We posted previously about paradoxographical records of magical waters. Here are some more.
Paradoxographus Vaticanus, 10-13
10 “The Skamandros [river] makes hair light colored. This is why it is called Xanthus in Homer.”
῾Ο Σκάμανδρος ξανθὰς ποιεῖ τὰς τρίχας· ὅθεν καὶ Ξάνθος παρ’ ῾Ομήρῳ προσηγορεύθη.
11 “Antigonos says that the warm water in Hierapolis turns everything into stone—and when the water itself [ripens] it also becomes stone.”
᾿Αντίγονος τὸ μὲν ἐν ῾Ιεραπόλει θερμὸν ὕδωρ πάντα ἀπολιθοῦν φησι, καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ πέσσεσθαι καὶ λίθον γίνεσθαι.
12 “Theopompos says that among the Lungkêstai there is a certain bitter water which makes those who drink it drunk.”
Θεόπομπος ἐν Λυγκήσταις φησίν τι εἶναι ὕδωρ ὀξύ, ὃ τοὺς πίνοντας μεθύσκει.
13 “Herakleides says that there is a lake among the Sauromati which does not support any birds; any bird which approaches dies because of a smell. For this reason, indeed, [other lakes?] seem to be birdless throughout Italy.”
῾Ηρακλείδης [φησὶ] τὴν ἐν Σαυρομάταις λίμνην οὐδὲν τῶν ὀρνέων ὑπεραίρειν φησί, τὸ δὲ προσελθὸν ὑπὸ τῆς ὀσμῆς τελευτᾶν. ὃ δὴ καὶ περὶ τὴν ἄορνιν κατὰ τὴν ᾿Ιταλίαν δοκεῖ γίνεσθαι.
The quote from Antigonus is not on a par with the others, since it is more or less true:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamukkale
Thanks for that!