The dryinas under oaks: flayed feet, ash-leaf juice
About a dryinas. The dryinas snake, making its life in the roots of the oaks and rolling toward other trees, is so wicked toward destroying badly that if someone should step on it the feet are flayed and swellings come to be through the whole of the legs. And still more wonderful: if someone also wishes to treat them, this one's hands too are flayed. The juice of the leaves of an ash, then, before all food and drink, is very useful being given as a drench.
Greek
3.31 Περὶ δρυΐνου Ὁ δὲ δρυΐνης ὄφις ἐν ταῖς τῶν δρυῶν ῥίζαις τὸν βίον ποιούμενος καὶ πρὸς ἄλλοις δένδροις καλινδούμενος οὕτω καὶ πονηρός ἐστιν πρὸς τὸ διαφθεῖραι κακῶς, ὡς, εἴ τις αὐτῷ ἐπιβαίη, τοὺς πόδας ἀποδέρεσθαι καὶ οἰδήματα καθ' ὅλων τῶν σκελῶν γίνεσθαι. Καὶ ἔτι θαυμασιώτερον· εἰ καὶ θεραπεύειν τις αὐτοὺς ἐθέλει, καὶ τούτου τὰς χεῖρας ἀποδέρεσθαι. Μελίας οὖν τῶν φύλλων ὁ χυλὸς πρὸ παντὸς βρωτοῦ καὶ ποτοῦ χρήσιμος πάνυ ἐγχυματιζόμενος.
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.