§8.8Ἵπποι δὲ καὶ ὀρεῖς καὶ ὄνοι καρποφάγοι μέν εἰσι καὶ ποηφάγοι, μάλιστα δὲ πιαίνεται τῷ ποτῷ· ὡς γὰρ ἂν πίνῃ τὰ ὑποζύγια τὸ ὕδωρ, οὕτω καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν ἔχει τῆς τροφῆς, καὶ ὅπου δ’ ἂν ἧττον δυσχεραίνῃ τὸ ποτόν, τοῦτο μᾶλλον εὔχορτόν ἐστιν.
Horses, mules, and asses are fruit-eating and grass-eating, but they are fattened most of all by drink; for as these beasts of burden drink water, so they are disposed toward the enjoyment of their food, and where they dislike the drink less, this is a more favourable place for feeding.
Ἡ δὲ κράστις λειοτριχεῖν ποιεῖ, ὅταν ἔγκυος ᾖ· ὅταν δ’ ἀθέρας ἔχῃ σκληρούς, οὐκ ἀγαθή.
Green fodder makes their coat smooth when they are pregnant; but when it has hard awns, it is not good.
Τῆς δὲ πόας τῆς Μηδικῆς ἥ τε πρωτόκουρος φαύλη, καὶ ὅπου ἂν ὕδωρ δυσῶδες ἐπάγηται· ὄζει γὰρ τῆς πόας.
As for Median grass, that of the first cutting is poor, and also where offensive water is brought upon it; for the grass smells of it.
Πίνειν δ’ οἱ μὲν βόες ζητοῦσι καθαρόν, οἱ δ’ ἵπποι ὥσπερ αἱ κάμηλοι· ἡ δὲ κάμηλος πίνει ἥδιον θολερὸν καὶ παχύ, οὐδ’ ἀπὸ τῶν ποταμῶν πρότερον πίνει ἢ συνταράξαι.
Cattle seek to drink clean water, but horses are like camels; the camel drinks more gladly muddy and thick water, nor does it drink from rivers before it has stirred it up and made it turbid.
Δύναται δ’ ἄποτος ἀνέχεσθαι καὶ τέτταρας ἡμέρας· εἶτα μετὰ ταῦτα πίνει πολὺ πλῆθος.
It is able to endure without drink even for four days; then after this, it drinks a great quantity.
§8.9Ὁ δ’ ἐλέφας ἐσθίει πλεῖστον μὲν μεδίμνους Μακεδονικοὺς ἐννέα ἐπὶ μιᾶς ἐδωδῆς· ἐπικίνδυνον δὲ τὸ τοσοῦτον πλῆθος· τὸ δ’ ἐπίπαν ἓξ μεδίμνους ἢ ἑπτά, ἀλφίτων δὲ πέντε μεδίμνους καὶ οἴνου πέντε μάρεις (ἔστι δ’ ὁ μάρις ἓξ κοτύλαι).
The elephant eats at most nine Macedonian medimnoi at a single meal; but so great a quantity is dangerous; in general six or seven medimnoi, and of barley-meal five medimnoi, and of wine five mareis (a maris is six kotylai).
Ἤδη δέ τις ἔπιεν ἐλέφας μετρητὰς ὕδατος Μακεδονικοὺς εἰσάπαξ δέκα καὶ τέτταρας, καὶ πάλιν τῆς δείλης ἄλλους ὀκτώ.
Already a certain elephant drank fourteen Macedonian metretai of water at one time, and again in the evening another eight.
Ζῶσι δ’ αἱ μὲν πολλαὶ τῶν καμήλων περὶ ἔτη τριάκοντα, ἔνιαι δὲ πολλῷ πλείω· καὶ γὰρ εἰς ἔτη ἑκατὸν ζῶσιν.
Most camels live about thirty years, but some live much longer, even up to a hundred years.
Τὸν δ’ ἐλέφαντα ζῆν οἱ μὲν περὶ ἔτη διακόσιά φασιν, οἱ δὲ τριακόσια.
As for the elephant, some say it lives about two hundred years, others three hundred.
§8.10Πρόβατα δὲ καὶ αἶγες εἰσὶ μὲν ποηφάγα, τὴν δὲ νομὴν ποιοῦνται τὰ μὲν πρόβατα προσεδρεύοντα καὶ μονίμως, αἱ δ’ αἶγες ταχὺ μεταβάλλουσαι καὶ τῶν ἄκρων ἁπτόμεναι μόνον.
Sheep and goats are grass-eating, but they pasture differently: sheep remain in one place persistently, while goats change quickly and touch only the tips of the plants.
Πιαίνει δὲ μάλιστα τὸ πρόβατον τὸ ποτόν, διὸ καὶ τοῦ θέρους διδόασιν ἅλας διὰ πέντε ἡμερῶν μέδιμνον τοῖς ἑκατόν· γίνεται γὰρ οὕτως ὑγιεινότερον καὶ πιότερον τὸ ποιμνίον.
Drink fattens sheep most of all, wherefore in summer they give one medimnos of salt to every hundred sheep every five days; for thus the flock becomes healthier and fatter.
Καὶ τὰ πολλὰ δὲ ἁλίζοντες διὰ τοῦτο προσφέρουσιν, οἷον ἔν τε τοῖς ἀχύροις ἅλας πολλούς (διψῶντα γὰρ πίνει μᾶλλον) καὶ τοῦ μετοπώρου τὴν κολοκύνθην ἁλὶ πάττοντες· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ γάλα ποιεῖ πλεῖον.
And for this reason they also offer salt with most things, as for instance much salt in the chaff (for when thirsty they drink more) and in autumn they sprinkle the pumpkin with salt; for this also makes more milk.
Καὶ κινούμεναι δὲ μεσημβρίας πίνουσι μᾶλλον πρὸς τὴν δείλην.
And when they are moved at midday, they drink more toward evening.
Πρός τε τοὺς τόκους ἁλιζόμεναι μείζω τὰ οὔθατα καθιᾶσιν.
And when they are salted before lambing, they let down larger udders.
Πιαίνει δὲ τὰ πρόβατα θαλλός, κότινος, ἀφάκη, ἄχυρα ὁποῖα ἂν ᾖ· ἅπαντα δὲ μᾶλλον πιαίνει ἅλμῃ προσρανθέντα.
Young shoots, wild olive, wild vetch, and chaff of whatever kind it may be, fatten sheep; and all things fatten them more when sprinkled with brine.
Παχύνεται δὲ καὶ ταῦτα μᾶλλον προλιμοκτονηθέντα τρεῖς ἡμέρας.
These also are fattened more when previously starved for three days.
Ὕδωρ δὲ τοῖς προβάτοις τοῦ μετοπώρου τὸ βόρειον τοῦ νοτίου ἄμεινον, καὶ αἱ νομαὶ αἱ πρὸς ἑσπέραν συμφέρουσιν, λεπτύνουσι δ’ αἱ ὁδοὶ καὶ αἱ ταλαιπωρίαι.
Water from the north wind is better for sheep in autumn than that from the south, and pastures facing the west are beneficial, while journeys and hardships make them thin.
Οἱ δὲ ποιμένες γινώσκουσι τὰς ἰσχυούσας τῶν οἰῶν, ὅταν χειμὼν ᾖ, τῷ ἔχειν πάχνην, τὰς δὲ μὴ ἔχειν· διὰ γὰρ τὴν ἀσθένειαν κινούμεναι ἀποβάλλουσιν αἱ μὴ ἰσχύουσαι.
Shepherds distinguish the strong ewes when it is winter by their having rime on them, and the weak by their not having it; for the weak ewes, moving about because of their weakness, shake it off.
Παντὸς δὲ τετράποδος τὰ κρέα χείρω, ὅπου ἑλώδη χωρία νέμονται ἢ ὅπου μετεωρότερα.
The flesh of every quadruped is inferior where they pasture in marshy places or where they pasture in more elevated places.
Εἰσὶ δ’ εὐχειμερώτεραι αἱ πλατύκερκοι οἶες τῶν μακροκέρκων καὶ αἱ κολέραι τῶν λασίων· δυσχείμεροι δὲ καὶ αἱ οὖλαι.
Broad-tailed sheep endure winter better than long-tailed ones, and shorn ones better than shaggy ones; but curly-haired ones also endure winter badly.
Ὑγιεινότεραι μὲν οὖν αἱ οἶες τῶν αἰγῶν, ἰσχύουσι δὲ μᾶλλον αἱ αἶγες τῶν οἰῶν.
Sheep, then, are healthier than goats, but goats are stronger than sheep.
Τῶν δὲ λυκοβρώτων προβάτων τὰ κώδια καὶ τὰ ἔρια καὶ τὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἱμάτια φθειρωδέστερα γίνεται πολὺ μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων.
The skins and wool of sheep bitten by wolves, and the garments made from them, become much more verminous than others.
§8.11Τῶν δ’ ἐντόμων τὰ μὲν ἔχοντα ὀδόντας παμφάγα ἐστί, τὰ δὲ γλῶτταν μόνον τοῖς ὑγροῖς τρέφεται, πάντοθεν ἐκχυλίζοντα ταύτῃ.
Among insects, those that have teeth are omnivorous, while those that have only a tongue feed on liquids, extracting the juice with it from all sources.
Καὶ τούτων τὰ μὲν παμφάγα (πάντων γὰρ γεύεται τῶν χυμῶν), οἷον αἱ μυῖαι, τὰ δ’ αἱμοβόρα, καθάπερ μύωψ καὶ οἶστρος· τὰ δὲ φυτῶν καὶ καρπῶν ζῇ χυλοῖς.
And of these, some are omnivorous (for they taste all juices), such as flies, and others are blood-sucking, like the horse-fly and gadfly; while others live on the juices of plants and fruits.
Ἡ δὲ μέλιττα μόνον πρὸς οὐδὲν προσίζει σαπρόν, οὐδὲ χρῆται τροφῇ οὐδεμιᾷ ἀλλ’ ἢ τῇ γλυκὺν ἐχούσῃ χυμόν· καὶ ὕδωρ δ’ ἥδιστα εἰς ἑαυτὰς λαμβάνουσιν, ὅπου ἂν καθαρὸν ἀναπηδᾷ.
The bee alone never settles on anything rotten, nor does it use any food except that which has a sweet juice; and they take water into themselves most gladly where it gushes out clean.