§20.31Διὰ τί τῶν μυρρινῶν μὲν μὴ τεταριχευμένων τὰ μύρτα ἀπορρεῖ μᾶλλον τῶν φύλλων, ταριχευομένων δὲ τῷ φύκει τὰ μὲν φύλλα ἀπορρεῖ, τὰ δὲ μύρτα οὐκ ἀπορρεῖ;
Why is it that, when myrtle branches are not preserved, the berries drop off more than the leaves, but when they are preserved with seaweed, the leaves drop off while the berries do not?
ἢ ἀταριχεύτων μὲν ὄντων οὕτως ἔχει διὰ τὴν φύσιν;
Or is it that, when they are unpreserved, it is so by nature?
ὅταν γὰρ πεπανθῇ, ἀπορρεῖν πέφυκεν τὰ μύρτα.
For when they are ripe, the berries naturally drop off.
τοῦτο δὲ οὐ συμβαίνει κειμένων, ἀλλὰ μόνον κωλύει ἡ ἰκμὰς τοῦ φύκους μεταβάλλειν τὸ ἐν τῷ μύρτῳ ὑγρόν.
But this does not happen to those lying down, but only the moisture of the seaweed prevents the moisture in the myrtle-berry from changing.
τὰ δὲ φύλλα ἀποπίπτει τοὐναντίον αὐτῶν ξηραινομένων, τὸ δὲ φῦκος ξηραίνει ἁλμυρὸν ὄν.
On the other hand, the leaves fall off on the contrary because of their drying up, and the seaweed, being salty, dries them.
οὐ ταὐτὸ οὖν συμβαίνει ἐπί τε τῆς μυρρίνης οὖσι καὶ κειμένοις τοῖς φύλλοις.
Therefore, the same thing does not happen to the leaves when they are on the myrtle branch and when they are lying down.
§20.32Διὰ τί οἱ σίκυοι πέπονες ἄριστοι γίνονται ἐν τοῖς ἑλώδεσι πεδίοις οὖσιν ἐνύγροις, οἷον περὶ Ὀρχομενὸν καὶ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ;
Why is it that ripe melons become best in marshy plains which are well-watered, as around Orchomenus and in Egypt?
δοκεῖ δ’ ἔνυδρος αὕτη ἡ χώρα εἶναι.
And this country seems to be well-watered.
ἔστι δὲ τὰ ἑλώδη ἔνυδρα· οἱ δὲ σίκυες αὐτοὶ ὑγρότεροι· διὸ καὶ οἱ κηπαῖοι φαῦλοι εἰσίν.
Marshy places are well-watered, and melons themselves are rather watery; therefore those in gardens are poor.
πότερον ὅτι εἰς βάθος διὰ σκληρότητα τῆς γῆς ἀναγκάζονται φυτεύεσθαι;
Is it because they are forced to be planted deep owing to the hardness of the soil?
ἡ γὰρ πηλώδης καὶ πεδιὰς μάλιστα γίνεται σκληρά, οἱ δὲ εἰς βάθος φυτευθέντες βελτίους.
For clayey and flat land becomes especially hard, and those planted deep are better.
ἢ διότι ξηρὰν δεῖ εἶναι τὴν γῆν διὰ τὸ αὐτὸ εἶναι ὑγρὸν φύσει;
Or is it because the soil ought to be dry owing to the plant itself being watery by nature?
οὕτω γὰρ ἀντισπώμενον ἐπὶ τὸ μέσον ἥξει.
For being drawn in opposite directions in this way, it will reach a mean.
ἡ δὲ ἑλωδεστέρα μέν, βαθεῖα δὲ τροφὴν ἴσχει καὶ διὰ τὸ βάθος τῆς γῆς καὶ διὰ τὸν τόπον, καὶ οὐχ ὑπερβάλλουσαν διὰ τὸ ξηραίνεσθαι τὴν γῆν πάλιν.
But a soil which is more marshy and yet deep holds nourishment both because of the depth of the earth and because of the place, and not in excess because of the earth drying up again.
§20.33Διὰ τί τὸ πήγανον δυσώδεις τοὺς ἱδρῶτας ποιεῖ, καὶ ἔνια τῶν μύρων;
Why is it that rue, and also some perfumes, make sweat ill-smelling?
ἢ ὅτι ὅσων ἐν τῇ ὀσμῇ βαρύτης ἔνι καὶ δριμύτης, ταῦτα κεραννύμενα ταῖς περιττωματικαῖς ὑγρότησι κακωδεστέραν ποιεῖ τὴν ὀσμήν;
Or is it because those things whose smell contains heaviness and pungency, when mixed with the superfluous moistures, make the smell worse?
§20.34Διὰ τί τὸ πήγανον βασκανίας φασὶ φάρμακον εἶναι;
Why is it said that rue is a remedy against witchcraft?
ἢ διότι βασκαίνεσθαι δοκοῦσι λάβρως ἐσθίοντες;
Or is it because people seem to be bewitched when eating greedily?
ἢ ὑφορώμενοί τινας δυσχερείας καὶ περὶ τὰ προσφερόμενα ὑπόπτως ἔχοντες;
Or because they suspect some trouble and are suspicious about what is offered?
ἐπιλέγουσι γοῦν, ὅταν τῆς αὐτῆς τραπέζης ἰδίᾳ τι προσφέρωνται, μεταδιδόντες,
ἵνα μὴ βασκάνῃς με. ἅπαντες οὖν μετὰ ταραχῆς τῶν βρωμάτων προσοίσονται τὸ διδόμενον ὑγρὸν ἢ σιτίον, ὑφ’ ὧν ἢ καταλαμβανομένων ἢ ἀπεμουμένων μετεωρισθέντα τὰ σιτία συνεξέπεσεν καὶ τὰ πνεύματα ὑπὸ τῶν ὑγρῶν καὶ πόνους καὶ στρόφους παρέχει.
At any rate, when they take something for themselves from the same table, they say, as they share it, "so that you may not bewitch me." Everyone, then, will take the offered drink or food with a disturbance of the food, by which, when they are either retained or vomited, the food being raised is expelled together, and the gases caused by the liquids produce pains and colic.
τὸ πήγανον οὖν προεδεσθέν, θερμαντικὸν ὂν τῇ φύσει, ἠραίωσε τὸ δεχόμενον ἀγγεῖον τὰ σιτία καὶ τὸ ἄλλο σῶμα. διὸ ἐξίεσθαι τὸ ἐγκαταλαμβανόμενον πεῦμα συμβαίνει.
Is it because rue, being eaten beforehand and being warm by nature, dilates the vessel receiving the food and the rest of the body, so that the enclosed gas happens to be discharged?
§20.35Διὰ τί ἡ ὀρίγανος ἐμβαλλομένη τῷ γλεύκει γλυκὺν ποιεῖ τὸν οἶνον;
Why is it that oregano, when put into must, makes the wine sweet?
ἐμβάλλονται δὲ δύο κοτύλαι εἰς τὸν ἀμφορέα.
Two cotylae are put into an amphora.
ἢ ὅτι ἐξαίρει δι’ ὧν ἡ αὐστηρότης γίνεται, τὸ ὑδατῶδες καὶ τὸ τρυγῶδες ἀναδεχομένη τῇ ξηρότητι εἰς ἑαυτήν;
Or is it because it removes those things by which harshness is produced, receiving into itself by its dryness the watery and dreggy parts?
σημεῖον δὲ ὅτι ἐκ τούτων τὸ αὐστηρόν· οἱ γὰρ οἶνοι ἧττον μαλακοί, ἐὰν ὕδωρ παραχεθῇ, καὶ ἐὰν ἐν τῇ τρυγὶ πλείω χρόνον ἐάσῃ τις.
And it is a sign that harshness arises from these, that wines are less mild if water is poured in, and if one leaves them for a longer time in the dregs.
καὶ ὅταν ποιῶσι γλυκύ, ἡλιῶσι τὰς σταφυλας πολὺν χρόνον, καὶ ὁ ἥλιος ἀφαιρεῖ τὸ ὑδατῶδες καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν συμπέττει.
Also, when they make sweet wine, they expose the grapes to the sun for a long time, and the sun removes the watery part and concocts the rest.
ταὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο ποιεῖ καὶ ἡ ὀρίγανος ξηρὰ γὰρ καὶ θερμή, ὥστε εἰκότως διαμένει.
And oregano does this same thing; for it is dry and warm, so that it naturally keeps the wine in this state.
§20.36Διὰ τί αἱ μέλαιναι μυρρίναι πυκνοφυλλότεροί εἰσι τῶν λευκῶν μυρρινῶν;
Why are black myrtles thicker in foliage than white myrtles?
ἢ ὅτι ἀγριώτεραι τὸ γένος;
Or is it because they are wilder in kind?
σημεῖον δὲ ὅτι γίνονται ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς καὶ ἥκιστα μεταβάλλουσιν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐπιμελείας.
And it is a sign of this that they grow in the fields and are least changed by care.
τὰ δὲ ἄγρια πάντα πυκνοφυλλότερα· διὰ γὰρ τὸ ἧττον πέττειν τὸν καρπὸν εἰς τὰ φύλλα ἡ τροφὴ τρέπεται.
All wild plants are thicker in foliage; for because of less concocting of the fruit, the nourishment is turned toward the leaves.