§9.5Τῶν δ’ ἀγρίων καὶ τετραπόδων ἡ ἔλαφος οὐχ ἥκιστα δοκεῖ εἶναι φρόνιμον, τῷ τε τίκτειν παρὰ τὰς ὁδούς (τὰ γὰρ θηρία διὰ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους οὐ προσέρχεται), καὶ ὅταν τέκῃ, ἐσθίει τὸ χόριον πρῶτον.
Among wild quadrupeds, the deer seems to be not least intelligent, both because of calving by the roadsides (for wild beasts do not approach because of humans), and because, when she has calved, she eats the placenta first.
Καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν σέσελιν δὲ τρέχουσι, καὶ φαγοῦσαι οὕτως ἔρχονται πρὸς τὰ τέκνα πάλιν.
And they run to the seseli, and having eaten it, they thus return to their young again.
Ἔτι δὲ τὰ τέκνα ἄγει ἐπὶ τοὺς σταθμούς, ἐθίζουσα οὗ δεῖ ποιεῖσθαι τὰς ἀποφυγάς· ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο πέτρα ἀπορρώξ, μίαν ἔχουσα εἴσοδον, οὗ δὴ καὶ ἀμύνεσθαι ἤδη φασὶν ὑπομένουσαν.
Moreover, she leads her young to the retreats, accustoming them to where they must make their escapes; and this is a sheer cliff, having a single entrance, where they say she indeed remains and already defends herself.
Ἔτι δὲ ὁ ἄρρην ὅταν γένηται παχύς (γίνεται δὲ σφόδρα πίων ὀπώρας οὔσης), οὐδαμοῦ ποιεῖ αὑτὸν φανερὸν ἀλλ’ ἐκτοπίζει ὡς διὰ τὴν παχύτητα εὐάλωτος ὤν.
Furthermore, the male, when he becomes fat (and he becomes extremely fat when it is autumn), does not show himself anywhere but changes his location because of being easily caught on account of his fatness.
Ἀποβάλλουσι δὲ καὶ τὰ κέρατα ἐν τόποις χαλεποῖς καὶ δυσεξευρέτοις· ὅθεν καὶ ἡ παροιμία γέγονεν “οὗ αἱ ἔλαφοι τὰ κέρατα ἀποβάλλουσιν· ” ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ ὅπλα ἀποβεβληκυῖαι φυλάττονται ὁρᾶσθαι.
And they also shed their horns in difficult and hard-to-find places; whence also the proverb has arisen: "where the deer shed their horns"; for they guard against being seen as if they had shed their weapons.
Λέγεται δ’ ὡς τὸ ἀριστερὸν κέρας οὐδείς πω ἑώρακεν· ἀποκρύπτειν γὰρ αὐτὸ ὡς ἔχον τινὰ φαρμακείαν.
And it is said that no one has ever seen the left horn; for they hide it as it possesses some medicinal power.
Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐνιαύσιοι οὐ φύουσι κέρατα, πλὴν ὥσπερ σημείου χάριν ἀρχήν τινα· τοῦτο δ’ ἐστὶ βραχὺ καὶ δασύ.
Now, the one-year-olds do not grow horns, except for some beginning, as it were, for the sake of a sign; and this is short and shaggy.
Φύουσι δὲ διετεῖς πρῶτον τὰ κέρατα εὐθέα, καθάπερ παττάλους· διὸ καὶ καλοῦσι τότε πατταλίας αὐτούς.
But the two-year-olds first grow straight horns, like pegs; wherefore they also call them "pattalias" at that time.
Τῷ δὲ τρίτῳ ἔτει δίκρουν φύουσι, τῷ δὲ τετάρτῳ τραχύτερον· καὶ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ἀεὶ ἐπιδιδόασι μέχρι ἓξ ἐτῶν.
And in the third year they grow forked horns, and in the fourth year rougher ones; and in this manner they always increase until six years.
Ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ ὅμοια ἀεὶ ἀναφύουσιν, ὥστε μηκέτι ἂν γνῶναι τὴν ἡλικίαν τοῖς κέρασιν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς γέροντας γνωρίζουσι μάλιστα δυοῖν σημείοιν· ὀδόντας τε γὰρ οἱ μὲν οὐκ ἔχουσιν οἱ δ’ ὀλίγους, καὶ τοὺς ἀμυντῆρας οὐκέτι φύουσιν.
But after this they always grow similar ones, so that one can no longer know their age by the horns, but they recognize the old ones especially by two signs; for some have no teeth and others have few, and they no longer grow "defenders".
Καλοῦνται δ’ ἀμυντῆρες τὰ προνενευκότα τῶν φυομένων κεράτων εἰς τὸ πρόσθεν, οἷς ἀμύνεται· ταῦτα δ’ οἱ γέροντες οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλ’ εἰς τὸ ὀρθὸν γίνεται ἡ αὔξησις αὐτοῖς τῶν κεράτων.
The parts of the growing horns that lean forward, with which they defend themselves, are called "defenders"; but the old ones do not have these, but the growth of their horns becomes straight upwards.
Ἀποβάλλουσι δ’ ἀνὰ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν τὰ κέρατα, ἀποβάλλουσι δὲ περὶ τὸν Θαργηλιῶνα μῆνα.
And they shed their horns every year, and they shed them around the month of Thargelion.
Ὅταν δ’ ἀποβάλωσι, κρύπτουσιν αὑτοὺς τὴν ἡμέραν, ὥσπερ εἴρηται· κρύπτουσι δ’ ἐν τοῖς δασέσιν, εὐλαβούμενοι τὰς μυίας.
But when they shed them, they hide themselves during the day, as has been said; and they hide in the thickets, guarding against flies.
Νέμονται δὲ τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον νύκτωρ, μέχριπερ ἂν ἐκφύσωσι τὰ κέρατα.
And they graze during this time at night, until they have grown their horns.
Φύεται δ’ ὥσπερ ἐν δέρματι τὸ πρῶτον, καὶ γίνονται δασέα· ὅταν δ’ αὐξηθῶσιν, ἡλιάζονται, ἵν’ ἐκπέψωσι καὶ ξηράνωσι τὸ κέρας.
At first, the horn grows as if in skin, and they become shaggy; but when they have grown, they sun themselves, so that they may mature and dry the horn.
Ὅταν δὲ μηκέτι πονῶσι πρὸς τὰ δένδρα κνώμενοι αὐτά, τότ’ ἐκλείπουσι τοὺς τόπους τούτους διὰ τὸ θαρρεῖν ὡς ἔχοντες ᾧ ἀμυνοῦνται.
And when they no longer suffer pain when rubbing them against trees, they then leave these places because of being confident as they have that with which they will defend themselves.
Ἤδη δ’ εἴληπται ἀχαΐνης ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τῶν κεράτων ἔχων κιττὸν πολὺν πεφυκότα χλωρόν, ὡς ἁπαλῶν ὄντων τῶν κεράτων ἐμφύντα ὥσπερ ἐν ξύλῳ χλωρῷ.
And already an achaines deer has been captured having much green ivy growing on its horns, which had taken root as if in green wood while the horns were soft.
Ὅταν δὲ δηχθῶσιν αἱ ἔλαφοι ὑπὸ φαλαγγίου ἤ τινος τοιούτου, τοὺς καρκίνους συλλέγουσαι ἐσθίουσιν· δοκεῖ δὲ καὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἀγαθὸν εἶναι τοῦτο πίνειν, ἀλλ’ ἔστιν ἀηδές.
And when deer are bitten by a phalangium or some such thing, they gather and eat crabs; and this seems to be good for humans to drink also, but it is unpleasant.
Αἱ δὲ θήλειαι τῶν ἐλάφων ὅταν τέκωσιν, εὐθὺς κατεσθίουσι τὸ χόριον, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι λαβεῖν· πρὸ γὰρ τοῦ χαμαὶ βαλεῖν αὐταὶ ἅπτονται· δοκεῖ δὲ τοῦτ’ εἶναι φάρμακον.
And the female deer, when they have calved, immediately eat up the placenta, and it is not possible to obtain it; for before it falls to the ground they themselves seize it; and this is thought to be a medicine.
Ἁλίσκονται δὲ θηρευόμεναι αἱ ἔλαφοι συριττόντων καὶ ᾀδόντων, καὶ κατακλίνονται ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς.
And deer are captured when being hunted by people whistling and singing, and they lie down on account of the pleasure.
Δύο δ’ ὄντων ὁ μὲν φανερῶς ᾄδει ἢ συρίττει, ὁ δ’ ἐκ τοῦ ὄπισθεν βάλλει, ὅταν οὗτος σημήνῃ τὸν καιρόν.
When there are two, one sings or whistles openly, and the other shoots from behind when the former signals the opportunity.
Ἐὰν μὲν οὖν τύχῃ ὀρθὰ τὰ ὦτα ἔχουσα, ὀξὺ ἀκούει καὶ οὐκ ἔστι λαθεῖν· ἐὰν δὲ καταβεβληκυῖα τύχῃ, λανθάνει.
If indeed she happens to have her ears erect, she hears sharply and it is not possible to escape her notice; but if she happens to have them down, she is caught unawares.