§4#1Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸ ἄριστον ἰέναι, καί τι πρό γε αὐτοῦ τῶν λαπαττόντων τὴν γαστέρα λαχάνων, ἢ καὶ ταρίχους, ἢ πτισάνης, ἢ ἐλαίων ἅμα τῷ τρίτῳ μέρει τοῦ ἄρτου προσενεγκάμενον, εἰς τὸ δεῖπνον ἀποθέσθαι τὰ λοιπὰ δύο μέρει μετὰ τῶν ἰσχυροτέρων ὄψων.
After these things, one should go to breakfast, and indeed, before it, having consumed some of the vegetables that relax the belly, or salt-fish, or barley-groats, or olives, together with the third part of the bread, one should set aside the remaining two parts for dinner along with the stronger side-dishes.
εἰρήσεται δὲ τὰ ἰσχυρότερα μικρὸν ὕστερον, ἐπειδὰν πρότερον ἅπαντα διέλθω τὰ χωρὶς βλάβης λαμβανόμενα.
The stronger ones will be discussed a little later, after I have first gone through all those things that are taken without harm.
λαχάνων οὔτε θριδακίνης οὔτε μαλάχης οὔτε ἀτραφάξυος οὔτε βλίτου τὸ σύμπαν εἴργεσθαι κελεύω, λαμβάνειν δ’ οὐκ ἀεὶ μὲν ταὐτὸ, ἄλλοτε δὲ ἀπ’ ἄλλου τὸ μέτριον.
Of vegetables, I do not order to abstain entirely from lettuce, mallow, orach, or blite, but to take not always the same, but at one time some and at another time others in moderation.
ἐκ ταὐτοῦ δὲ γένους ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ τεῦτλον καὶ κράμβη.
Beet and cabbage are of the same kind.
χρὴ γὰρ καὶ τούτων ἀπογεύσασθαι τὰ σύμμετρα.
For one must also taste a moderate amount of these.
πράσου δὲ καὶ σελίνου καὶ σμυρνίου προσάψασθαί ποτὲ συνοίσει καὶ τῶν ὀπωρῶν ὅσαι μὴ παντάπασιν ὠμαὶ καὶ δύσπεπτοι τὴν φύσιν εἰσίν.
It will also be beneficial to touch upon leek, celery, and smyrnium sometimes, and of summer fruits, as many as are not altogether raw and indigestible by nature.
ἴσχουσί τε γὰρ τινα περιττώματα σφῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων σιτίων.
For they retain some of the surplus matter of themselves and of the other foods.
τά τε οὖν μόρα καὶ τὰ πραικόκκια καλούμενα καὶ τὰ σῦκα καὶ εἴ τινα τούτοις ἔοικεν, ἀλύπως διέξεισι, καὶ ἡ καλουμένη κολοκύνθη τῶν μαλακωτάτων λαχάνων οὐδενὸς ἀποδεῖ καὶ οἱ πέπονες οἱ σίκυοι.
Therefore, mulberries, the so-called apricots, figs, and any that resemble these, pass through without trouble, and the so-called gourd is second to none of the softest vegetables, as are ripe melons.
μοχθηροὶ γὰρ ὅσοι μὴ τοιοῦτοι.
For those that are not such are bad.
καὶ βοτρύων πεπείρων ἅψασθαί ποτε συγχωρῆσαι τῷ παιδὶ, μήλων δὲ καὶ ἀπίων ἐλάχιστά τε καὶ σπανιάκις προσφέρεσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα μὴ μόνον ἐπὶ τοῦ δένδρου κατειργασμένα καλῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀφαίρεσιν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας.
And one should allow the child sometimes to touch ripe grapes, but apples and pears should be offered in the smallest amounts and rarely, and these not only well matured on the tree, but also after removal in the house.
εὖ γὰρ εἰδέναι χρὴ περὶ τῶν εἰς ἀπόθεσιν ἐπιτηδείων ἀκροδρύων ὡς οὐδὲν ὅμοιον ἔχει τοῖς παλαιοῖς τὰ πρόσφατα, δύναται δὲ ἀποτίθεσθαι μῆλά τε καὶ ἄπια καὶ τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν ἀκροδρύων καὶ τὰ δαμασκηνὰ προσαγορευόμενα καὶ αἱ ἰσχάδες.
For one must know well about the fruits suitable for storage that the fresh ones bear no resemblance to the old, and it is possible to store apples, pears, most of the fruits, the so-called plums, and dried figs.
τούτου τοῦ γένους εἰσὶ καὶ βάλανοι τῶν φοινίκων, ὧν οὐδ’ εἴργω τελέως, ἀλλ’ ἐν καιρῷ τε καὶ μέτρια προσφέρεσθαι συγχωρῶ.
Of this kind are also the dates of the palms, from which I do not entirely exclude him, but I allow them to be offered at the proper time and in moderation.
τὸ δὲ καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἤ πολλὰ φυλάττεσθαι συμβουλεύω, καθόλου δ’ εἰπεῖν ὅσα κακόχυμα τῶν ἐδεσμάτων εἰσὶν, ἢ ἐπέχοντα τὴν κοιλίαν, ἢ φυσώδη καὶ δύσπεπτα συνεχῶς, ἢ πλείω τοῦ καιροῦ προσφερόμενα, βλάπτειν εἴωθεν οὐ τοῦτο τὸ νόσημα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τἄλλα σύμπαντα.
But I advise avoiding them daily or in large quantities; and to speak generally, whatever foods are of bad juice, or bind the bowels, or are continually windy and indigestible, or are offered out of season, are accustomed to harm not only this disease, but also all the others.
καὶ μέχρι γε τοῦδ’ ἥκων ὁ περὶ τῆς διαίτης λόγος ἑτέροις ἂν κοινὸς εἴη πολλοῖς ἀῤῥωστήμασιν.
And the discourse concerning diet, having come this far, would be common to many other ailments.
ὁ δὲ τοῦ πάθους ἴδιος καὶ ἐξαίρετος ἐν τῷ φυλάττεσθαι μάλιστα τὰ φλεγματικὰ τῶν ἐδεσμάτων.
But what is peculiar and exceptional to this disease lies in guarding especially against phlegmatic foods.
ὅθεν οὐδὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις μὲν ἀλύποις, γλίσχρον δέ τινα χυμὸν, ἢ ψυχρὸν ἢ παχὺν ἔχουσιν, ἐγχρονίζειν προσήκει.
Hence, it is not proper to linger on those things which, though otherwise harmless, have some viscous, cold, or thick juice.
τοιαῦτα δέ ἐστιν ἀτράφαξύς τε καὶ βλίτον καὶ μαλάχη, ὧν οὐκ εἴργομεν ἅπτεσθαι, διὰ παντὸς δ’ ἐν αὐτοῖς καταγίνεσθαι κωλύω.
Such are orach, blite, and mallow, which we do not forbid to touch, but I prevent spending time on them continuously.
τούτου δὲ τοῦ γένους εἰσὶ καὶ αἱ κολόκυνθαι, καὶ πολὺ δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτῶν οἵ τε σικυοὶ καὶ τὰ μῆλα καὶ ἄπια καὶ πάντων ὅσα φλεγματικὸν καὶ παχὺν ἢ γλίσχρον ἔχει χυμὸν, ἢ ἔδεσμα χείριστον, οἵ τε μύκητες ὀνομαζόμενοι.
To this kind belong also the gourds, and much more than these, cucumbers, apples, pears, and all those things that have a phlegmatic, thick, or viscous juice, or that worst of food, the so-called mushrooms.
τούτου μέν γε τελέως ἀπέχεσθαι συμβουλεύω, καθάπερ καὶ τῶν γογγυλίδων, ὅσα τε ἄλλα τὴν ῥίζαν ἐδώδιμον ἔχει.
From this indeed I advise to abstain entirely, just as from turnips and whatever other things have an edible root.
παχύχυμά τε γάρ ἐστι καὶ δυσκατέργαστα τοὐπίπαν, ὅσα τ’ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα, πλὴν εἴ τινα τούτων ἔχει τι δριμὺ καὶ θερμὸν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, οἷον οἵ τε δαῦκοι καὶ αἱ ῥαφανῖδες.
For they produce thick juice and are generally difficult to digest, and other such things, unless some of them have something pungent and warm in themselves, such as wild carrots and radishes.
ἀλλὰ ῥαφανίδων μὲν ἐκ περιόδου τινος ἡμερῶν οὐ κωλύω γενέσθαι.
But I do not prevent radishes from being eaten after a certain interval of days.
δαύκων δὲ καὶ ἀπέχεσθαι πειρᾶται, καὶ τούτων ἔτι μᾶλλον γογγυλίδων.
But one should try to abstain from wild carrots, and still more from turnips.
πλεονάζειν δὲ ἐν τῇ χρήσει τῶν ἐδεσμάτων ὅσα δριμύ τι καὶ τμητικὸν ἔχει χωρὶς ἐπισήμου κακοχυμίας, ἤ τινος ὀδμῆς ἅψασθαι τῆς κεφαλῆς δυναμένης.
But one should make abundant use in the consumption of foods of those which have something pungent and cutting, without notable bad juice or any smell capable of affecting the head.