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.”
Paradoxographus Vaticanus, 1-2 A few of these are really rough because the Greek does not make sense to me. Any suggestions are welcome
1 “Hegesias the Megarian says that there are cranes and whenever they are about to leave from Thrace, they are all sprinkled by one in a circle [?]. And then, whenever that one cries out, one is selected out as if a command were issued, and, after cleansing, it remains there. When they cross the sea, two stretch out their wings, but one goes beneath takes a break while resting upon them.”
9“Polykleitos says that there are tortoises in the Ganges whose shell is just short of five measures large. Agatharkhides [claims] that they use these shells as as roofs for huts.”
4 “Aristotle says in his work On Animals that all land animals have respiration—as many as have lungs—except for the wasp and bee which do not breathe. However many animals have a bladder also have bowels. But not all animals who have bowels also have a bladder.”
25 “Among the Iberians there is a tribe [and] and in a certain festival they honor women with gifts, however so many demonstrate at that time that they can weave the most numerous and beautiful cloaks.”
27 “Among the Nasamoi in Libya it is the custom that on the first day a woman is married that she has sex with everyone who is present and then take gifts from them. After that, she has sex only with the one who marries her.”
45 “The Liburnians have shared wives and they raise their children in common for five years. When they make it to the eighth year, they compare the children for their similarity to the men and they distribute to each one who is similar. And that one keeps him as a son.”
51 “The Assyrians sell their daughters in the marketplace to whoever wants to settle down with them. First the most well-born and most beautiful and then the rest in order. Whenever they get to the least attractive, they announce how much someone is willing to take to live with them and they add this consolation price from the fee charged for the desirable girls to these [last ones].”
18 “There is a river Perinthos in Thrace where the city Perinthos is too. If anyone drinks from it, their internal organs swell [or develop tumors?]. The reason for this is that the drops from the Gorgon’s head flowed into it after it was carried off by Perseus.”
19 “Among the Kelainai of Phrygia there is a river Marsyas. When that one somehow hears an aulos, it crashes greatly; if it is a kithara, it flows in silence, since the the aulos-player Marsyas drowned in it.”
20 “The river Tauromenios is in Sicily near the city of the same name. When that river hears thunder, it is frightened and retreats into the earth; but when the thunder stops, it rushes back from the earth again like a spring.”
2 “Daliôn says in the first book of his Ethiopian Matters that there is an animal in Ethiopia called a krokotta. When that creature goes near backyards it hears people chattering, and especially the words/names of children. But when it goes out at night, it speaks words/names and the children who come out are devoured by it”
“[We should note the fact that] there is a creature in Ethiopia which is named krokottas which is like a combination of wolf and a dog, but it is more savage than both and is heavier in its face and at the end of its feet. It is also amazing for its boldness, and it is extremely capable compared to the rest in its teeth and its belly. For they also tear to pieces easily every type of bone and whatever they take up is consumed easily and their digestion is indescribable. In addition, while some of them have been described as imitating human language, we don’t believe it. Nevertheless, some have added that they call out people by name at night—and that they try to use a human voice in doing this—and then they gobble up whoever comes out as they fall upon them.”
Of the collections, the Vaticanus is the most interesting and strange. Here are a few sections that jumped out while I translated them today.
15 “In a certain part of the region before Olympos there are trees similar to a tender-leafed willow which people say were once virgins. They changed into these trees when they were fleeing Boreas who was lusting after them. Even to this day, if someone touches the leaves, people claim that the wind gets enraged and immediately blows with a fury and barely stops before the third day”
16 “In the middle of Thrace there is a river which reveals women who have been corrupted through adultery. When their husbands have them drink from the water they also say ‘If you were not corrupted by that water, may you have a son; but if you were, have a daughter’ “
Apollonios the Paradoxographer is credited with a text of 51 anecdotes usually dated to the 3rd or 2nd century BCE. Some of these translations are pretty rough, so suggestions and corrections are welcome.
46 “In the fifth book of his Natural Causes, Theophrastos says that the covering of beans when they are placed near the roots of trees dry out the things that are growing. He also adds that native birds who eat these things constantly become barren. Therefore, for this reason and eventually because of many others the Pythagoreans prohibited the use of the bean. For it makes someone flatulent, and dyspeptic, and brings us bad dreams.
50 “In his work On Plants, in the last part of the material, Theophrastos says that Eunomos, the Khian and purveyor of drugs, did not [cleanse himself/die] while drinking many doses of hellebore. Once, even, when together with his fellow craftsmen he took over 22 drinks in one day as he sat in the agora and he did not return from his implements. Then he left to wash and eat, as he was accustomed, and did not vomit. He accomplished this after being in this custom for a long time, because he started from small amounts until he got to so many large ones. The powers of all drugs are less severe for those used to them and for some they are even useless.”
51 “This is a matter worth knowing which Aristotle mentions in his Natural Problems. He says that a person who has eaten and drunk weighs the same as when he is fasting. He tries to provide a reason for this occurrence.”
Apollonios the Paradoxographer is credited with a text of 51 anecdotes usually dated to the 3rd or 2nd century BCE. Some of these translations are pretty rough, so suggestions and corrections are welcome.
40 “Aristoxenos the scholar writes in his Life of Telestes (a very man he happened to meet in Italy) that he was undergoing sufferings at the time. Of these there was one as well which was the strangest event and it transpired concerning the women.
For these women were ecstatic to the point that once they were sitting and dining because they were heeding someone who was bidding them, but then they leapt up and became unconquerable and ran out of the city.
To the Locrians and the Rhegians seeking a prophecy about the resolution of this sickness the god said that they had to sing the spring paeans for twelve days. For this reason there are many Paean-writers in Italy.”
41 “Theophrastos says in the eighth book of his On Plants that the grass scorpion—which people call the lady-killer—attacks scorpions to drain them completely.”
42 “From what has been observed the wounds which scar the least happen to those who are pregnant, splenetic, or have enlarged veins and women who have white veins around their thighs.”
44 “Theophrastos in his work On Plants records about the Soloi of Kilikia near a river which is called the Pinaros where there was a battle of Alexander against Dareios, poppies grow without seeds. And, in general in Egypt, pomegranate seeds have the smell of wine.”
45 “From the observed things, there is also the burning of wicks on white flowers or wreaths so that these remain unfaded right up to dawn. And the garland-weavers make it.”
Apollonios the Paradoxographer is credited with a text of 51 anecdotes usually dated to the 3rd or 2nd century BCE. Some of these translations are pretty rough, so suggestions and corrections are welcome.
36 “Sotakos in his book On Stones records that there is a stone which is called Karystios which has outgrowths which are woolly and downy—from these hand-cloths are woven and spun. They also braid from these lampwicks which burn brightly and without burning out completely. The washing of these hand-cloths happens when they are covered in dirt and not in water, and then brush is burned and the cloth is placed on them. Then they become white and clean thanks to fire and are returned for use to the same women [?]. The candle wicks remain incompletely used up for all time as long as they are burned with olive oil.
The smell of the candlewicks as they burn makes people think they are about to fall. That stone is also in Karystos and took is name from the place, but there are many in Kypros [for those going up from the Gerander, as if towards those traveling on the left of Elmaios below the cliffs. [Solous?]. This stone also increases during the full-moon and diminishes again as the moon wanes.”
37 “Aristotle in his natural problems writes: the respiration of [humpbacks?] goes heavily through the mouth. He also provides a reason for why this happens.”
38 “Eudoxos the Knidian in the seventh book of his Circuit of the Earth [writes] there is a certain tribe in most of Libya which lies down beyond the Syrteoi and the Carthaginians near the West; these people are called the Guzantes. They practice a skill [whereby] they gather flowers in their regions to make honey so great and of such a kind that it is similar to that which is made by bees.”
