§6.18#1Περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων καὶ πλωτῶν καὶ πτηνῶν, καὶ περὶ τῶν πεζῶν ὅσα ᾠοτοκεῖ, σχεδὸν εἴρηται περὶ πάντων, περί τε ὀχείας καὶ κυήσεως καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ὁμοιοτρόπων τούτοις· περὶ δὲ τῶν πεζῶν ὅσα ζῳοτοκεῖ καὶ περὶ ἀνθρώπου λεκτέον τὰ συμβαίνοντα τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον.
Thus, concerning other animals, both aquatic and winged, and concerning those land animals that lay eggs, almost all has been said, both about copulation and gestation and other similar matters; but concerning those land animals that are viviparous and concerning humans, we must describe what occurs in the same manner.
Περὶ μὲν οὖν ὀχείας εἴρηται καὶ ἰδίᾳ καὶ κοινῇ κατὰ πάντων.
Now, copulation has been discussed both individually and in common for all.
Πάντων δὲ κοινὸν τῶν ζῴων τὸ περὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν καὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐπτοῆσθαι τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ὀχείας μάλιστα.
But it is common to all animals to be excited especially concerning the desire and pleasure derived from copulation.
Τὰ μὲν οὖν θήλεα χαλεπώτατα, ὅταν ἐκτέκωσι πρῶτον, οἱ δ’ ἄρρενες περὶ τὴν ὀχείαν.
Females, indeed, are most fierce when they first bring forth, but males around the time of copulation.
Οἵ τε γὰρ ἵπποι δάκνουσι τοὺς ἵππους καὶ καταβάλλουσι καὶ διώκουσι τοὺς ἱππέας, καὶ οἱ ὕες οἱ ἄγριοι χαλεπώτατοι, καίπερ ἀσθενέστατοι περὶ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ὄντες, διὰ τὴν ὀχείαν, καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους μὲν ποιοῦνται μάχας θαυμαστάς, θωρακίζοντες ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ποιοῦντες τὸ δέρμα ὡς παχύτατον ἐκ παρασκευῆς, πρὸς τὰ δένδρα τρίβοντες καὶ τῷ πηλῷ μολύνοντες πολλάκις καὶ ξηραίνοντες ἑαυτούς· μάχονται δὲ πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ἐξελαύνοντες ἐκ τῶν συοφορβίων, οὕτω σφοδρῶς ὥστε πολλάκις ἀμφότεροι ἀποθνήσκουσιν.
For stallions bite other horses, throw them down, and pursue their riders, and wild boars are most fierce, although they are weakest around this time, because of copulation, and they engage in amazing battles against one another, arming themselves and making their skin as thick as possible by preparation, rubbing themselves against trees and often defiling themselves with mud and drying themselves; and they fight against one another, driving each other out of the herds, so violently that often both die.
Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ οἱ ταῦροι καὶ οἱ κριοὶ καὶ οἱ τράγοι· πρότερον γὰρ ὄντες σύννομοι ἕκαστοι περὶ τοὺς καιροὺς τῆς ὀχείας μάχονται διιστάμενοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους.
In the same way also bulls, rams, and he-goats; for though previously feeding together, each, around the times of copulation, fights by separating from one another.
Χαλεπὸς δὲ καὶ ὁ κάμηλος περὶ τὴν ὀχείαν ὁ ἄρρην, ἐάν τε ἄνθρωπος ἐάν τε κάμηλος πλησιάζῃ· ἵππῳ μὲν γὰρ ὅλως ἀεὶ πολεμεῖ.
The male camel also is fierce around the time of copulation, whether a human or a camel approaches; for he is altogether always at war with a horse.
Τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ τρόπον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγρίων· καὶ γὰρ ἄρκτοι καὶ λύκοι καὶ λέοντες χαλεποὶ τοῖς πλησιάζουσι γίνονται περὶ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον, πρὸς ἀλλήλους δ’ ἧττον μάχονται διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀγελαῖον εἶναι μηθὲν τῶν τοιούτων ζῴων.
In the same manner also among wild animals; for bears, wolves, and lions become fierce to those who approach them around this time, but they fight less against one another because none of such animals is gregarious.
Χαλεπαὶ δὲ καὶ αἱ θήλειαι ἄρκτοι ἀπὸ τῶν σκύμνων, ὥσπερ καὶ αἱ κύνες ἀπὸ τῶν σκυλακίων.
Female bears are also fierce because of their cubs, just as female dogs because of their puppies.
Ἐξαγριαίνονται δὲ καὶ οἱ ἐλέφαντες περὶ τὴν ὀχείαν, διό περ φασὶν οὐκ ἐᾶν αὐτοὺς ὀχεύειν τὰς θηλείας τοὺς τρέφοντας ἐν τοῖς Ἰνδοῖς· ἐμμανεῖς γὰρ γινομένους ἐν τοῖς χρόνοις τούτοις ἀνατρέπειν τὰς οἰκήσεις αὐτῶν ἅτε φαύλως ᾠκοδομημένας, καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ ἐργάζεσθαι.
Elephants also become wild around the time of copulation, which is why they say that those who breed them in India do not allow them to couple with the females; for they go mad at these times and overturn their dwellings, being poorly built, and do many other things.
Φασὶ δὲ καὶ τὴν τῆς τροφῆς δαψίλειαν πραοτέρους αὐτοὺς παρέχειν· καὶ προσάγοντες δ’ αὐτοῖς ἑτέρους κολάζουσι καὶ δουλοῦνται προστάττοντες τύπτειν τοῖς προσαγομένοις.
They say, however, that abundance of food makes them gentler; and by bringing other elephants to them, they punish and subjugate them, commanding the ones brought to strike them.
Τὰ δὲ πολλάκις ποιούμενα τὰς ὀχείας καὶ μὴ κατὰ μίαν ὥραν, οἷον τὰ συνανθρωπευόμενα, ὕες τε καὶ κύνες, ἧττον τοιαῦτα ποιοῦντα φαίνεται διὰ τὴν ἀφθονίαν τῆς ὁμιλίας.
But those animals that couple frequently and not at one particular season, such as those that live with humans, like pigs and dogs, seem to do such things less because of the abundance of intercourse.
Τῶν δὲ θηλειῶν ὁρμητικῶς ἔχουσι πρὸς τὸν συνδυασμὸν μάλιστα μὲν ἵππος, ἔπειτα βοῦς.
Of females, the horse is most eager for copulation, and then the cow.
Αἱ μὲν οὖν ἵπποι αἱ θήλειαι ἱππομανοῦσιν· ὅθεν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν βλασφημίαν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν ἐπιφέρουσιν ἀπὸ μόνου τῶν ζῴων τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀκολάστων περὶ τὸ ἀφροδισιάζεσθαι.
Female horses, indeed, suffer from horse-madness (hippomanein); whence also people apply their name as an insult to those who are licentious in sexual matters, alone among all animals.
Λέγονται δὲ καὶ ἐξανεμοῦσθαι περὶ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον· διὸ ἐν Κρήτῃ οὐκ ἐξαιροῦσι τὰ ὀχεῖα ἐκ τῶν θηλειῶν.
And they are said also to be impregnated by the wind around this time; wherefore in Crete they do not remove the stallions from the females.
Ὅταν δὲ τοῦτο πάθωσι, θέουσιν ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων ἵππων.
And when they suffer this, they run away from the other horses.
Ἔστι δὲ τὸ πάθος ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ὑῶν λέγεται τὸ καπρίζειν.
This affection is what is called in pigs going-a-boaring (kaprizein).
Θέουσι δὲ οὔτε πρὸς ἕω οὔτε πρὸς δυσμάς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἄρκτον ἤ νότον.
And they run neither toward the east nor toward the west, but toward the north or south.
Ὅταν δ’ ἐμπέσῃ τὸ πάθος, οὐδένα ἐῶσι πλησιάζειν, ἕως ἂν ἢ ἀπείπωσι διὰ τὸν πόνον ἢ πρὸς θάλατταν ἔλθωσιν· τότε δ’ ἐκβάλλουσί τι.
When this affection falls upon them, they allow no one to approach until they either drop from exhaustion or come to the sea; then they discharge something.
Καλοῦσι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ τικτομένου, ἱππομανές· ἔστι δ’ οἷον ἡ καπρία, καὶ ζητοῦσι τοῦτο μάλιστα πάντων αἱ περὶ τὰς φαρμακείας.
This also they call, as in the case of what is born, hippomanes; it is like the discharge of a pig (kapria), and those who deal in drugs seek this most of all.
Περὶ δὲ τὴν ὥραν τῆς ὀχείας συγκύπτουσί τε πρὸς ἀλλήλας μᾶλλον ἢ πρότερον, καὶ τὴν κέρκον κινοῦσι πυκνά, καὶ τὴν φωνὴν ἀφιᾶσιν ἀλλοιοτέραν ἢ κατὰ τὸν ἄλλον χρόνον· ῥεῖ δ’ αὐταῖς ἐκ τοῦ αἰδοίου ὅμοιον γονῇ, λεπτότερον δὲ πολὺ ἢ τὸ τοῦ ἄρρενος· καὶ καλοῦσι τοῦτό τινες ἱππομανές, ἀλλ’ οὐ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς πώλοις ἐπιφυόμενον· ἐργῶδες δ’ εἶναί φασι λαβεῖν· κατὰ μικρὸν γὰρ ῥεῖν.
Around the season of copulation, they huddle together more than before, shake their tails frequently, and utter a voice different from other times; and there flows from their private parts something like semen, but much thinner than that of the male; and some call this hippomanes, but not that which grows on foals; and they say it is difficult to obtain, for it flows in small quantities.
Καὶ οὐροῦσι δὲ πολλάκις, ὅταν σκυζῶσι, καὶ πρὸς αὑτὰς παίζουσιν.
And they urinate frequently when they are in heat, and play with one another.
Τὰ μὲν οὖν περὶ τοὺς ἵππους τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, αἱ δὲ βόες ταυρῶσιν· οὕτω δὲ σφόδρα κατακώχιμαι τῷ πάθει γίνονται, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτῶν κρατεῖν μηδὲ λαμβάνεσθαι τοὺς βουκόλους.
Such is the way with horses, but cows suffer from bull-madness (tauran); and they are so strongly possessed by this affection that the herdsmen can neither control nor catch them.
Δῆλαι δ’ εἰσὶ καὶ αἱ ἵπποι καὶ αἱ βόες, ὅταν ὀργῶσι πρὸς τὴν ὀχείαν, καὶ τῇ ἐπάρσει τῶν αἰδοίων, καὶ τῷ πυκνὰ οὐρεῖν αἱ βόες ὥσπερ αἱ ἵπποι.
Both horses and cows are obvious when they desire copulation, by the swelling of their private parts, and cows by urinating frequently just like horses.
Ἔτι δ’ αἵ γε βόες ἐπὶ τοὺς ταύρους ἀναβαίνουσι, καὶ παρακολουθοῦσιν ἀεί, καὶ παρεστᾶσιν.
Furthermore, cows even mount the bulls, and follow them always, and stand by them.
Πρότερα δὲ τὰ νεώτερα ὀργᾷ πρὸς τὴν ὀχείαν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἵπποις καὶ ἐν τοῖς βουσίν· καὶ ὅταν εὐημερίαι γίνωνται καὶ τὰ σώματα εὖ ἔχωσι, μᾶλλον ὀργῶσιν.
The younger ones desire copulation earlier, both among horses and cows; and when the weather is good and their bodies are in good condition, they desire it more.
Αἱ μὲν οὖν ἵπποι ὅταν ἀποκείρωνται, ἀποπαύονται τῆς ὁρμῆς μᾶλλον καὶ γίνονται κατηφέστεραι.
Female horses, indeed, when they are sheared, cease from their impulse more and become more dejected.