§8.6Πίνει δὲ τῶν ζῴων τὰ μὲν καρχαρόδοντα λάπτοντα· ἔνια δὲ καὶ τῶν μὴ καρχαροδόντων, οἷον οἱ μύες.
Among animals, those with saw-like teeth drink by lapping; and some of those without saw-like teeth also do so, like mice.
Τὰ δὲ συνόδοντα σπάσει, οἷον ἵπποι καὶ βόες.
But those whose teeth meet drink by sucking, like horses and cattle.
Ἡ δ’ ἄρκτος οὔτε σπάσει οὔτε λάψει, ἀλλὰ κάψει.
The bear, however, neither sucks nor laps, but gulps down.
Καὶ τῶν ὀρνέων δὲ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα σπάσει, πλὴν τὰ μὲν μακραύχενα διαλείποντα καὶ αἴροντα τὴν κεφαλήν, ὁ δὲ πορφυρίων μόνος κάψει.
And among birds, the others drink by sucking, except that those with long necks do so at intervals, raising their heads, while the porphyrio alone gulps down.
Τὰ δὲ κερατώδη τῶν ζῴων, καὶ ἥμερα καὶ ἄγρια, καὶ ὅσα μὴ καρχαρόδοντα, πάντα καρποφάγα καὶ ποηφάγα ἐστί, μὴ λίαν κατεχόμενα τῷ πεινῆν, ἔξω τῆς ὑός· αὕτη δ’ ἥκιστα ποηφάγον καὶ καρποφάγον ἐστίν·
Horned animals, both tame and wild, and all those without saw-like teeth, are all fruit-eating and grass-eating, unless they are extremely hard-pressed by hunger, except for the pig; this is the least grass-eating and fruit-eating.
ῥιζοφάγον δὲ μάλιστα ἡ ὗς ἐστὶ τῶν ζῴων διὰ τὸ εὖ πεφυκέναι τὸ ῥύγχος πρὸς τὴν ἐργασίαν ταύτην, καὶ εὐχερέστατον πρὸς πᾶσαν τροφὴν τῶν ζῴων ἐστίν.
The pig is the most root-eating of all animals because its snout is well adapted by nature for this work, and it is the most easily accommodated of all animals to any kind of food.
Τάχιστα δὲ καὶ ἐπιδίδωσιν εἰς παχύτητα ὡς κατὰ μέγεθος· πιαίνεται γὰρ ἐν ἑξήκοντα ἡμέραις·
It also increases in fatness very quickly in proportion to its size; for it is fattened in sixty days.
ὅσον δ’ ἐπιδίδωσιν, γινώσκουσιν οἱ περὶ ταῦτα πραγματευόμενοι νῆστιν ἱστάντες.
How much they increase, those who deal with these matters know by weighing them when fasting.
Πιαίνεται δὲ προλιμοκτονηθεῖσα ἡμέρας τρεῖς· σχεδὸν δὲ καὶ τἆλλα πάντα προλιμοκτονούμενα πιαίνεται.
They are fattened by being previously starved for three days; and almost all other animals are also fattened by being previously starved.
Μετὰ δὲ τὰς τρεῖς ἡμέρας εὐωχοῦσιν ἤδη οἱ πιαίνοντες τὰς ὗς.
After three days, those who fatten pigs then feed them bountifully.
Οἱ δὲ Θρᾷκες πιαίνουσι τῇ μὲν πρώτῃ πιεῖν διδόντες, εἶτα διαλείπουσιν ἡμέραν μίαν τὸ πρῶτον, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα δύο, εἶτα τρεῖς καὶ τέτταρας μέχρι τῶν ἑπτά.
The Thracians fatten them by giving them drink on the first day, then they leave an interval of one day at first, after this two days, then three and four, up to seven.
Πιαίνεται δὲ τὸ ζῷον τοῦτο κριθαῖς, κέγχροις, σύκοις, ἀκύλοις, ἀχράσι, σικύοις.
This animal is fattened on barley, millet, figs, acorns, wild pears, and cucumbers.
Μάλιστα δὲ καὶ ταῦτα καὶ τἆλλα τὰ ἔχοντα κοιλίαν θερμὴν ἡ ἀτρεμία πιαίνει· τὰς δ’ ὗς καὶ τὸ λούεσθαι ἐν πηλῷ.
Inactivity fattens both these and all other animals that have a warm stomach most of all; and for pigs, also bathing in mud.
Νέμεσθαι δὲ βούλονται κατὰ τὰς ἡλικίας.
They like to be pastured according to their age.
Μάχεται δὲ ὗς καὶ λύκῳ.
A pig will also fight a wolf.
Ἀπογίνεται δ’ ἀπὸ τοῦ σταθμοῦ, ὅσον ἕλκει ζῶσα, τὸ ἕκτον μέρος εἰς τρίχας καὶ αἷμα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα.
From the weight of the living animal, a sixth part is lost for hair, blood, and the like.
Θηλαζόμεναι δὲ καὶ αἱ ὕες καὶ τἆλλα πάντα λεπτότερα γίνεται.
When suckling, both pigs and all other animals become thinner.
§8.7Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον.
These things, then, are so.
Οἱ δὲ βόες εἰσὶ μὲν καὶ καρποφάγοι καὶ ποηφάγοι, πιαίνονται δὲ τοῖς τε φυσητικοῖς, οἷον ὀρόβοις καὶ κυάμοις ἐρηριγμένοις καὶ χλόῃ κυάμων, καὶ ἐάν τις τὸ δέρμα ἐντεμὼν φυσήσῃ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα παράσχῃ τὴν τροφὴν τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις, ἔτι δὲ κριθαῖς καὶ ἁπλῶς καὶ ἐπτισμέναις, καὶ τοῖς γλυκέσιν, οἷον σύκοις καὶ ἀσταφίσι καὶ οἴνῳ καὶ τοῖς φύλλοις τῆς πτελέας· μάλιστα δ’ οἱ ἥλιοι καὶ τὰ λουτρὰ τὰ θερμά.
Cattle are both fruit-eating and grass-eating, and they are fattened by flatulent foods, such as crushed bitter vetch and beans, and bean-greenery, and if one cuts the skin and blows air in, and after this provides food for the older ones; further, by barley, both plain and winnowed, and by sweet things, such as figs, raisins, wine, and elm leaves; but most of all, sunshine and warm baths.
Τὰ δὲ κέρατα τῶν νέων χλιαινόμενα τῷ κηρῷ ἄγεται ῥᾳδίως ὅπου ἄν τις ἐθέλῃ· καὶ τοὺς πόδας δ’ ἧττον ἀλγοῦσιν, ἐάν τις τὰ κέρατα ἀλείφῃ κηρῷ ἢ πίττῃ ἢ ἐλαίῳ.
The horns of the young, when warmed with wax, are easily bent in whatever direction one wishes; and they suffer less pain in their feet if one smears the horns with wax, pitch, or oil.
Πονοῦσι δ’ αἱ ἀγελαῖαι μᾶλλον ὑπὸ τῆς πάχνης μετανιστάμεναι ἢ ὑπὸ χιόνος.
Cattle in herds suffer more from rime when moving than from snow.
Αὐξάνονται δὲ ὅταν πλείω ἔτη ἀνόχευτοι ὦσιν· διὸ οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἠπείρῳ τὰς καλουμένας Πυρρίχας βοῦς ἐννέα ἔτη διατηροῦσιν ἀνοχεύτους καὶ καλοῦσιν ἀποταύρους, ὅπως αὐξάνωνται.
They grow larger when they are kept unmated for more years; wherefore those in Epirus keep the so-called Pyrrhic cattle unmated for nine years and call them apotauroi so that they may grow.
Τούτων δὲ τὸ μὲν πλῆθος εἶναί φασι περὶ τετρακοσίας, ἰδίους τῶν βασιλέων, ἐν ἄλλῃ δὲ ζῆν χώρᾳ οὐ δύνασθαι· καίτοι πεπειρᾶσθαι τινάς.
Their number is said to be about four hundred, belonging privately to the kings, and they cannot live in any other land; although some have tried.