῇ πεπέριδος δραχμῶν εʹ ἀρκεύθου δ' ἐπίσης. Τὰ μὲν οὖν περὶ μόνην διαφθορὰν οἴνου ἐλπὶς βραδεῖα καὶ οὐκ εὐχῆς γεωργοῦ, καὶ ἀναγκαζόμενον εἰς τάχος τὸ ὄξος οἶδα παντοδαποῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασι, τραπέντος ἤδη καὶ μεταβληθέντος ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον. Οἳ μὲν γὰρ κεκαυμένας ἐμβάλλουσι κριθάς, οἳ δὲ κέραμον πεπυρωμένον, καὶ ἄλλοι σίδηρον. Ἐμβάλλεται δὲ πολλάκις καὶ μέλι. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὄξος αὐτοφυὲς ἐργάσομαι καὶ γλυκύ, χρῆσιν καὶ ἡδονὴν φέρον, δίχα τῆς οἴνου ζημίας. Ἀρκεῖ γὰρ ἐκθλιβὲν τὸ γίγαρτον· τοῖς στεμφύλοις ἅμα ἀποβρέχεται εἰς ὕδωρ, ὡς γλεύκους ποιότητα τὸ ὕδωρ λαβεῖν· εἶτα εἰς λέβητα βληθὲν ὑποκαίεται καὶ ἕψεται μέχρι τῆς ἡμισείας καὶ ψυγὲν δὲ εἰς ἕτερον σκεῦος μεταγγίζεται. Μεταβάλλει μὲν οὖν ὡς ὕδατι μεμιγμένον, γλυκὺ δὲ μένει ὡς γλεῦκος καθηψημένον. Γένοιτο δ' ἂν καὶ δίχα σταφυλῆς ὄξος· στροβίλους περυσινοὺς τοὺς τελείους ὑγρᾷ πίσσῃ πίσσωσον καὶ περίκαυσον μέχρι κατακαυθῇ ἡ πίσσα· εἶτα μελίτωσον αὐτοὺς πτερῷ πάντας. Ἔστω δὲ ὕδωρ ἐν ἀγγείῳ μεγάλῳ, οἱ δὲ