This is the third installment of the Paradoxagraphus Florentinus, a text which provides a list of miraculous waters from the ancient world. Here’s the first, and the second.
27 “In Alliphanos in Italy there is a deep reservoir from which water is seen but if someone lets a line down into it, he does not touch the water but is hindered by some divine force, as Isigonos records.”
᾿Εν δὲ ᾿Αλλιφάνῳ τῆς ᾿Ιταλίας φρεάτιόν ἐστι βαθύ, οὗ τὸ μὲν ὕδωρ βλέπεται, ἡλίκον δὲ ἄν τις χαλάσῃ σχοινίον, οὐκ ἐφάπτεται τοῦ ὕδατος, ἀλλ’ ὑπό τινος θείου κωλύεται, ὥς φησιν ᾿Ισίγονος.
28 There is a pond in Italy near Cumae and when the leaves or fruit from the trees that are nearby fall they immediately become invisible while they shrink.”
῎Αουερνός ἐστι λίμνη ἐν ᾿Ιταλίᾳ περὶ Κούμας, εἰς ἣν τὰ ἐκ τῆς περικειμένης ὕλης ἐμπίπτοντα φύλλα ἢ κάρφη ἀφανῆ γίνεται βυθιζόμενα παραχρῆμα.
29 “Aristotle records that in Carthage there is a spring gentler than olive oil. They hide it so that no one may secretly approach it.”
᾿Αριστοτέλης ἱστορεῖ κατὰ Καρχηδόνα κρήνην εἶναι ἐλαίου προσηνεστέραν· ἂν δὲ μή τις ἁγνὸς προσίῃ, ἐκλείπειν αὐτήν.
30 “Near Gela in Sicily there is a lake called Silla, extremely small, which hurls those who bathe in it onto dry land as if from an instrument, as Aristotle says.”
Περὶ Γέλαν τῆς Σικελίας ἔστι λίμνη Σίλλα καλουμένη, ἐλαχίστη τὸ μέγεθος, ἥτις τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ λουομένους εἰς τὸ ξηρὸν ἐκρίπτει ὡς ἀπ’ ὀργάνου τινός, ὥς φησιν ᾿Αριστοτέλης.
31 “Along the Eridanos river there is a pond around the Elektryan islands which has warm water but has a heavy smell and no animal will taste from it.”
Παρὰ τὸν ᾿Ηριδανὸν ποταμὸν ἔστι λίμνη κατὰ τὰς ᾿Ηλεκτρίδας νήσους, ὕδωρ ἔχουσα θερμόν, ὀσμὴν δὲ βαρεῖαν, ἀφ’ ἧς οὐδὲν ζῷον γεύεται.
32 “The lake near Abdêra which is called Kusteiros is one which they claim that Xerxes’ army drank dry.”
Τὴν κατὰ ῎Αβδηρα λίμνην Κύστειρον καλουμένην φασὶ τὸ Χέρξου στράτευμα πῖνον ἀναξηρᾶναι.
33 “Hieronymos records that in the land of the Nabataians of Arabia there is a bitter lake in which there are no fish and no other of the animals who live under water. Bricks of asphalt are taken from it by the people who live nearby.”
῾Ιερώνυμος ἱστόρησεν ἐν τῇ Ναβαταίων χώρᾳ τῶν ᾿Αράβων εἶναι λίμνην πικράν, ἐν ᾗ οὔτε ἰχθῦς οὔτε ἄλλο τι τῶν ἐνύδρων ζῴων γίνεσθαι· ἀσφάλτου δὲ πλίνθους ἐξ αὐτῆς αἴρεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων.
34 “Puthermos claims, if someone hurls a cup into the eddies of the Strumôn river, then he will find it in the lake near Apollonia
Πύθερμός φησιν, ἐάν τις σκύφον εἰς τὰς τοῦ Στρυμόνος ποταμοῦ δίνας ἐμβάλῃ, τοῦτον εὑρήσειν ἐν τῇ περὶ ᾿Απολλωνίαν λίμνῃ.
35 “Phaethôn says that there is a river on the Bosporos that is so cold that none of the animals are able to abide its chill.”
†Φαέθων† φησὶ τὸν ἐν Βοσπόρῳ ποταμὸν οὕτως εἶναι ψυχρόν, ὥστε μηδὲν τῶν ζῴων ὑπομένειν αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχρότητα.
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