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soft for battles and living more with inaction, choosing to have little rather than being busybodies for much. And one speaking as a natural philosopher might blame the sun for these things, because on the one hand, by associating with it little and for a short time, it does not moderately heat the brain, from which cleverness is naturally produced, but by compressing the skin it works firmness into the limbs, while on the other hand, in other regions, by associating with it more, it heats them for cleverness, but renders the whole frame of their bodies enfeebled for manliness; for natural reason allows that souls change along with bodies. For these reasons indeed, the Ethiopians also formerly valued the Scythians highly, acquiring them for slavery on the one hand, but on the other using them as soldiers on their behalf. But then, when a Scythian was established in the very rule, the Scythian people were sought after, as an army would be assembled for them from there, which it was not otherwise possible for them to transport by purchase, unless one approached the Euxine sea through the strait; but to do this when the emperor was unwilling was impossible. Therefore he also presented him with many embassies, on the condition that the ships sailing 239 from there might easily approach the Euxine, and that those on them, giving a great price, might buy Scythian youths and, returning to their own lands, carry them off; which indeed we know has happened many times, with gifts being sent from there to the emperor, and from here the way to them being opened.

4. Concerning the giraffe, what kind of animal it is. And among the gifts there was also a giraffe, an unusual and marvelous animal, about which I wish to say a few things, for those who have seen it, a reminder, and for those who have not, instruction. Its body is of a moderate size like the asses we call pack-asses; its hide is like a leopard's, white and spotted with reddish scales; the position of its body is like a camel's, sloping upward from the hind quarters to the shoulders, with the front legs being sufficiently higher than the back ones; its neck is stretched out to a very great length like a crane's and leading up to a head, so as to make the animal stand stately; its head is small and camel-like in shape; its belly is white, and from its neck through the whole of its back and as far as its moderate tail it has a very straight black line as if drawn by a ruler; its feet are slender like a deer's and cloven. It is otherwise tame, so as to be played with even by children, being led by the nose, and obedient to go wherever you might wish; it is a grass-eater and fed by hand with bread and barley like a sheep; and its disposition is domesticated. Its defense against an attacker—for nature strives for this in the greatest part for animals, that, if one should attack, it will defend itself—is not with the hoof like horses, not with the horn like oxen—for it is not crowned with horns—not with the tusk like boars, not with claws like weasels, but only with its teeth, I think, through moderate bites, just enough to scare away the attacker without harming it; for no venom is bred in its teeth like those things with which nature arms such creatures. This creature, as if some marvel, having been transported from there to the emperor, was a spectacle and a delight to those watching it every day as it was led through the marketplace. 241 But these things were done by the ruler with the appearance of being advantageous to our affairs. And insofar as the matter being managed was achievable for peace, yet in another way it also brought the greatest harm.

5. How the Ethiopians, having been strengthened, managed matters concerning Syria and matters concerning Nogai. For by the continuous transport of youths from the north, a military multitude being formed in time both increased the impulse of the Ethiopians and they leaped beyond the boundaries, so that often, trusting in their own security, they waged wars across the borders and acted valiantly against Christians. For with the Italians holding the entire coast of Syria and ruling Phoenicia and holding power over Antioch itself, and contending from a position of superior strength for the places of Palestine as well, as having the reputation of holiness, and very reasonably so on account of the Savior's sojourns there and His passion and the wonders of the divine economy, they themselves, taking courage in the

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μαλακοὶ πρὸς μάχας καὶ ἀπραγμοσύνῃ μᾶλλον συζῶντες, ὀλίγα ἔχειν ἢ πολλὰ πολυπραγμονοῦντες αἱρούμενοι. Τούτων δὲ τὸν ἥλιον αἰτιάσαιτ' ἄν τις φυσικευόμενος, τῷ μὲν ὁμιλεῖν ὀλίγα καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον οὐ μετρίως θερμαίνοντα τὸν ἐγκέφαλον, ὅθεν καὶ ἡ εὐφυΐα προσγίγνεσθαι πέφυκε, τὸ δέρμα δὲ συμπιλοῦντα ἀπεργαζόμενον τοῖς μέλεσι τὴν στερρό τητα, ἐπὶ δὲ θάτερα τῶν μερῶν τῷ ἐπὶ πλέον ὁμιλεῖν θερμαίνοντα μὲν εἰς εὐφυΐαν, ἔκλυτον δ' εἰς ἀνδρίαν ἀπεργαζόμενον τὴν ὁλομέλειαν τῶν σωμάτων· συμμετατίθεσθαι γὰρ τοῖς σώμασι τὰς ψυχὰς ὁ φυσικὸς λόγος δίδωσι. ∆ιά τοι ταῦτα καὶ πρότερον μὲν πολλοῦ ἐτίμων τὸ Σκυθικὸν Αἰθίοπες, κατὰ δουλείαν μὲν κτώμενοι, ἄλλως δὲ στρατιώταις ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν χρώμενοι. Τότε δὲ καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ἀρχὴν καταστάντος Σκύθου, τὸ Σκυθικὸν ἀνεζητεῖτο, ὡς στρατεύματος σφίσιν ἐκεῖθεν συστησομένου, ὅπερ οὐκ ἄλλως ἦν αὐτοῖς ὠνουμένοις μετακομίζειν, εἰ μὴ διὰ τοῦ στενοῦ τις Εὐξείνῳ προσβάλλοι θαλάσσῃ· τοῦτο δὲ ποιεῖν μὴ ἀξιοῦντας τὸν βασιλέα ἀμήχανον. ∆ιὸ καὶ πολλαῖς ἐδωρεῖτο τοῦτον ἀποστολαῖς, ἐφ' ᾧ τὰς ἐκεῖθεν δια 239 πλωϊζομένας νῆας ῥᾳδίως Εὐξείνῳ προσβάλλειν, καὶ τοὺς ἐν αὐταῖς πολλὰ διδόντας μείρακας Σκυθικοὺς ἐξωνεῖσθαι καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἴδια ἐπανήκοντας φέρειν· ὃ δὴ καὶ πολλάκις γεγονὸς ἔγνωμεν, ἐκεῖθεν μὲν τῶν χαρισμάτων πρὸς βασιλέα διαπεμπομένων, ἐντεῦθεν δ' ἀνοιγομένης σφίσι τῆς πρὸς ἐκείνους κελεύθου.

δʹ. Περὶ καμηλοπαρδάλεως, ὁποῖόν ἐστιν. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς χαρίσμασιν ἦν καὶ καμηλοπάρδαλις, ζῷον ἀσύνηθες καὶ θαυμάσιον, περὶ οὗ ὀλίγα βούλομαι λέγειν, τοῖς μὲν ἰδοῦσιν ὑπόμνησιν, τοῖς δὲ μὴ θεασαμένοις διδασκαλίαν. Σῶμα τούτῳ μέτριον κατ' ὄνους οὓς κάνθωνας ὀνομάζομεν· δέρμα κατὰ παρδάλεις λευκὸν καὶ πυρραῖς φολίσι κατάστικτον· θέσις σώματος κατὰ τὰς καμήλους ἐξ ὀπισθίων βουβώνων ἐς ὤμους ἀνωφερές, τῶν ἐμπροσθίων ποδῶν ὑπερκειμένων αὐτάρκως τῶν ὄπισθεν· τράχηλος κατὰ γεράνους ἐπὶ μήκιστον ἐκτεινόμενος καὶ ἐς κεφαλὴν ἀναγόμενος, ὡς ἀγέρωχον τὸ ζῷον ἐγκαθιστᾶν· κεφαλὴ βαιὰ καὶ καμη λοειδὴς τῷ σχήματι· λευκὸν τὴν κοιλίαν, καὶ ἀπὸ τραχήλου διὰ ῥάχεως πάσης καὶ ἕως οὐρᾶς μετρίας γραμμὴν ἐπὶ στάθμην μέλαιναν ἰθύντατα περικείμενον· πόδες λεπτοὶ κατ' ἐλάφους καὶ διχηλοῦντες. Ἥμερον δ' ἄλλως, ὡς καὶ παισὶ παίζεσθαι ἀγόμενον ἐκ ῥινός, καὶ πειθήνιον ἐς ὅπου θέλοις ὁρμᾶν· ποηφάγον καὶ ἄρτῳ καὶ κριθῇ κατὰ τὸ πρόβατον ψωμι ζόμενον· τὸ δ' ἦθος χειρόηθες. Ἡ δ' ἄμυνα τούτῳ πρὸς τὸ λυποῦντῷ μεγίστῳ γὰρ μέρει καὶ τοῦτο φιλοτιμεῖται τοῖς ζῴοις ἡ φύσις, ὡς, εἴ τις ἐπιτίθοιτο, προσαμυνεῖσθαιοὐχ ὁπλῇ κατὰ τοὺς ἵππους, οὐ κέρατι κατὰ βοῦςοὐδὲ γὰρ κέρασιν ἔστεπται, οὐκ ὀδόντι κατὰ τοὺς κάπρους, οὐκ ὄνυξι κατὰ τὰς γαλᾶς, μόνοις δὲ τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν, οἶμαι, διὰ δηγμάτων μετρίων, ὅσον καὶ ἀποσοβεῖν τὸ λυποῦν μὴ βλάπτον· οὐδὲ γάρ τις ἰὸς τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν ἐντέθραπται κατ' ἐκεῖνα ἃ δὴ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἡ φύσις ὁπλίζει. Τοῦτο, ὡσεί τι τέρας, ἐκεῖθεν πρὸς βασιλέα διακομισθέν, ἑκάστης θέαμα ἦν καὶ τρυφὴ τοῖς ὁρῶσι δι' ἀγορᾶς ἑλκόμενον. 241 Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τῷ κρατοῦντι πεπράχαται δοκήσει τοῦ συνοίσειν τοῖς ἡμετέροις. Καὶ ὅσον μὲν εἰς εἰρήνην ἀνυστὸν ἦν τὸ πραγματευόμενον, ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ἐς μέγιστον ἐλυμήνατο.

εʹ. Ὅπως αὐξηθέντες Αἰθίοπες τὰ κατὰ Συρίαν διεπράξαντο καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν Νογᾶν. Ταῖς γὰρ συνεχέσι μετακομίσεσι τῶν βορέαθεν μειρακίσκων πλῆθος ἐν καιρῷ συστὰν στρατιωτικὸν ηὔξησέ τε τὴν τῶν Αἰθιόπων ὁρμὴν καὶ ὑπὲρ τὰ ἐσκαμμένα ἐπήδων, ὡς πολλάκις, τῷ κατὰ σφᾶς ἀσφαλεῖ θαρροῦντας, ὑπερορίους ἐκφέρειν πολέμους καὶ κατὰ χριστιανῶν ἀνδρίζεσθαι. Τῶν γὰρ Ἰταλῶν τὴν τῆς Συρίας ἁπάσης παραλίαν κατεχόντων καὶ Φοινίκης ἀρχόντων καὶ αὐτῆς Ἀντιοχείας τὸ κράτος ἐχόντων, διαμφισβητούντων δ' ἐξ ὑπερτέρας ἰσχύος καὶ τῶν τῆς Παλαιστίνης τόπων, ὡς ἁγιότητος δόξαν ἐχόντων, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως διὰ τὰς ἐκεῖσε τοῦ Σωτῆρος διατριβὰς καὶ τὰ πάθη καὶ τὰ τῆς οἰκονομίας τεραστικά, αὐτοί γε, θαρσήσαντες ταῖς