§9.45Ὁ δὲ βόνασος γίνεται μὲν ἐν τῇ Παιονίᾳ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Μεσσαπίῳ, ὃ ὁρίζει τὴν Παιονικὴν καὶ τὴν Μαιδικὴν χώραν, καλοῦσι δ’ αὐτὸν οἱ Παίονες μόναπον.
The bonasos lives in Paeonia on Mount Messapion, which borders the Paeonian and Maedic territories, and the Paeonians call it the monapos.
Τὸ δὲ μέγεθός ἐστιν ἡλίκον ταῦρος, καὶ ἔστιν ὀγκωδέστερον ἢ βοῦς· οὐ γὰρ πρόμηκές ἐστιν.
Its size is as large as a bull, and it is bulkier than an ox; for it is not long-bodied.
Τὸ δὲ δέρμα αὐτοῦ κατέχει εἰς ἑπτάκλινον ἀποταθέν.
Its skin, when stretched out, covers a space that can accommodate seven dining couches.
Καὶ τὸ ἄλλο δὲ εἶδος ὅμοιον βοΐ, πλὴν χαίτην ἔχει μέχρι τῆς ἀκρωμίας ὥσπερ ἵππος· μαλακωτέρα δ’ ἡ θρὶξ τῆς τοῦ ἵππου, καὶ προσεσταλμένη μᾶλλον.
Its general appearance is like an ox, except that it has a mane down to its shoulder-blades like a horse; but its hair is softer than a horse's and more closely pressed.
Χρῶμα δ’ ἔχει τοῦ τριχώματος ξανθόν· βαθεῖα δὲ καὶ μέχρι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καθήκουσα ἡ χαίτη ἐστὶ καὶ πυκνή.
The color of its coat is yellow; the mane is deep, reaching down to its eyes, and is thick.
Τὸ δὲ χρῶμα ἔχει τι μέσον τεφροῦ καὶ πυρροῦ, οὐχ οἷον αἱ παρῶαι ἵπποι καλούμεναι, ἀλλ’ αὐχμηροτέραν τὴν τρίχα, κάτωθεν ἐριώδη· μέλανες δ’ ἢ πυρροὶ σφόδρα οὐ γίνονται.
Its color is something between ash-gray and red, not like the so-called parōai horses, but with drier hair, woolly underneath; they never become black or highly red.
Φωνὴν δ’ ὁμοίαν ἔχουσι βοΐ, κέρατα δὲ γαμψά, κεκαμμένα πρὸς ἄλληλα καὶ ἄχρηστα πρὸς τὸ ἀμύνεσθαι, τῷ μεγέθει σπιθαμιαῖα ἢ μικρῷ μείζω, πάχος δ’ ὥστε χωρῆσαι μὴ πολλῷ ἔλαττον ἡμίχουν ἑκάτερον· ἡ δὲ μελανία καλὴ καὶ λιπαρὰ τοῦ κέρατος.
Their voice is like an ox's, and they have curved horns, bent towards each other and useless for defense, in size a span or slightly more, and in thickness each enough to hold not much less than half a chous; the blackness of the horn is beautiful and glossy.
Τὸ δὲ προκόμιον καθήκει ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, ὥστ’ εἰς τὸ πλάγιον παρορᾶν μᾶλλον ἢ εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν.
The forelock hangs down over the eyes, so that it looks sideways rather than straight ahead.
Ὀδόντας δὲ τοὺς ἄνωθεν οὐκ ἔχει, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ βοῦς οὐδ’ ἄλλο τῶν κερατοφόρων οὐδέν, σκέλη δὲ δασέα· καὶ ἔστι διχαλόν· κέρκον δ’ ἐλάττω ἢ κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος, ὁμοίαν τῇ τοῦ βοός.
It has no upper teeth, just like an ox and all other horned animals, and its legs are shaggy; it is cloven-hoofed; its tail is smaller than its size warrants, resembling that of an ox.
Καὶ ἀναρρίπτει τὴν κόνιν καὶ ὀρύττει ὥσπερ ταῦρος.
It kicks up the dust and digs like a bull.
Δέρμα δ’ ἔχει πρὸς τὰς πληγὰς ἰσχυρόν.
It has a tough skin against blows.
Ἔστι δ’ ἡδύκρεων, διὸ καὶ θηρεύουσιν αὐτό.
Its flesh is sweet-tasting, which is why they hunt it.
Ὅταν δὲ πληγῇ, φεύγει, καὶ ὑπομένει ὅταν ἐξατονῇ.
When wounded, it flees, and stands its ground when it is exhausted.
Ἀμύνεται δὲ λακτίζων καὶ προσαφοδεύων καὶ εἰς τέτταρας ὀργυιὰς ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ ῥίπτων· ῥᾳδίως δὲ χρῆται τούτῳ καὶ πολλάκις, καὶ ἐπικαίει ὥστε ἀποψήχεσθαι τὰς τρίχας τῶν κυνῶν.
It defends itself by kicking and by ejecting dung, throwing it up to four orguiai away from itself; it uses this defense easily and frequently, and it burns so hot as to singe off the hair of dogs.
Τεταραγμένου μὲν οὖν καὶ φοβουμένου τοῦτο ποιεῖ ἡ κόπρος, ἀταράκτου δ’ ὄντος οὐκ ἐπικαίει.
When agitated and frightened, the dung has this effect, but when it is undisturbed, it does not burn.
Ἡ μὲν οὖν ἰδέα τοῦ θηρίου καὶ ἡ φύσις τοιαύτη τίς ἐστιν· ὅταν δ’ ὥρα ᾖ τοῦ τίκτειν, ἀθρόοι τίκτουσιν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν.
Such, then, is the appearance and nature of this beast; and when it is the season for bringing forth, they give birth all together in the mountains.
Περὶ δὲ τὸν τόπον ἀφοδεύουσι πρότερον πρὶν τεκεῖν, καὶ ποιοῦσιν οἷον περίβολον· προΐεται γὰρ τὸ θηρίον πολύ τι πλῆθος τούτου τοῦ περιττώματος.
Before giving birth, they dung around the place, making a kind of enclosure; for the beast ejects a very large quantity of this excrement.
§9.46Πάντων δὲ τιθασσότατον καὶ ἡμερώτατον τῶν ἀγρίων ἐστὶν ὁ ἐλέφας· πολλὰ γὰρ καὶ παιδεύεται καὶ ξυνίησιν, ἐπεὶ καὶ προσκυνεῖν διδάσκονται τὸν βασιλέα.
Of all wild animals, the elephant is the most easily tamed and gentle; for it is taught many things and understands them, since they are even taught to do obeisance to the king.
Ἔστι δὲ καὶ εὐαίσθητον καὶ τῇ συνέσει τῇ ἄλλῃ ὑπερβάλλον.
It is also highly sensitive and surpasses others in general intelligence.
Ὃ δ’ ἂν ὀχεύσῃ καὶ ἔγκυον ποιήσῃ, τούτου πάλιν οὐχ ἅπτεται.
When it has coupled with and impregnated a female, it does not touch her again.
Ζῆν δέ φασι τὸν ἐλέφαντα οἱ μὲν ἔτη διακόσια, οἱ δ’ ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι, καὶ τὴν θήλειαν ἴσα σχεδὸν τῷ ἄρρενι, ἀκμάζειν δὲ περὶ ἔτη ἑξήκοντα, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς χειμῶνας καὶ τὰ ψύχη δύσριγον εἶναι.
Some say the elephant lives for two hundred years, others one hundred and twenty, and the female almost as long as the male; they reach their prime at about sixty years, and they are very sensitive to winter and cold.
Ἔστι δὲ τὸ ζῷον παραποτάμιον, οὐ ποτάμιον.
The animal is a river-bank dweller, not a river dweller.
Ποιεῖται δὲ καὶ διὰ τοῦ ὕδατος τὴν πορείαν, ἕως τούτου δὲ προέρχεται ἕως ἂν ὁ μυκτὴρ ὑπερέχῃ αὐτοῦ· ἀναφυσᾷ γὰρ διὰ τούτου καὶ τὴν ἀναπνοὴν ποιεῖται.
It makes its way through water, but goes only so deep that its trunk projects above it; for it blows and breathes through this.
Νεῖν δ’ οὐ πάνυ δύναται διὰ τὸ τοῦ σώματος βάρος.
It is not at all able to swim because of the weight of its body.