Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §167.1

Generation and Nature of Truffles and Underground Plants

Passage 172 of 196 · Greek

Summary

A fragment containing Theophrastus' remarks on truffles (hydnon), misy, and other underground plants. It describes their meat-like smell, their generation triggered by autumn rains and thunder, their annual nature, and theories concerning their seeds and sandy habitats.

§167.1Fr. 167 Λέγει δὲ περὶ αὐτῶν Θ. τὸ ὕδνον καὶ ὃ καλοῦσί τινες γεράνειον καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο ὑπόγειον· καὶ πάλιν· ἡ τῶν ἐγγεοτόκων τούτων γένεσις οἷον τοῦ τε ὕδνου καὶ τοῦ φυομένου περὶ Κυρήνην ὃ καλοῦσι μίσυ· δοκεῖ δὲ ἡδὺ σφόδρα τοῦτʼ εἶναι καὶ τὴν ὀσμὴν ἔχειν κρεώδη. Καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ Θρᾴκῃ δὲ γενόμενον ἴτον.
And Theophrastus says concerning these: "the truffle (hydnon) and what some call *geraneion* and whatever other underground thing there is"; and again: "the generation of these earth-born things, such as the truffle and that which grows around Cyrene which they call *misy*; and this seems to be very sweet and to have a meaty smell." And also the *iton* that grows in Thrace.
Περὶ δὲ τούτων διόν τι λέγεται· φασὶ γὰρ ὅταν ὕδατα μετοπωρινὰ καί βρονταὶ γίνωνται σκληραὶ τότε γίνεσθαι· καὶ μᾶλλον ὅταν αἱ βρονταὶ, ὡς ταύτης αἰτιωτέρας οὔσης.
And about these, a certain wondrous thing is said: for they say that they are produced when autumn rains and violent thunders occur; and more so when there is thunder, on the ground that this is more of a cause.
Οὐ διετίζειν δὲ ἀλλʼ ἐπέτειον εἶναι· τὴν δὲ χρείαν καὶ τὴν ἀκμὴν ἔχει τοῦ ἦρος.
And they do not last through two years but are annual; and they have their use and their prime in spring.
Οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἔνιοί γʼ ὡς σπερματικῆς οὔσης τῆς ἀρχῆς ὑπολαμβάνουσιν· ἐν γοῦν τῷ αἰγιαλῷ τῶν Μιτυληναίων οὔ φασι πρότερον εἶναι πρὶν ἢ γενομένης ἐπομβρίας τὸ σπέρμα κατενεχθῇ ἀπὸ Τιαρῶν· τοῦτο δʼ ἐστὶ χωρίον ἐν ᾧ πολλὰ γίνεται.
Nevertheless, some at least assume that the origin is of a seminal nature; at any rate, on the shore of the Mytilenaeans they say they do not exist before, after heavy rain has occurred, the seed is washed down from Tiarae; and this is a place in which many grow.
Γίνεται δὲ ἔν τε τοῖς αἰγιαλοῖς μάλιστα καὶ ὅπου χώρα ὕπαμμος· καὶ γὰρ αἱ Τιάραι τοιαῦται· φύεται δὲ καὶ περὶ Λάμψακον ἐν τῇ Ἀβαρνίδι, καὶ ἐν Ἀλωπεκοννήσῳ κἀν τῇ Ἠλείων.
And they grow especially on the shores and where the soil is sandy; for Tiarae is also of this kind; and they also grow around Lampsacus in Abarnis, and in Alopeconnesus, and in the territory of the Eleans.

Notes

  1. Fr. 167διόν τι — The manuscript reading διόν τι (something wondrous, divine) is sometimes suspected to be a corruption of ἴδιόν τι (something peculiar) given the context, but this translation renders it as "something wondrous" following the transmitted text.
  2. Fr. 167ὡς ταύτης αἰτιωτέρας οὔσης — A genitive absolute construction introduced by the conjunction ὡς, expressing a subjective or alleged reason. The feminine singular genitive pronoun ταύτης refers to the preceding βρονται (thunder, a feminine noun), explaining the popular belief that thunder is more of a cause for the generation of these plants than rain.
  3. Fr. 167Οὐ διετίζειν δὲ ἀλλʼ ἐπέτειον εἶναι — The infinitive of the verb διετίζω (to live through two years, or to last for two years). Here it is part of the accusative and infinitive construction (indirect speech) continuing the report (φασί), explaining that these underground plants are not biennial/perennial but annual (ἐπέτειον).
  4. Fr. 167πρὶν ἢ ... κατενεχθῇ — In the πρὶν ἢ clause following a negative main clause (οὔ φασι...), the subjunctive κατενεχθῇ is used without ἄν. This usage, found in some classical prose and later Greek, emphasizes the temporal sequence rather than a conditional aspect. Inside the clause, the genitive absolute γενομένης ἐπομβρίας ("after heavy rain has occurred") is embedded.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §167.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:167.1

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