Polybius, Histories

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Book 12 - Chapter 2

1
<w lemma="%2Ata%5C">Τὰ</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsia">παραπλήσια</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="%2A%28hro%2Fdoton">Ἡρόδοτον</w> <w lemma="i%28storei%3D">ἱστορεῖ</w> <w lemma="peri%5C">περὶ</w> <w lemma="tou%3D">τοῦ</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="%2Alibu%2Fh%7C">Λιβύῃ</w> <w lemma="kaloume%2Fnou">καλουμένου</w> <w lemma="lwtou%3D">λωτοῦ</w> <w lemma="au%29to%2Fpths">αὐτόπτης</w> <w lemma="geno%2Fmenos">γενόμενος</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="%2Amegalopoli%2Fths">Μεγαλοπολίτης</w> <w lemma="%2Apolu%2Fbios">Πολύβιος</w> <w lemma="e%29n">ἐν</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <num>ιβ#</num><w lemma="tw%3Dn">τῶν</w> <w lemma="i%28storiw%3Dn">ἱστοριῶν</w> <w lemma="le%2Fgwn">λέγων</w> <w lemma="ou%28%2Ftws:">οὕτως·</w> "
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<w lemma="%2A%29%2Festi">Ἔστι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="de%2Fndron">δένδρον</w> <w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="lwto%5Cs">λωτὸς</w> <w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="me%2Fga">μέγα</w>, <w lemma="traxu%5C">τραχὺ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="a%29kanqw%3Ddes">ἀκανθῶδες</w>, <w lemma="e%29%2Fxei">ἔχει</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="fu%2Fllon">φύλλον</w> <w lemma="xlwro%5Cn">χλωρὸν</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsion">παραπλήσιον</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="r%28a%2Fmnw%7C">ῥάμνῳ</w>, <w lemma="mikro%5Cn">μικρὸν</w> <w lemma="baqu%2Fteron">βαθύτερον</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="platu%2Fteron">πλατύτερον</w>.
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<w lemma="o%28">ὁ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="karpo%5Cs">καρπὸς</w> <w lemma="ta%5Cs">τὰς</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="a%29rxa%5Cs">ἀρχὰς</w> <w lemma="o%28%2Fmoio%2Fs">ὅμοιός</w> <w lemma="e%29sti">ἐστι</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="xro%2Fa%7C">χρόᾳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="mege%2Fqei">μεγέθει</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="leukai%3Ds">λευκαῖς</w> <w lemma="murti%2Fsi">μυρτίσι</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="teteleiwme%2Fnais">τετελειωμέναις</w>,
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<w lemma="au%29cano%2Fmenos">αὐξανόμενος</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="xrw%2Fmati">χρώματι</w> <w lemma="gi%2Fnetai">γίνεται</w> <w lemma="foinikou%3Ds">φοινικοῦς</w>, <w lemma="tw%3D%7C">τῷ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="mege%2Fqei">μεγέθει</w> <w lemma="tai%3Ds">ταῖς</w> <w lemma="goggu%2Flais">γογγύλαις</w> <w lemma="e%29lai%2Fais">ἐλαίαις</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsios">παραπλήσιος</w>, <w lemma="purh%3Dna">πυρῆνα</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="e%29%2Fxei">ἔχει</w> <w lemma="tele%2Fws">τελέως</w> <w lemma="mikro%2Fn">μικρόν</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29pa%5Cn">ἐπὰν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="pepanqh%3D%7C">πεπανθῇ</w>, <w lemma="suna%2Fgousi">συνάγουσι</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="oi%29ke%2Ftais">οἰκέταις</w> <w lemma="meta%5C">μετὰ</w> <w lemma="xo%2Fndrou">χόνδρου</w> <w lemma="ko%2Fyantes">κόψαντες</w> <w lemma="sa%2Fttousin">σάττουσιν</w> <w lemma="ei%29s">εἰς</w> <w lemma="a%29ggei%3Da">ἀγγεῖα</w>, <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="toi%3Ds">τοῖς</w> <w lemma="e%29leuqe%2Frois">ἐλευθέροις</w> <w lemma="e%29celo%2Fntes">ἐξελόντες</w> <w lemma="to%5Cn">τὸν</w> <w lemma="purh%3Dna">πυρῆνα</w> <w lemma="suntiqe%2Fasin">συντιθέασιν</w> <w lemma="w%28sau%2Ftws">ὡσαύτως</w>, <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="siteu%2Fontai">σιτεύονται</w> <w lemma="tou%3Dton">τοῦτον</w>.
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<w lemma="e%29%2Fsti">ἔστι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="to%5C">τὸ</w> <w lemma="brw%3Dma">βρῶμα</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsion">παραπλήσιον</w> <w lemma="su%2Fkw%7C">σύκῳ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="foinikobala%2Fnw%7C">φοινικοβαλάνῳ</w>, <w lemma="th%3D%7C">τῇ</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="eu%29wdi%2Fa%7C">εὐωδίᾳ</w> <w lemma="be%2Fltion">βέλτιον</w>.
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<w lemma="gi%2Fnetai">γίνεται</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="oi%29%3Dnos">οἶνος</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%29tou%3D">αὐτοῦ</w> <w lemma="brexome%2Fnou">βρεχομένου</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="tribome%2Fnou">τριβομένου</w> <w lemma="di%27">δι᾽</w> <w lemma="u%28%2Fdatos">ὕδατος</w>, <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="me%5Cn">μὲν</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="geu%3Dsin">γεῦσιν</w> <w lemma="h%28du%5Cs">ἡδὺς</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="a%29polaustiko%2Fs">ἀπολαυστικός</w>, <w lemma="oi%29nome%2Fliti">οἰνομέλιτι</w> <w lemma="xrhstw%3D%7C">χρηστῷ</w> <w lemma="paraplh%2Fsios">παραπλήσιος</w>, <w lemma="w%28%3D%7C">ᾧ</w> <w lemma="xrw%3Dntai">χρῶνται</w> <w lemma="xwri%5Cs">χωρὶς</w> <w lemma="u%28%2Fdatos">ὕδατος</w>.
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<w lemma="ou%29">οὐ</w> <w lemma="du%2Fnatai">δύναται</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="ple%2Fon">πλέον</w> <w lemma="de%2Fka">δέκα</w> <w lemma="me%2Fnein">μένειν</w> <w lemma="h%28merw%3Dn:">ἡμερῶν·</w> <w lemma="dio%5C">διὸ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="poiou%3Dsi">ποιοῦσι</w> <w lemma="kata%5C">κατὰ</w> <w lemma="braxu%5C">βραχὺ</w> <w lemma="pro%5Cs">πρὸς</w> <w lemma="th%5Cn">τὴν</w> <w lemma="xrei%2Fan">χρείαν</w>. <w lemma="poiou%3Dsi">ποιοῦσι</w> <w lemma="de%5C">δὲ</w> <w lemma="kai%5C">καὶ</w> <w lemma="o%29%2Fcos">ὄξος</w> <w lemma="e%29c">ἐξ</w> <w lemma="au%29tw%3Dn">αὐτῶν</w>."
<head>I. The Lotus</head>Polybius in the twelfth book of his histories gives from personal observation the same account as Herodotus of the so‑called lotus of <a class="linkToPlace" target="_blank" href="/place?placename=Africa&groupId=300&placeId=294">Africa</a>.
He says: "The lotus is not a large tree, but it is rough and thorny. Its leaf resembles that of the blackthorn, but is rather wider and flatter.
The fruit at first both in colour and size resembles the white myrtle berry when fully grown, but as it grows it becomes purple in colour and about the size of a round olive. The stone is quite small.
They gather it when ripe, and after pounding what is meant for the slaves pack it with salt in jars. They remove the stones from the portion meant for freemen and store it in the same way and on this they feed.
The food rather resembles figs or dates, but has a better aroma.
Wine is also made from it by moistening it and crushing it in water. This wine is sweet and of an agreeable flavour, resembling very good metheglin, and drink it unwatered.
It does not, however, keep for more than ten days, so that they make it in small quantities when required. They also make vinegar from it."