§9.38Τῶν δ’ ἐντόμων ἐργατικώτατον ζῴων ἐστί, σχεδὸν δὲ καὶ πρὸς τἆλλα συγκρίνεσθαι πάντα, τό τε τῶν μυρμήκων γένος καὶ τὸ τῶν μελιττῶν, ἔτι δ’ ἀνθρῆναι καὶ σφῆκες καὶ πάνθ’ ὡς εἰπεῖν τὰ συγγενῆ τούτοις.
Among insects, those which are the most industrious of animals, and indeed may be compared with almost all other animals in this regard, are the class of ants and that of bees, and furthermore anthrenae and wasps, and so to speak all those related to them.
Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀραχνίων οἱ γλαφυρώτατοι καὶ λαγαρώτατοι καὶ τεχνικώτεροι περὶ τὸν βίον.
There are also among spiders those which are most exquisite, slender, and more skilled in their way of life.
Ἡ μὲν οὖν τῶν μυρμήκων ἐργασία πᾶσίν ἐστιν ἐπιπολῆς ἰδεῖν, καὶ ὡς ἀεὶ μίαν ἀτραπὸν πάντες βαδίζουσι, καὶ τὴν ἀπόθεσιν τῆς τροφῆς καὶ ταμιείαν· ἐργάζονται γὰρ καὶ τὰς νύκτας τὰς πανσελήνους.
Now, the work of ants is obvious for all to see, and how they all always walk in one path, and their storage and management of food; for they work even during full-moon nights.
§9.39Τῶν δ’ ἀραχνίων καὶ τῶν φαλαγγίων ἔστι μὲν πολλὰ γένη, τῶν μὲν δηκτικῶν φαλαγγίων δύο, τὸ μὲν ἕτερον ὅμοιον τοῖς καλουμένοις λύκοις, μικρὸν καὶ ποικίλον καὶ ὀξὺ καὶ πηδητικόν· καλεῖται δὲ ψύλλα· τὸ δ’ ἕτερον μεῖζον, τὸ μὲν χρῶμα μέλαν, τὰ δὲ σκέλη τὰ πρόσθια μακρὰ ἔχον, καὶ τῇ κινήσει νωθρὸν καὶ βαδίζον ἠρέμα καὶ οὐ κρατερὸν καὶ οὐ πηδῶν.
Among spiders and phalangia there are many classes; of the biting phalangia there are two, one of which is similar to those called wolves, small, speckled, quick, and jumping, and is called the flea; the other is larger, black in color, having long front legs, sluggish in movement, walking slowly, not strong, and not jumping.
Τὰ δ’ ἄλλα πάντα, ὅσα παρατίθενται οἱ φαρμακοπῶλαι, τὰ μὲν οὐδεμίαν τὰ δ’ ἀσθενῆ ποιεῖ τὴν δῆξιν.
As for all the others, which the druggists display, some produce no bite at all, and others a weak one.
Ἄλλο δ’ ἐστὶ τῶν καλουμένων λύκων γένος.
There is another class of those called wolves.
Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν τὸ μικρὸν οὐχ ὑφαίνει ἀράχνιον, τὸ δὲ μεῖζον τραχὺ καὶ φαῦλον πρὸς τῇ γῇ· καὶ ταῖς αἱμασιαῖς· ἐπὶ τοῖς στομίοις δ’ ἀεὶ ποιεῖ τὸ ἀράχνιον, καὶ ἔνδον ἔχον τὰς ἀρχὰς τηρεῖ, ἕως ἂν ἐμπεσόν τι κινηθῇ· ἔπειτα προσέρχεται.
Now this small one does not weave a web, but the larger one weaves a rough and simple one near the ground and stone walls; and it always makes its web at the entrances, and holding the ends inside, it watches until something falls in and moves, and then it approaches.
Τὸ δὲ ποικίλον ὑπὸ τοῖς δένδρεσι ποιεῖται μικρὸν καὶ φαῦλον ἀράχνιον.
The speckled one makes a small and simple web under trees.
Ἄλλο δ’ ἐστὶ τρίτον τούτων σοφώτατον καὶ γλαφυρώτατον· ὑφαίνει γὰρ πρῶτον μὲν διατεῖναν πρὸς τὰ πέρατα πανταχόθεν, εἶτα στημονίζεται ἀπὸ τοῦ μέσου (λαμβάνει δὲ τὸ μέσον ἱκανῶς), ἐπὶ δὲ τούτοις ὥσπερ κρόκας ἐμβάλλει, εἶτα συνυφαίνει.
There is another, a third class among them, which is the wisest and most exquisite; for first it weaves by stretching the thread to the limits on all sides, then it warps from the center (and it determines the center sufficiently), and upon these it throws threads like wefts, and then weaves them together.
Τὴν μὲν οὖν κοίτην καὶ τὴν ἀπόθεσιν τῆς θήρας ἄλλοθι ποιεῖται, τὴν δὲ θήραν ἐπὶ τοῦ μέσου τηροῦσα· κἄπειθ’ ὅταν ἐμπέσῃ τι, κινηθέντος τοῦ μέσου πρῶτον μὲν περιδεῖ καὶ περιελίττει τοῖς ἀραχνίοις, ἕως ἂν ἀχρεῖον ποιήσῃ, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτ’ ἀπήνεγκεν ἀραμένη, καὶ ἐὰν μὲν τύχῃ πεινῶσα, ἐξεχύλισεν (αὕτη γὰρ ἡ ἀπόλαυσις), εἰ δὲ μή, πάλιν ὁρμᾷ πρὸς τὴν θήραν, ἀκεσαμένη πρῶτον τὸ διερρωγός· ἐὰν δέ τι μεταξὺ ἐμπέσῃ, πρῶτον ἐπὶ τὸ μέσον βαδίζει, κἀκεῖθεν ἐπανέρχεται πρὸς τὸ ἐμπεσὸν ὥσπερ ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς.
Now it makes its nest and the storage of its prey elsewhere, but watches for its prey at the center; and then when something falls in, when the center is moved, it first binds it and wraps it around with webs until it makes it helpless, and after this, carrying it off, it sucks out its juice if it happens to be hungry (for this is its enjoyment), but if not, it hastens back to its prey, having first repaired the torn part; and if something falls in meanwhile, it first walks to the center, and from there returns to the fallen thing as if from the beginning.
Ἐὰν δέ τις λυμήνηται τοῦ ἀραχνίου, πάλιν ἄρχεται τῆς ὑφῆς καταφερομένου τοῦ ἡλίου ἢ ἀνατέλλοντος διὰ τὸ μάλιστα ἐν ταύταις ταῖς ὥραις ἐμπίπτειν τὰ θηρία.
And if someone damages the web, it begins weaving again as the sun is setting or rising, because it is chiefly at these hours that the prey falls in.
Ἐργάζεται δὲ καὶ θηρεύει ἡ θήλεια· ὁ δ’ ἄρρην συναπολαύει.
The female works and hunts, while the male enjoys the fruits together with her.
Τῶν δ’ ἀραχνίων τῶν γλαφυρῶν καὶ ὑφαινόντων ἀράχνιον πυκνὸν δύο ἐστὶ γένη, τὸ μὲν μεῖζον τὸ δ’ ἔλαττον.
Among the exquisite spiders that weave a dense web, there are two classes, the larger and the smaller.
Τὸ μὲν οὖν μακροσκελέστερον κάτωθεν κρεμάμενον τηρεῖ, ὅπως ἂν μὴ φοβούμενα τὰ θηρία εὐλαβῆται ἀλλ’ ἐμπίπτῃ ἄνω (διὰ γὰρ τὸ μέγεθος οὐκ εὐκρυφές ἐστι), τὸ δὲ συμμετρότερον ἄνωθεν ἐπηλυγισάμενον τοῦ ἀραχνίου ὀπὴν μικράν.
Now the one with longer legs watches while hanging from below, so that the prey, not being afraid, may not be cautious but fall in on top (for because of its size it is not easily hidden); while the more proportionate one watches from above, covering a small hole of the web.
Δύνανται δ’ ἀφιέναι οἱ ἀράχναι τὸ ἀράχνιον εὐθὺς γενόμενοι, οὐκ ἔσωθεν ὡς ὂν περίττωμα, καθάπερ φησὶ Δημόκριτος, ἀλλ’ ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος οἷον φλοιόν, ἢ τὰ βάλλοντα ταῖς θριξίν, οἷον αἱ ὕστριχες.
And spiders are able to discharge their web as soon as they are born, not from inside as if it were an excrement, as Democritus says, but from the body like bark, or like animals that cast their hair, such as porcupines.
Περιτίθεται δὲ καὶ περιελίττεται καὶ τοῖς μείζοσι ζῴοις, ἐπεὶ καὶ ταῖς σαύραις ταῖς μικραῖς ἐπιβάλλον περὶ τὸ στόμα περιθέον ἀφίησιν, ἕως ἂν συλλάβῃ τὸ στόμα· τότε δ’ ἤδη δάκνει προσελθόν.
And it wraps and winds around even larger animals; indeed, casting its web around the mouth of small lizards, and running around, it discharges it until it binds the mouth; and only then, approaching, it bites.
Καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτων τῶν ζῴων τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον.
And concerning these animals, such is the case.