Scythian arrow-salve from palisade spurge
Anointing of arrows. Scythians anoint arrows with the so-called toxicon for the swift killing of those they wound. When I was seeking this, a trustworthy man gave me the drug set out below, which produces the same effect.
It is this: take the palisade-spurge, which rises into stalk-like branches; put it into a newly made earthen vessel and boil it with water until it releases all its fat into the hot water. Then draw up the woods of the plant that were put in, and throw other green ones into the same water. Draw them up again and, throwing in others, boil until the water from their juice becomes honey-like. I do not have confidence whether this has been made safely. Some of the ancients say that the venom of the viper, and of the asp and the salamander as well, is unfailing for this.
Greek
2.5 Χρίσμα βελῶν Χρίουσι Σκύθαι βέλη τὸ καλούμενον «τοξικὸν» πρὸς ταχεῖαν ἀναίρεσιν τῶν τιτρωσκομένων. Ζητοῦντι δέ μοι τοῦτο ἀνήρ τις ἀξιόχρεος δέδωκε τὸ ὑποτεταγμένον φάρμακον, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐνέργειαν ἀποτελοῦν· ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο· τιθύμαλλον τὴν χαρακίτην ἥτις ἄνεισιν εἰς κλάδους καυλώδεις, ταύτην λαβών, βάλε εἰς ἄγγος νεουργὲς ὀστράκινον καὶ καῦσον μετ' ὕδατος μέχρις οὗ πᾶσαν ἑαυτῆς τὴν πιμελὴν τῷ θερμῷ ἐναφήσει ὕδατι· εἶτα τὰ ἐμβληθέντα τῆς βοτάνης ξύλα ἀναγαγών, ἕτερα χλωρὰ ἔμβαλε τῷ αὐτῷ ὕδατι· πάλιν ἀνάγαγε καί, βαλὼν ἄλλα, καῦσον μέχρις οὗ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐκ τοῦ τούτων ὀποῦ γένηται μελιτῶδες. Ἐγὼ δὲ εἰ πεποίηται ἀσφαλῶς οὐ θαρρῶ. Φασὶ δέ τινες τῶν ἀρχαίων ὅτι καὶ τοῦ ἔχεως ἰὸς καὶ ἀσπίδος σαλαμάνδρας τε εἰς τοῦτο ἀπαράβατος.
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.