Humanitext Reader

Galen · Advice to an Epileptic Boy §5

Walking Routine and Dinner Choices of Meat and Fish

Passage 6 of 7 · Greek

Summary

The author recommends walking before and after studies and instructs on the specific choices of ingredients for dinner, including birds, pork, fish, and pulses, while advising the avoidance of food that is hard to digest and thickens the humors.

§5Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα διαλιπόντα χρόνον ὀλίγον ἀτρέμα περιπατῆσαι κελεύω πρὶν ἐπὶ τὰ μαθήματα παραγίνεσθαι.
After this, having waited a little while, I order him to walk quietly before attending his studies.
καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ ἀπαλλαγέντα τῶν μαθημάτων, αὖθις ἀξιῶ περιπατῆσαι πρὸ τοῦ δείπνου, κἄπειθ’ οὕτως τοῦ μὲν ἄρτου τὰς ὑπολοίπους δύο μοίρας προσφέρεσθαι, τῶν δ’ ἄλλων ἕκαστον ὡς εἴρηται, κρέας μὲν ἁπάντων σχεδὸν τῶν πτηνῶν, πλὴν ὅσα λιμναῖαι.
And indeed, also when freed from his studies, I expect him to walk again before dinner, and then in this way to take the remaining two parts of the bread, and of the other things, each as has been said, the meat of almost all birds, except those of the marshes.
τῶν τετραπόδων δὲ μάλιστα μὲν ἁπάντων ἀπέχεσθαι· εἰ δ’ ἄρα ποτὲ καὶ δεήσει χρήσασθαι, τοῦ μὲν ἡμέρου συὸς τοῖς ἀκρέοις τε καὶ τῇ γαστρὶ, τοῦ δὲ ἀγρίου καὶ ταῖς σαρξὶ χρῆσθαι, γεύεσθαι δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐρίφων, ἔστι δ’ ὅτε καὶ τῶν λαγωῶν, ἁπάντων ἠρτυμένων ἁπλῶς ἢ ὠπτημένων ἄνευ κνίσης.
As for quadrupeds, it is best to abstain from them all; but if indeed it should ever be necessary to use them, of the domestic pig one should use the extremities and the stomach, and of the wild pig the flesh as well, and also taste kids, and sometimes hares, all being seasoned simply or roasted without the smell of burnt fat.
τὸ δ’ ἁπλῶς  ἐστὶ δι’ ὕδατος ἄνηθον ἔχοντος ἥδυσμα καὶ πράσον, ἔλαιόν τε καὶ ἅλας.
And 'simply' means with water having dill as seasoning, and leek, olive oil, and salt.
ὡς δ’ ἄνευ κνίσης ὀπτηθείη κρέας καλῶς, τὸν παρ’ ἡμῖν ἐθεάσω κλίβανον.
How meat may be roasted well without the smell of burnt fat, you have seen the oven we have.
ὅσα δὲ θαλάττια, τὰ μὲν ὄστρεια σύμπαντα μοχθηρὰ, τῶν δ’ ἰχθύων οἱ πετραῖοι μὲν ἄριστοι πάντων, ἅπτεσθαι δὲ δεήσει καὶ τῶν πελαγίων.
As for sea creatures, all shellfish are bad, but of fish, those of the rocks are best of all, though it will be necessary to touch those of the open sea as well.
ἡ νάρκη δὲ μόνη σχεδόν τι τῶν μαλακίων ἐπιτήδειος.
The electric ray is almost the only suitable one among the mollusks.
ὀσπρίων δὲ πτισάνη μὲν πρώτη, φακῆ δὲ καὶ χόνδρος καὶ πίσον ἐφεξῆς τῇδε, τὰ δ’ ἄλλα μοχθηρά.
Of pulses, barley groats is first, and lentils, groats, and peas are next in order to this, while the others are bad.
καθόλου δ’ εἰπεῖν ὅσα γλίσχρα καὶ παχύχυμα καὶ φυσώδη καὶ περιττωματικὰ καὶ δύσπεπτα, καθότι καὶ πρόσθεν ἐλέγετο φυλάττεσθαι πάντα.
To speak generally, all those things that are sticky, producing thick juice, flatulent, producing residues, and hard to digest, just as was said before, must all be avoided.
τὰ μὲν ὄστρεα καὶ τὰ σελάχη καὶ οἱ βολβοὶ καὶ κοχλίαι καὶ τυροὶ καὶ μύκητες καὶ τὰ βόεια κρέα καὶ τῶν ὠῶν τὰ κατεψηθέντα δύσπεπτα μέν ἐστι, ἀλλὰ καὶ παχεῖς ἐργάζεται τῶν ἐσθιόντων ταῦτα τοὺς χυμούς.
Shellfish, cartilaginous fish, bulbs, snails, cheese, mushrooms, beef, and boiled eggs are indeed hard to digest, but they also produce thick juices in those who eat them.
ὁ χόνδρος δὲ καὶ τὰ χοίρεια κρέα χρηστοῦ μὲν αἵματός ἐστι γεννητικὰ, ἀλλὰ γλίσχρου.
Groats and pork are productive of good blood, but sticky.
τὰ δὲ λιμναῖα πάντα περιττωματικὰ, φυσώδη τε τὰ ὄσπρια, καὶ μάλιστα κύαμοί τε καὶ ἐρέβινθοι, καὶ ἡ πτισάνη δὲ μὴ ἀκριβῶς καθεψηθεῖσα φυσώδης ἐστὶν, ὥστε καὶ ταύτην ἑψεῖν ἢ μὴ χρῆσθαι.
All marsh creatures produce residues, and pulses are flatulent, especially broad beans and chickpeas; and indeed, barley groats, if not boiled thoroughly, is flatulent, so that one should either boil it well or not use it.
καὶ ἡ φακῆ δὲ καλῶς ἑψηθεῖσα πᾶν ἀποτίθεται τὸ φυσῶδες.
And lentils, if well boiled, lose all their flatulence.
ἀλλ’ οὐ χρὴ πλεονάζειν ἐν αὐτῇ, παχὺν ὑποτρεφούση χυμόν.
But one must not exceed in them, as they foster a thick juice.
εἰς μὲν δὴ τὴν ἐφήμερον δίαιταν ἱκανὰ καὶ ταῦτ’ ἐστὶ παραγγέλματα.
For the daily diet indeed, these precepts are sufficient.

Notes

  1. 493διαλιπόντα — Aorist active participle (singular masculine accusative) of διαλείπω (to leave an interval). It agrees with the implied accusative subject (the boy) of the infinitive περιπατῆσαι.
  2. 31τοῦ μὲν ἄρτου τὰς ὑπολοίπους δύο μοίρας — Since one-third (μία μοῖρα) of the bread was consumed at breakfast, this refers to taking the 'remaining two parts' (two-thirds) at dinner (δεῖπνον).
  3. p.373ἁπάντων ἠρτυμένων ἁπλῶς ἢ ὠπτημένων ἄνευ κνίσης — Genitive absolute construction. It uses perfect passive participles (ἠρτυμένων and ὠπτημένων) agreeing with the implied genitive of meats (κρεῶν) to specify the cooking conditions.
  4. p.374χρηστοῦ μὲν αἵματός ἐστι γεννητικὰ, ἀλλὰ γλίσχρου — The adjective γεννητικά (productive, neuter plural nominative) governs the genitive αἵματος (blood). The genitive γλίσχρου also modifies αἵματος as a contrastive attribute ('but of a sticky [blood]').

Cite this passage

Galen, Advice to an Epileptic Boy §5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0057.tlg074.humanitext-grc1:5

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