§34.8.1Πολύβιος δʼ ὁ Μεγαλοπολίτης ἐν τετάρτῃ καὶ τριακοστῇ τῶν Ἱστοριῶν περὶ τῆς ἐν Ἰβηρίᾳ Λυσιτανίας χώρας διαλεγόμενός φησιν ὅτι βάλανοί εἰσι κατὰ βάθος ἐν τῇ αὐτόθι θαλάττῃ πεφυτευμέναι, ὧν τὸν καρπὸν σιτουμένους τοὺς θύννους πιαίνεσθαι.
Polybius of Megalopolis, in the thirty-fourth book of his Histories, in discussing the country of Lusitania in Iberia, says that there are acorns growing in the depths of the sea there, by feeding on the fruit of which the tunnies grow fat.
§34.8.2διόπερ οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι τις λέγων ὗς εἶναι θαλαττίους τοὺς θύννους. — §34.8.3λέγει δʼ ὁ Πολύβιος καὶ μέχρι τῆς Λατίνης ἐκπίπτειν τὴν βάλανον ταύτην, εἰ μὴ ἄρα, φησί, καὶ ἡ Σαρδὼ φέρει καὶ ἡ πλησιόχωρος ταύτῃ. —
τὴν κατὰ Λυσιτανίαν — §34.8.4χώρα δʼ ἐστὶν αὕτη τῆς Ἰβηρίας, ἣν νῦν Ῥωμαῖοι Σπανίαν ὀνομάζουσι — διηγούμενος εὐδαιμονίαν Πολύβιος ὁ Μεγαλοπολίτης ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ καὶ τριακοστῇ τῶν Ἱστοριῶν φησιν ὡς αὐτόθι διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀέρος εὐκρασίαν καὶ τὰ ζῷα πολύγονα καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ καρποὶ οὐδέποτε φθείρονται· §34.8.5ῥόδα μὲν γὰρ αὐτόθι καὶ λευκόια καὶ ἀσπάραγοι καὶ τὰ παραπλήσια τούτοις οὐ πλεῖον διαλείπει μηνῶν τριῶν, §34.8.6τὸ δὲ θαλάττιον ὄψον καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος καὶ κατὰ τὴν χρηστότητα καὶ κατὰ τὸ κάλλος μεγάλην ἔχει διαφορὰν πρὸς τὸ γινόμενον ἐν τῇ καθʼ ἡμᾶς θαλάττῃ.
Wherefore one would not be mistaken in saying that tunnies are pigs of the sea. — And Polybius says that this acorn is cast up even as far as Latium, unless, indeed, he says, Sardinia also bears it, and the country neighboring to this. — As for the... in Lusitania— and this is a region of Iberia which the Romans now call Spania—describing its fertility, Polybius of Megalopolis in the thirty-fourth book of his Histories says that there, owing to the temperate climate, both animals and men are very prolific, and the crops in the country are never destroyed; for roses, white violets, asparagus, and things similar to these do not fail for more than three months; and the seafood, both in quantity, goodness, and beauty, has a great superiority over that produced in our sea.
§34.8.7καὶ ὁ μὲν τῶν κριθῶν Σικελικὸς μέδιμνός ἐστι δραχμῆς, ὁ δὲ τῶν πυρῶν ἐννέα ὀβολῶν Ἀλεξανδρεινῶν· §34.8.8τοῦ δʼ οἴνου δραχμῆς ὁ μετρητὴς καὶ ἔριφος ὁ μέτριος ὀβολοῦ καὶ λαγώς.
And the Sicilian medimnus of barley is at one drachma, and that of wheat at nine Alexandrian obols; and the metretes of wine is at one drachma, and a medium-sized kid is at one obol, and a hare likewise.
τῶν δʼ ἀρνῶν τριώβολον καὶ τετρώβολον ἡ τιμή.
The price of lambs is three or four obols.
ὗς δὲ πίων ἑκατὸν μνᾶς ἄγων πέντε δραχμῶν καὶ πρόβατον δυεῖν.
A fat pig weighing one hundred minae is at five drachmae, and a sheep at two.
τάλαντον δὲ σύκων τριῶν ὀβολῶν, §34.8.9μόσχος δραχμῶν πέντε καὶ βοῦς ζύγιμος δέκα.
A talent of figs is at three obols, a calf is at five drachmae, and a yoke-ox at ten.
§34.8.10τὰ δὲ τῶν ἀγρίων ζῴων κρέα σχεδὸν οὐδὲ κατηξιοῦτο τιμῆς, ἀλλʼ ἐν ἐπιδόσει καὶ χάριτι τὴν ἀλλαγὴν ποιοῦνται τούτων.
And the meat of wild animals was scarcely even thought worthy of a price, but they make the exchange of these by way of extra-measure and free gift.