The Metamorphosis of Pamphile

Walpurgisnacht 2022. A mirror-story to Lucius’ metamorphosis.

“[Photis and I] spent a few nights in pleasure like this, until the day she ran to me, excited and trembling, to tell me that, because her mistress had not made any progress with her lovers by other means, she would turn herself into a bird at the first watch of the night and fly down to the object of her desire. I meanwhile was to get ready to observe such an event.

“After we had waited for the first watch of the night, Photis led me silent-footed to the upper bedchamber and suggested I look through the crack of the door to see what was happening.

“First, Pamphile completely undressed herself. Then, she opened a chest and took out a few small boxes. She removed the lid from one of them and poured out some perfume. She worked it for a while between her palms. Then she rubbed herself all over from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair, and after whispering to her lamp a while in secret, her limbs began to tremble, quivering and shaking. As they began to swell, soft plumage and powerful wings burst out and took shape. Her nose hardened and curved, her toenails thickened into talons, and Pamphile became an owl. She let out screech, and after a few small attempts, she sprung from the ground and flew, her wings wide, out into sublime heights.”

Ad hunc modum transactis voluptarie paucis noctibus, quadam die percita Fotis ac satis trepida me accurrit indicatque dominam suam, quod nihil etiam tunc in suos amores ceteris artibus promoveret nocte proxima in avem sese plumaturam atque ad suum cupitum sic devolaturam; proin memet ad rei tantae speculam caute praepararem.

Iamque circa primam noctis vigiliam ad illud superius cubiculum suspenso et insono vestigio me perducit ipsa, perque rimam ostiorum quampiam iubet arbitrari quae sic gesta sunt.

Iam primum omnibus laciniis se devestit Pamphile et arcula quadam reclusa pyxides plusculas inde depromit, de quis unius operculo remoto atque indidem egesta unguedine diuque palmulis sui affricta ab imis unguibus sese totam adusque summos capillos perlinit, multumque cum lucerna secreto collocuta membra tremulo succussu quatit: quis leniter fluctuantibus promicant molles plumulae crescunt et fortes pinnulae, duratur nasus incurvus coguntur ungues adunci, fit bubo Pamphile. Sic edito stridore querulo, iam sui periclitabunda paulatini terra resultat, mox in altum sublimata forinsecus totis alis evolat.

Apuleius, Metamorphoses 3.21

Aetius of Amida on the Choking Cure of St. Blaise

“[Treatment] for swallowing of a bone and for removing things that are stuck in the throat. Hold on to the patient with them sitting opposite you, and make them hold on to you. Say: ‘Come up, bone—whether you are a bone or a twig or anything else—just like Jesus Christ brought Lazarus up from the grave, and like Jonah was brought up out of the sea monster.’ Another. Cover the throat of the patient. Say: ‘Blaise, the martyr, the servant of god, says, ‘either rise up, bone, or go down.’”

Πρὸς ὀστοῦ κατάποσιν καὶ πρὸς ἀναβολὴν τῶν καταπειρομένων εἰς τὰ παρίσθμια. προσέχων τῷ πάσχοντι ἀνθρώπῳ ἄντικρυς καθεζομένῳ καὶ ποιήσας αὐτὸν προσέχειν σοι λέγε· ἄνελθε, ὀστοῦν, εἴτε ὀστοῦν ἢ κάρφος [<ϛ>] ἢ ἄλλο ὁτιοῦν, ὡς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς Λάζαρον ἀπὸ τοῦ τάφου ἀνήγαγε, καὶ ὡς Ἰωνᾶν ἐκ τοῦ κήτους. Ἄλλο. κατέχων τὸν λάρυγγα τοῦ πάσχοντος λέγε· Βλάσιος ὁ μάρτυς ὁ δοῦλος τοῦ θεοῦ λέγει· ἢ ἀνάβηθι, ὀστοῦν, ἢ κατάβηθι.

Aetius of Amida, Libri Medicinales 8.54

Going Skythian

When they want to drink wine that’s more undiluted, the Lakonians themselves say they “go Skythian.” Khamaileon of Herakleia in On Drunkenness at any rate writes about them as follows:

“the Lakonians say that Kleomenes the Spartan went mad because he learned to drink undiluted wine, having spent time with the Skythians. That’s why, when they wish to drink more undiluted wine, they say, ‘make it Skythian.’”

καὶ αὐτοὶ δ’ οἱ Λάκωνες ὅταν βούλωνται ἀκρατέστερον πίνειν, ἐπισκυθίσαι λέγουσι. Χαμαιλέων γοῦν ὁ Ἡρακλεώτης ἐν τῷ περὶ μέθης περὶ τούτων οὕτως γράφει·

«ἐπεὶ καὶ Κλεομένη τὸν Σπαρτιάτην φασὶν οἱ Λάκωνες μανῆναι διὰ τὸ Σκύθαις ὁμιλήσαντα μαθεῖν ἀκρατοποτεῖν. ὅθεν ὅταν βούλωνται πιεῖν ἀκρατέστερον, ‘ἐπισκύθισον’ λέγουσιν».

Athenaeus of Naucratis, Deipnosophistae, 10.29

A Myrrh and Iron Gall Ink from the Magical Greek Papyri

A spell to make everyone love you, and one of the earliest recipes for iron gall ink. From Leiden Papyrus J 384, PGM 12 in Preisendanz’ collection of Magical Greek Papyri, perhaps 2nd or 3rd century CE.

“To be attractive and loveable forever. Take a root of pasithea or wormwood, and [on it] write this name in a holy way:

“Carry it and you will be attractive, loveable and extraordinary to those who look on you.

“The formula:

• 1 drachma of myrrh

• 4 drachmai of misy

• 2 drachmai of vitriol

• 2 drachmai of oak galls

• 3 drachmai of gum arabic.”

προς επιχιρειαν[1] καὶ φιλεὶάν[2] δια παντος λαβων ριζαν πασιθεαν η αρτεμισιαν επιγραφε το □[3] τουτο αγνως [see image] και φορει και εση και επιχιρεις[4] και προσφιλης και θαυμαστος τοις ορωσι σοι.

ἡ ἀναγραφή· ζμύρνης δραχμὴ αʹ, μίσυος δραχμαὶ δʹ, χαλκάνθου δραχμαὶ βʹ, κηκίδων δραχμαὶ βʹ, κόμεως δραχμαὶ γʹ.

[1] ἐπιχάρειαν Pr. [2] φιλίαν Pr. [3] ὄνομα Pr. [4] ἐπίχαρις Pr.

P. Leid. J 384, col. 12, 24,13–16 Daniel = PGM XII 397–400 = old Leiden Papyrus V (English here)

---

Notes

For the first part of the text, I’ve transcribed Daniel’s edition (no accents for the most part or punctuation), but I’ve used Preisendanz’ edition for the formula. There’s some debate about what μίσυ (misy) and χάλκανθος (khalkanthos) refer to.

Misy. In Betz’ collection, Martin translates μίσυ as “truffle.” There is a kind of truffle called μίσυ mentioned in LSJ; but Preisendanz and Christiansen both suggest it refers to a substance found in mines, the misy mentioned by Dioscorides (5.100) and Pliny (34.121–122). Preisendanz translates as “Vitriolerz” (vol, 2, p.83), one term given in Pape, and which makes more sense. In a recent article, Thomas Christiansen (p. 184) suggests misy might be the decomposed iron sulfide contained in chalco-pyrites (CuFe₂).

Khalkanthos. The word comes from χαλκός (copper) + ἄνθος (bloom). Pliny says it is prepared in Spain by collecting water from wells or mining pits, boiling it down, then putting it into a wooden reservoir and leaving cords to hang down into the water. Glass-like growths form on the cords and the are collected (34.123–124, English). He says it is known as atramentum sutorium in Latin, “shoemaker’s black,” and suggests the Greek term is evidence the substance is related to copper. Dioscorides also mentions there are different kinds of χάλκανθος, one of which, known as ἐφθόν (“boiled”) and prepared in Spain, was used to dye leather black. Christiansen (p. 182) points out this may indicate some confusion in the history of vitriols (sulfate compounds named after their glass-like appearance). After Razi, vitriols are distinguished into two kinds: blue and green. Blue vitriol corresponds roughly to copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO₄·5H₂O) and green vitriol corresponds to iron (II) sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO₄·7H₂O). Before Razi, however, it seems they were not systematically distinguished either conceptually or physically. The substance is called “shoemaker’s black” because when combined with the tannin from oak galls used in tanning leather, the iron (II) would form a complex with the tannic acid, ferrous tannate, a black soluble pigment. When it dries, the complex reacts with oxygen in the air to form insoluble ferric tannate. This is the same reaction that makes iron gall inks so permanent. There’s a good wiki about this and lots online. I wrote about a different use of gall ink here: to write secret messages on eggs.

The first known occurence of a recipe for an iron gall ink is for an invisible ink. It’s from Philo of Byzantium, who writes about how to get secret messages out of a city under siege:

“The letters (sent by those under siege) are written in a new hat on the skin after crushing oak galls and soaking them in water. When dried, the writing becomes invisible, but if flower of copper is ground like ink in water and a sponge is soaked with it, when wiped with the sponge, they become visible.”

γράφονται δ' αἱ ἐπιστολαὶ εἰς καυσίαν καινὴν εἰς τὸν χρῶτα κηκῖδος θλασθείσης καὶ ὕδατι βραχείσης· ξηρανθέντα δὲ τὰ γράμματα ἄδηλα γίνεται, χαλκοῦ δὲ ἄνθους τριφθέντος ὥσπερ ἐν ὕδατι τὸ μέλαν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ σπόγγου βραχέντος, ὅταν ἀποσπογγισθῇ τούτῳ, φανερὰ γίνεται.

Philo of Byzantium, Belopoeica, ed. Diels and Schramm, 79

The AlchemEast team has written a great piece detailing their experiments replicating this recipe using blue and green vitriols.

Other observations

Myrrh. Christiansen thinks the myrrh here is not the raw resin, but ash from burnt resin. Burnt resins were used to make carbon inks, and this may be the case here; however, there is no mention in the recipe that the myrrh is burnt.

The Reaction. The reaction itself is pretty striking. Here's an example:

Oak gall and khalkanthos

Encouragement for the unwounded

My friend died two weeks ago. It feels like yesterday and it feels like it didn’t happen. When I left at the end of August, she gave me Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin. The inscription said she hoped the title was inappropriate and that I would have not just one safe journey to Prague, but many. I have a postcard still to send her.

Below, a passage which she quoted in her book on the treatment of war wounds.

***

‘…Then the Macedonians turned the battle around against the barbarians and once they were defeated, they brought the city down on top of them. This was no help to Alexander, however. He was taken from the field along with the missile: the shaft of the arrow pierced his vital organs, and the arrow bound and fixed his breastplate to his body.

‘When they tried forcing it out from the root, as it were, of the wound, the iron would not yield to them. It was lodged in the solid part of his breast in front of the heart. They did not dare to saw off the part of the shaft that was projecting out for fear it would cause excruciating pain and a rush of internal bleeding if the bone were to be split by the force.

‘Having noticed the great difficulty and hesitation, Alexander himself tried to cut the arrow off close to his body using his dagger, but his hand was too weak and heavy with numbness due to the inflammation of the wound. So he encouraged them. He commanded the unwounded to take hold and not fear. He railed against those who were in tears with concern for him, while others he called out as deserters since they did not dare to help him. And to his companions he cried out: “Let no one be wretched on my account. It will not be believed that I do not fear death if you fear for my death.”’

ἐτρέψαντο μὲν οὖν τοὺς βαρβάρους οἱ Μακεδόνες, καὶ πεσοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπικατέσκαψαν τὴν πόλιν. Ἀλεξάνδρῳ δ' οὐδὲν ἦν ὄφελος· <ἀν>ήρπαστο γὰρ μετὰ τοῦ βέλους, καὶ τὸν κάλαμον ἐν τοῖς σπλάγχνοις εἶχε, καὶ δεσμὸς ἦν αὐτῷ καὶ ἧλος τὸ τόξευμα τοῦ θώρακος πρὸς τὸ σῶμα. καὶ σπάσαι μὲν ὥσπερ ἐκ ῥίζης τοῦ τραύματος βιαζομένοις οὐχ ὑπήκουεν ὁ σίδηρος, ἕδραν ἔχων τὰ πρὸ τῆς καρδίας στερεὰ τοῦ στήθους· ἐκπρῖσαι δὲ τοῦ δόνακος οὐκ ἐθάρρουν τὸ προῦχον, ἀλλ' ἐφοβοῦντο, μήπως σπαραγμῷ σχιζόμενον τὸ ὀστέον ὑπερβολὰς ἀλγηδόνων παράσχῃ καὶ ῥῆξις αἵματος ἐκ βάθους γένηται. πολλὴν δ' ἀπορίαν καὶ διατριβὴν ὁρῶν αὐτὸς ἐπεχείρησεν ἐν χρῷ τοῦ σώματος ἀποτέμνειν τῷ ξιφιδίῳ τὸν οἰστόν· ἠτόνει δ' ἡ χεὶρ καὶ βάρος εἶχε ναρκῶδες ὑπὸ φλεγμονῆς τοῦ τραύματος. ἐκέλευεν οὖν ἅπτεσθαι καὶ μὴ δεδιέναι θαρρύνων τοὺς ἀτρώτους· καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἐλοιδορεῖτο κλαίουσι καὶ περιπαθοῦσι, τοὺς δὲ λιποτάκτας ἀπεκάλει, μὴ τολμῶντας αὐτῷ βοηθεῖν· ἐβόα δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἑταίρους «μηδεὶς ἔστω μηδ' ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ δειλός· ἀπιστοῦμαι μὴ φοβεῖσθαι θάνατον, εἰ τὸν ἐμὸν φοβεῖσθ' ὑμεῖς.»

Plutarch, On the Fortune of Alexander, Moralia 344F–345B

Pseudo-Alexander wonders why his friend Apollonius didn't ask him earlier to write a book

I was recently moving to a new city, and I had promised myself that before I did I would finish a chapter I owed for a book (very late). This is basically the conversation that was going on in my head (I’m both people in this story):

“You asked me, Apollonius, best of Asclepiads, to give you a written version of my recent class lectures on fevers. That way, if you wanted to do some studying on fevers, you would have as it were a reminder of my lesson, especially now that I’ve decided to go abroad and will be far away from you, and you might not find anyone else who would so eagerly explain to you the secrets of medicine. I’m happy to do what you ask. In fact, I was prepared to produce a lesson for you had you asked for one, both lecture and notes, and not only on fevers, but on any other medical subject—just not now, when the other things I have to do before my trip are stressing me out and making it impossible to work on these kinds of things. But I would have done it before, namely when it was possible and I had time to write up the theory after your requested it. The study of fevers is, as you know, complex and difficult to study. Lots of time is required to get a hold on it and to write it down. And you agree that the work must be worthy of both you and me, otherwise it would be pointless for me to choose to write it up and you to choose to read it.

“In fact, in the end I had let go of the idea of doing it for these reasons, except that a certain saying of ancient men—a nice one—occurred to me and persuaded me that ‘one must do right by one’s friends, even if one must debase one’s art to meet their demands, and not hold back from this very thing.’ It then seemed right to me to put the present book together as a kind of introduction, and since I promise there will be another book on the whole theory of fevers at a suitable time later on, I offer you a reminder of true friendship by means of this discussion as deposit. And so let us comply with your request and say whatever the time allows us to say, not using the breadth of the art and our facility in discourse (if ever it existed), but making use rather of the brief time we have. But let’s be lenient with one another: you for <not> already asking me ages ago when it would have been easier to receive not an introduction but a long book on fevers; and me for not ever wanting to go against friends in any way.”

 ἤιτησας ἡμᾶς, Ἀσκληπιαδῶν ἄριστε, Ἀπολλώνιε, περὶ πυρετῶν σοι τοσαῦτα διὰ γραφῆς παραδοῦναι, ὅσα σχεδὸν πὰρ ἡμῖν φοιτῶντι διὰ γλώττης παρεδηλώσαμεν, ἵν' ὥσπερ ὑπόμνημα τῆς ἡμῶν εἴη σοι διδασκαλίας, βουλομένῳ περὶ πυρετῶν θεωρεῖν, καὶ μάλιστα νυνί, ὅτε καὶ ἀποδημεῖν ἡμεῖς ἐβουλευσάμεθα, καὶ μακρὰν ἀφ' ὑμῶν γενέσθαι, σὺ δὲ οὐκέτ' ἴσως ἕξεις τὸν οὕτω σοι προθύμως τὰ τῆς ἰατρικῆς διασαφήσοντα ὄργια. ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἕπεσθαί σοι ῥᾴδιος, ἐφ' ἃ κελεύεις αὐτός. καὶ μὴ ὅτι περὶ πυρετῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ παντὸς ἄλλου θεωρήματος ἰατρικοῦ ἕτοιμος ἂν ἦν, σοῦ χάριν καὶ γλώττῃ καὶ γράμμασι διδασκαλίαν ποιήσασθαι, εἴγε μὴ νῦν, ὅτε πρὸς ἀλλ' ἄττα, τῆς ἐξόδου βιαζομένης, ἡμεῖς ἐπειγόμεθα, μὴ συγχωροῦντα τὴν περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα σπουδήν, ἀλλὰ πρὸ καιροῦ, ὅτε δηλονότι οἷόν τε ἦν καὶ χρόνον ἡμῖν ἐγγενέσθαι μετὰ τὴν αἴτησιν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ θεωρήματος ξυγγραφήν, τὸ περὶ τούτων ὤφθης αἰτούμενος. πολυσχιδὴς γάρ, ὡς οἶδας, καὶ δυσθεώρητος ἡ περὶ πυρετῶν θεωρία καὶ πολλοῦ δεομένη χρόνου πρὸς κατάληψίν τε καὶ ξυγγραφήν· δεῖν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἂν ξυμφαίης σαυτοῦ τε καὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν ἄξιον εἶναι τὸ σπουδαζόμενον, εἰ μὴ μάτην αὐτὸς μὲν γράφειν, σὺ δὲ ἀναγινώσκειν αἱρούμεθα.

καὶ εἴασα ἂν τελέως τοὐγχείρημα διὰ ταῦτα, εἰ μή τις λόγος παλαιῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ καλῶς ἔχων ἐπῆλθε πείθων με, ὡς ἀνάγκη φιλίαις εἴκειν, κἂν δέῃ συγκατιέναι τὴν τέχνην, ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀξιώσεσι, μηδ' αὐτοῦ δὴ τούτου γε φείδεσθαι. ἀμέλει καὶ ἔδοξέ μοι, ὥσπερ ἐν εἰσαγωγῆς τρόπῳ, τὸ παρὸν συντάξασθαι σύγγραμμα, καὶ ἄλλο ἐπαγγελλόμενον περὶ τῆς ὅλης τῶν πυρετῶν θεωρίας, ἐν ἁρμόζοντι δῆθεν ἐσόμενον χρόνῳ, νυνὶ τουτί σοι ὡς ἐν ὑποθήκης ἐκδοῦναι λόγῳ, ἀκριβοῦς φιλίας ὑπόμνημα. καὶ δὴ λέγωμέν σοι πειθόμενοι, ἃ ἂν ὁ καιρὸς διδῷ, μὴ τῷ τῆς τέχνης πλάτει, καὶ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ περὶ τὸ λέγειν, εἴ τίς ἐστιν, εὐπορίᾳ, τοῦ χρόνου δὲ μᾶλλον χρησάμενοι τῇ βραχύτητι. ἀμφοτέροις δὲ παρ' ἀμφοτέρων ἔσται συγγνώμη, σοὶ μὲν ἤδη πάλαι αἰτήσαντι, ὅτε μὴ εἰσαγωγήν, ἀλλὰ βίβλον μακρὰν <περὶ> πυρετῶν εἰληφέναι ῥᾴδιον ἦν, ἐμοὶ δὲ φίλοις ἐφ' ὁποιῳδηποτοῦν οὐκ ἀντιβαίνειν ἐθέλοντι.

Pseudo-Alexander of Aphrodisias, Fevers 1, 81–82 Ideler =1,1–2,12 Tassinari

Literary Barbarism

“For I do not think, as some of our contemporaries urge, that everyone ought to atticize in language, even if they happen to be doctors, philosophers, geometers, musicians, or lawyers, or none of these, but generally wealthy people or merely people of means. On the contrary—I don’t think it is a good thing to blame or censure anyone for solecising. It’s better to solecise and barbarize in words than in life.”

οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτ' ἀξιοῦμεν ἡμεῖς, ὅπερ ἔνιοι τῶν νῦν κελεύουσιν, ἅπαντας ἀττικίζειν τῇ φωνῇ, κἂν ἰατροὶ τυγχάνωσιν ὄντες ἢ φιλόσοφοι καὶ γεωμετρικοὶ καὶ μουσικοὶ καὶ νομικοὶ κἂν μηδὲν τούτων ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς ἤτοι πλουτοῦντές τινες ἢ μόνον εὔποροι· τοὐναντίον γὰρ ἀπαξιῶ μηδενὶ μέμφεσθαι τῶν σολοικιζόντων τῇ φωνῇ μηδ' ἐπιτιμᾶν· ἄμεινον γάρ ἐστι τῇ φωνῇ μᾶλλον ἢ τῷ βίῳ σολοικίζειν τε καὶ βαρβαρίζειν.

Galen, On the Order of My Own Books 5 (19.60–61 K.)

Galen on whether healthy living belongs to medicine or physical training

“That’s why it amazes me when I hear athletes’ trainers these days arguing that healthy living is a part of their own art. In fact, it’s not a part of true physical training at all; rather, it’s the other way around: physical training is a part of healthy living. So why should we dispute about their false art, which is not at all a part of the art concerning the body and which sells a practice that’s held in contempt not only by Plato and Hippocrates, but also by all the other doctors and philosophers?”

ᾗ καὶ θαυμάζειν ἐπέρχεταί μοι τῶν νῦν τοὺς ἀθλητὰς γυμναζόντων, ὅταν ἀμφισβητούντων ἀκούσω μέρος εἶναι τῆς ἑαυτῶν τέχνης τὸ ὑγιεινόν. ὅπου γὰρ οὐδὲ τῆς ὄντως γυμναστικῆς μέρος ἐστὶν ἀλλ' ἔμπαλιν ἐκείνη μέρος ὑγιεινοῦ, τί χρὴ περὶ τῆς τούτων κακοτεχνίας ἀμφιβάλλειν, ἣ μήτε μέρος ἐστὶν ὅλως τῆς περὶ τὸ σῶμα τέχνης ἐπιτηδεύματός τε προέστηκεν οὐχ ὑπὸ Πλάτωνος μόνον ἢ Ἱπποκράτους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ἰατρῶν τε καὶ φιλοσόφων ἀτιμαζομένου;

Galen, Thrasybulus: whether healthy living belongs to medicine or to gymnastics 47 (5.898 K. = 99,26-100,9 Helmreich)

Bedside manner in Rome: some sayings attributed to the physician, Quintus

“We still have to go through the subject of morning and evening massage—but oh my god not in the way Quintus did. They say that when a personal trainer asked him what virtue an oil massage has, he replied, ‘getting their clothes off.’ Those words—the ones I just used—they say are a direct quote of the trainer’s question and Quintus’ answer. There’s a similar saying attributed to Quintus that’s been going around, this one about urine: that ‘learning about it is a fuller’s job.’ Then there’s the one about hot, cold, dry and wet: that ‘those are words for bathhouse attendants.’ Now, I find it hard to believe even Thessalus, never mind Quintus, would say anything like these things. They’re all just stupid jokes, in no way appropriate for a man so educated in a serious art.”

Λείπεται οὖν ἔτι περὶ τῶν ἑωθινῶν τε καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἑσπέραν τρίψεων διελθεῖν, οὐ μὰ Δία οὕτως, ὥς φασιν ἀποκρίνασθαι Κόιντον ἐρομένῳ τινὶ γυμναστῇ, τίνα δύναμιν ἔχει τὸ ὑποσυγχρίεσθαι, φάμενον ἀφανίζειν τὰ ἱμάτια. τούτοις γὰρ τοῖς ὀνόμασιν, οἷς ἐγὼ νῦν ἐχρησάμην, ἐρέσθαι τε λέγουσι τὸν γυμναστὴν ἀποκρίνασθαί τε τὸν Κόιντον. ὅμοιόν τι τοῦ Κοίντου περιφέρεται ἀπόφθεγμα τό τε περὶ τῶν οὔρων, ὡς γναφέως ἐστὶ καταμανθάνειν αὐτά, καὶ τὸ περὶ θερμοῦ, ψυχροῦ, ξηροῦ καὶ ὑγροῦ, διότι βαλανέων ἐστὶν ὀνόματα ταῦτα. ἃ ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ ἂν πεισθείην, μὴ ὅτι Κόιντον, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῶν ἀπὸ Θεσσαλοῦ τινα φθέγξασθαι· βωμολοχικὰ γὰρ ἅπαντ' ἐστὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα κομψεύματα καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἀνδρὶ προσήκοντα σεμνῆς οὕτω τέχνης ἐπιστήμονι.

Galen, On Matters of Health 3.13, (6.228 K. = 100,27–101,5 Koch)

Do truffles come from thunder and other questions

1. Aristotle (4th century BCE, dubious)

Attributed to Aristotle in some 19th century collections of fragments, but I have no idea why. Maybe because of a tendency to assign to Aristotle things said by his student? Or maybe the collection includes the early Peripatos? Found it with a TLG search, but I didn’t find the edition it comes from. σκληρότερα might be a corruption, see e.g. the Athenaeus text below where he says that there are more truffles when the storms are σκληραί / severe.

“Truffles become harder when there is continuous thunder, as Theophrastus has said in his works on plants.”

τὰ ὕδνα βροντῶν συνεχῶν γιγνομένων σκληρότερα γίγνεται, καθάπερ Θεόφραστος ἐν τοῖς περὶ φυτῶν εἴρηκεν.

2. Diocles of Carystus (4th century BCE)

‘Diocles of Carystus says in the first book of Matters of Health: “wild plants to be boiled are beet, mallow, monk’s rhubarb, stinging nettle, orach, grape hyacinths, truffles, mushrooms.”’

Διοκλῆς ὁ Καρύστιος ἐν αʹ Ὑγιεινῶν φησιν· ‘ἄγρια ἑψήματα τεῦτλον, μαλάχη, λάπαθον, ἀκαλήφη, ἀνδράφαξυς, βολβοί, ὕδνα, μύκαι.

Athenaeus, The Sophists’ at Dinner, 2.57, 61c = Diocles Fragment 195 van der Eijk

3. Theophrastus (4th century BCE)

“The same differences (in the roots) exist among undershrubs, herbs and the rest, except that some have no roots at all, like the truffle, the mushroom, the bullfist, and the keraunion .*”

αἱ αὐταὶ δὲ διαφοραὶ καὶ τῶν φρυγανικῶν καὶ τῶν ποιωδῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων· πλὴν εἰ ὅλως ἔνια μὴ ἔχει, καθάπερ ὕδνον μύκης πέζις κεραύνιον.

Theophrastus, History of Plants, 1.6.5

*Keraunion (κεραύνιον), from the word for thunderbolt, keraunos, perhaps another kind of truffle.

“For it is not correct to call everything underground a root. For in that case the stem of the grape hyacinth and of the long onion and generally any part which is underground would be a root, also the truffle and what some people call askhios and the ouignon and any other underground plants, of which none are roots—for we must distinguish things by natural capacity and not by place.”

τὸ γὰρ δὴ πᾶν λέγειν τὸ κατὰ γῆς ῥίζαν οὐκ ὀρθόν· καὶ γὰρ ἂν ὁ καυλὸς τοῦ βολβοῦ καὶ ὁ τοῦ γηθύου καὶ ὅλως ὅσα κατὰ βάθους ἐστὶν εἴησαν ἂν ῥίζαι, καὶ τὸ ὕδνον δὲ καὶ ὃ καλοῦσί τινες ἀσχίον καὶ τὸ οὔϊγγον καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο ὑπόγειόν ἐστιν· ὧν οὐδέν ἐστι ῥίζα· δυνάμει γὰρ δεῖ φυσικῇ διαιρεῖν καὶ οὐ τόπῳ.

Theophrastus, History of Plants, 1.6.9

4. Dioscorides (1st century)

“Truffle is a root that is round with no leaves, no stem, light brown, dug up in the spring. It is both edible when raw and eaten when boiled.”

ὕδνον ῥίζα ἐστὶ περιφερής, ἄφυλλος, ἄκαυλος, ὑπόξανθος, ἔαρος ὀρυττομένη. ἐδώδιμος δέ ἐστιν ὠμή τε καὶ ἑφθὴ ἐσθιομένη.

Dioscorides, On Medical Materials, 2.145 (1.212,18–213,2 Wellmann)

5. Plutarch (1st century)

Why do some people think truffles are produced by thunder, and why do they think sleeping people are not struck by lightning?

‘Agemachos once offered us giant truffles while we were dining in Elis. Everyone there was amazed, and one person said with a smirk, “they’re surely worth the thunderstorms we’ve been having lately,” clearly poking fun at those who say truffles are produced by thunder. Indeed, there are some people who say that the earth is split by thunder, the air operating like a spike, and afterwards the truffle hunters use the cracks in the ground as a sign. From this arose a popular belief that truffles are produced by thunder rather than uncovered, as if someone were to think that snails were produced by rain instead of being lead out and made visible. Agemachos, however, held on stubbornly to the story and asked us not to think that what is wondrous is implausible. For there are many other wondrous things that come from thunder, lightning and related divine signs—things that have causes that are difficult or altogether impossible to discover.’

Διὰ τί τὰ ὕδνα δοκεῖ τῇ βροντῇ γίνεσθαι, καὶ διὰ τί τοὺς καθεύδοντας οἴονται μὴ κεραυνοῦσθαι.

Ὕδνα παμμεγέθη δειπνοῦσιν ἡμῖν Ἀγέμαχος παρέθηκεν ἐν Ἤλιδι. θαυμαζόντων δὲ τῶν παρόντων, ἔφη τις ὑπομειδιάσας ‘ἄξιά γε τῶν βροντῶν τῶν ἔναγχος γενομένων,’ ὡς δὴ καταγελῶν τῶν λεγόντων τὰ ὕδνα τὴν γένεσιν ἐκ βροντῆς λαμβάνειν. ἦσαν οὖν οἱ φάσκοντες ὑπὸ βροντῆς τὴν γῆν διίστασθαι καθάπερ ἥλῳ τῷ ἀέρι χρωμένης, εἶτα ταῖς ῥωγμαῖς τεκμαίρεσθαι τοὺς τὰ ὕδνα μετιόντας· ἐκ δὲ τούτου δόξαν ἐγγενέσθαι τοῖς πολλοῖς, ὅτι τὸ ὕδνον αἱ βρονταὶ γεννῶσιν οὐ δεικνύουσιν, ὥσπερ εἴ τις οἴοιτο τοὺς κοχλίας ποιεῖν τὸν ὄμβρον ἀλλὰ μὴ προάγειν μηδ' ἀναφαίνειν. ὁ δ' Ἀγέμαχος ἰσχυρίζετο τῇ ἱστορίᾳ καὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν ἠξίου μὴ ἄπιστον ἡγεῖσθαι. καὶ γὰρ ἄλλα πολλὰ θαυμάσια βροντῆς ἔργα καὶ κεραυνοῦ καὶ τῶν περὶ ταῦτα διοσημιῶν εἶναι, χαλεπὰς καταμαθεῖν ἢ παντελῶς ἀδυνάτους τὰς αἰτίας ἔχοντα.

Plutarch, Table Talk (quaestiones convivales) 4.2, Moralia 664B–C

6. Galen (2nd century)

“On truffles. It is necessary to include these among the roots and vegetables, although they have no evident quality. That’s why people use them as a base for seasonings, just like they use the other ones they call bland, harmless and watery in taste. They all share in common that their nutriment, when it gets distributed to the body, has no remarkable property. Instead, the nutriment is a bit cool, while in thickness it is itself similar in quality to whatever was eaten, thicker when it comes from truffle, more watery and thinner when comes from colocynth and likewise in the case of the others.”

Περὶ ὕδνων. Ἐν ῥίζαις ἢ βολβοῖς ἀριθμεῖν ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι καὶ ταῦτα μηδεμίαν ἔχοντα σαφῆ ποιότητα. χρῶνται τοιγαροῦν αὐτοῖς οἱ χρώμενοι πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν ἀρτυμάτων, ὥσπερ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ὅσα καλοῦσιν ἄποια καὶ ἀβλαβῆ καὶ ὑδατώδη κατὰ τὴν γεῦσιν. ἔστι δ' ἁπάντων αὐτῶν κοινόν, ὡς μηδὲ τὴν ἀναδιδομένην εἰς τὸ σῶμα τροφὴν ἐξαίρετόν τινα δύναμιν ἔχειν, ἀλλ' ὑπόψυχρον μὲν εἶναι, τῷ πάχει δ', ὁποῖον ἄν τι καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἐδηδεσμένον ᾖ, παχυτέραν μὲν ἐξ ὕδνου, ὑγροτέραν δὲ καὶ λεπτοτέραν ἐκ κολοκύνθης ἐπί τε τῶν ἄλλων ἀνὰ λόγον.

Galen, On the Properties of Foods, 2.66 (6.655 Kühn = 327,16–328,3 Helmreich)

“On Truffle. Truffles are known to everyone to have a predominantly earthy substance, possessing a small number of fine particles that have been mixed in to their composition.”

Περὶ ὕδνου. Ὕδνα πᾶσι γνώριμα γεωδεστέραν οὐσίαν ἐπικρατοῦσαν, ἐν τῇ συστάσει κέκτηται βραχέος τινὸς αὐτῇ μεμιγμένου τοῦ λεπτομεροῦς.

Galen, Simple Drugs 9.19, 12.147 Kühn

7. Athenaeus of Naucratis (2nd/3rd century)

‘Truffles. These are also produced spontaneously from the ground especially in sandy places. Theophrastus says about them: “the truffle, which some call geraneion* and any other subterranean plant.” And again: “this is the creation and nature of these earth-born plants, like the truffle and the thing that grows near Cyrene which people call misy. This is considered very sweet and has the scent of meat, like the oiton that is produced in Thrace. Something peculiar is said about these. For they say that they are produced when the autumn rains occur with strong thunder, and more when there is more thunder, as this is more their proper cause. They are not perennials, but annuals. They are useful and at their peak in the spring. Nevertheless, some people suppose that they start from seed. In any case, on the shores of Mytilene they say they do not grow before there is a heavy rain that washes the seed down from Tiarai, while this is a region in which many grow. They are produced especially on the shores and wherever the land is sandy, for Tiarai is also like this. They also grow in the Abarnis around Lampsakos and in Alopekonnesos and in Elis.” Lynkeus of Samos says: “the sea sends up sea-anemone, the earth truffles.” And Matron the parodist in The Banquet: “he has sent up oysters, the truffles of Thetis the Nereid.” Diphilos says truffles are difficult to digest, but juicy and relaxing, besides being laxative, and some of them can cause you to choke, in a similar way to mushrooms. Hegesandros of Delphi says that in the Hellespont there are no truffles, no glaukiskos, and no thyme. For this reason Nausikleides said “neither spring nor friend.” Pamphilos in Dialects says that truffle-grass is the herb that grows on top of truffles, by which the truffle is discovered.’

ΥΔΝΑ. γίνεται καὶ ταῦτα αὐτόματα ἀπὸ γῆς μάλιστα περὶ τοὺς ἀμμώδεις τόπους. λέγει δὲ περὶ αὐτῶν Θεόφραστος (1, 6, 9)· ‘τὸ ὕδνον (ὃ καλοῦσί τινες γεράνειον) καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο ὑπόγειον.’ καὶ πάλιν (fr. 167 W)· ‘καὶ ἡ τῶν ἐγγεοτόκων τούτων γένεσις ἅμα καὶ φύσις, οἷον τοῦ τε ὕδνου καὶ τοῦ φυομένου περὶ Κυρήνην ὃ καλοῦσι μίσυ. δοκεῖ δ' ἡδὺ σφόδρα τοῦτ' εἶναι καὶ τὴν ὀσμὴν ἔχειν κρεώδη, καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ Θρᾴκῃ δὲ γενόμενον οἰτόν. περὶ δὲ τούτων ἴδιόν τι λέγεται· φασὶ γάρ, ὅταν ὕδατα μετοπωρινὰ καὶ βρονταὶ γίνωνται σκληραί, τότε γίνεσθαι, καὶ μᾶλλον ὅταν αἱ βρονταί, ὡς ταύτης αἰτιωτέρας οὔσης. οὐ διετίζειν δέ, ἀλλ' ἐπέτειον εἶναι· τὴν δὲ χρείαν καὶ τὴν ἀκμὴν ἔχειν τοῦ ἦρος. οὐ μὴν ἀλλ' ἔνιοί γε 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 δ' ἐστὶ χωρίον ἐν ᾧ πολλὰ γίνεται. 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.’ Λυγκεὺς ὁ Σάμιός φησιν· ‘ἀκαλήφην ἡ θάλασσα ἀνίησιν, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὕδνα.’ καὶ Μάτρων ὁ παρῳδὸς ἐν τῷ Δείπνῳ· ὄστρεά τ' ἤνεικεν, Θέτιδος Νηρηίδος ὕδνα. Δίφιλος δὲ δύσπεπτά φησιν εἶναι τὰ ὕδνα, εὔχυλα δὲ καὶ παραλεαντικά, προσέτι δὲ διαχωρητικά, καὶ ἔνια αὐτῶν ὁμοίως τοῖς μύκαις πνιγώδη εἶναι. Ἡγήσανδρος δ' ὁ Δελφὸς ἐν Ἑλλησπόντῳ φησὶν οὔτε ὕδνον γίνεσθαι οὔτε γλαυκίσκον οὔτε θύμον· διὸ Ναυσικλείδην εἰρηκέναι μήτε ἔαρ μήτε φίλους. ὑδνόφυλλον δέ φησι Πάμφιλος ἐν Γλώσσαις τὴν φυομένην τῶν ὕδνων ὕπερθε πόαν, ἀφ' ἧς τὸ ὕδνον γινώσκεσθαι.

Athenaeus of Naucratis, The Sophists at Dinner, 2.62

*γεράνειον geraneion – perhaps from geras = “old” and neios = “fallow land”?

8. Oribasius (4th century)

“On Truffles. They have no evident quality. That’s why people use them as a base for seasonings, just as they also use the other ones they call bland and watery in taste. They all share in common that their nutriment, when it gets distributed to the body, does not heat; instead, the nutriment is a bit cool, while in thickness it is similar to whatever was eaten, thicker when it comes from truffle, relatively more watery and thinner when it comes from the others.”

Περὶ ὕδνων. Οὐδεμίαν ἔχει σαφῆ ποιότητα· χρῶνται τοιγαροῦν αὐτοῖς πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν ἀρτυμάτων, ὥσπερ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὅσα καλοῦσιν ἄποια καὶ ὑδατώδη κατὰ τὴν γεῦσιν. ἔστι δ' ἁπάντων αὐτῶν κοινὸν ὡς μηδὲ τὴν ἀναδιδομένην τροφὴν εἰς τὸ σῶμα θερμαίνειν, ἀλλ' ὑπόψυχρον μὲν εἶναι, τῷ πάχει δ' ὁποῖον ἄν τι καὶ τὸ ἐδηδεσμένον <ᾖ>, παχύτερον μὲν ἐξ ὕδνου, ὑγρότερον δὲ καὶ λεπτότερον ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνάλογον.

Oribasius, Medical Collections, 2.24.1 (35,5–11 Raeder)

9. Aetius of Amida (6th century)

“Truffles possess a prevalent, quite earthy substance, with some fine material in with it.”

Ὕδνα γεωδεστέραν μὲν οὐσίαν ἐπικρατοῦσαν κέκτηται, βραχέος τινὸς αὐτῇ μιγνυμένου λεπτομεροῦς.

Aetius of Amida, Medical Books, 1.397 (142,6-7 Olivieri)

10. Paul of Aegina (7th century)

“On truffles (hydna) and mushrooms (mycetai). The truffle produces a quality-less humour, but it is rather cool and thick. Mushrooms are cold and produce phlegm and bad humours. From this group, the boleti are less harmful and quality-less when they are properly boiled, while the amanitai are of the second order.* One should stay away from the other mushrooms, since many people have died from them. Even the boleti themselves are often hazardous when eaten if they are not properly boiled.”

Περὶ ὕδνων καὶ μυκήτων. Τὸ ὕδνον ἄποιον μὲν ἔχει τὸν ἀναδιδόμενον ἐξ αὐτοῦ χυμόν, ψυχρότερον δὲ καὶ παχύχυμον. οἱ δὲ μυκῆται ψυχροί τέ εἰσι καὶ φλεγματώδεις καὶ κακόχυμοι· τούτων δὲ αὐτῶν οἱ μὲν βωλῖται ἀβλαβέστεροι καὶ ἄποιοι καλῶς ἑψηθέντες, οἱ δὲ ἀμανῖται δευτέρας εἰσὶ τάξεως. τῶν δὲ ἄλλων μυκήτων ἀπέχεσθαι δεῖ· πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπέθανον. καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ οἱ βωλῖται ἀνεφθότεροι ἐσθιόμενοι κινδύνου παραίτιοι πολλάκις γίνονται.

Paul of Aegina, 1.77 (56,1–8 Heiberg)

Commentary by Adams. On mushroom varieties, see Athenaeus, The Sophists at Dinner, 2.56–57

11. Anonymous (late byzantine source)

“On truffles. They are quality-less and watery in taste. They are similar to amanitai. The nutriment from them produce phlegm and is cold, and if someone eats too many it produces bad humour.”

Περὶ ὕδνων. Ἄποιά εἰσι καὶ ὑδατώδη κατὰ τὴν γεῦσιν. εἰσὶ δὲ παραπλήσια τοῖς ἀμανίταις. φλεγματώδης δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἐξ αὐτῶν τροφὴ καὶ ψυχρά, καὶ εἰ πλεονάσει τις ἐν αὐτοῖς κακόχυμος.

Anonymous, On Food, chapter 74

12. Pseudo-Hippocrates (late byzantine source)

“On vegetables. Truffles and amanitai and the artichoke are productive of bad humours, difficult to digest and productive of black bile.”

Περὶ λαχάνων. […] τὰ ὕδνα καὶ οἱ ἀμανῖται καὶ ἡ κινάρα κακόχυμα καὶ δύσπεπτα καὶ μελαγχολικά.

Pseudo-Hippocrates, On the Differences of Foods to Ptolemy (De alimentorum differentiis ad Ptolemaeum), 491,9–10 Delatte (in Anecdota Atheniensia 1939)