Wine that puts drinkers to sleep for three days
How through wine one might work upon those who have drunk, so they sleep for three days. Enviable is the man who is not without such a drug: for if he will have the means to prepare wine from this, those who have used this drink sleep, so that those who have drunk are even caught by the enemy sleeping up to three days. They will rise if someone should anoint their nostrils with vinegar.
The preparation of this is as follows. Two parts of Theban opium, as in a dose: pound these smooth with one part of henbane juice, and pound the dirt from the right ear of a donkey, and throw it into the wine.
Greek
2.1 Πῶς δι' οἴνου κατεργάσαιτ' ἄν τις τοὺς πεπωκότας πρὸς τὸ τρεῖς ἡμέρας κοιμᾶσθαι Ζηλωτὸς ὁ τοιούτου μὴ λειπόμενος φαρμάκου· εἰ γὰρ εὐπορήσει οἶνον ἐκ τούτου σκευάζειν, κοιμῶνται μὲν οἱ τούτῳ χρησάμενοι τῷ ποτῷ, ὡς καὶ καταληφθῆναι τοὺς πεπωκότας ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων κοιμωμένους μέχρι τριῶν ἡμερῶν· ἀναστήσονται δὲ εἰ ὄξος χρίσοιτό τις αὐτῶν τοὺς μυκτῆρας. Ἡ δὲ τούτου σκευασία ἐστὶν αὕτη· ὀπίου Θηβαϊκοῦ ὡς ἐν θέματι μέρη βʹ· ταῦτα λειώσας μετὰ χυλοῦ ὑοσκυάμου μέρους ἑνὸς ῥύπον τε τὸν ἐξ ὠτὸς ὄνου τοῦ δεξιοῦ λειώσας, ἔμβαλε τῷ οἴνῳ.
About this text
Julius Africanus, Cesti (Embroidered Girdles): a miscellany of history, science, and craft, in the surviving fragments — books 7, 2, and 3 in full, with parts of books 4, 8, 9, and 13, and the colophon of Cestus 18. The older English translates his letters only. The book-2 table of contents and a book-7 appendix are not in this volume.
New English from locked PG 10 / Khazarzar Greek of the Cesti fragmenta through 9.5. Earlier lemma-led scaffold English was discarded. Book-2 pinax and book-7 appendix held. This lock is exhausted.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 10 Cesti fragmenta (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.