12. ARTHRITIS is a general pain of all the joints; that of the feet we call Podagra; that of the hip-joint, Schiatica; that of the hand, Chiragra. The pain then is either sudden, arising from some temporary cause; or the disease lies concealed for a long time, when the pain and the disease are kindled up by any slight cause. It is, in short, an affection of all the nerves, if the ailment being increased extend to all; the first affected are the nerves which are the ligaments of the joints, and such as have their origin and insertion in the bones. There is a great wonder in regard to them; there is not the slightest pain in them, although you should cut or squeeze them; but if pained of themselves, no other pain is stronger than this, not iron screws, nor cords, not the wound of a sword, nor burning fire, for these are often had recourse to as cures for still greater pains; and if one cut them when they are pained, the smaller pain of the incision is obscured by the greater; and, if it prevail, they experience pleasure in forgetting their former sufferings. The teeth and bones are affected thus. The true reason of this none but the gods indeed can truly understand, but men may know the probable cause. In a word, it is such as this; any part which is very compact is insensible to the touch or to a wound, and hence it is not painful to the touch or to a wound. For pain consists in an exasperated sense, but what is compact cannot be exasperated, and hence is not susceptible of pain. But a spongy part is very sensible, and is exasperated by an injury. But since dense parts also live by their innate heat, and possess sensibility by this heat, if then the exciting cause be material, such as either a sword, or a stone, the material part of the patient is not pained, for it is dense by nature. But if an intemperament of the innate heat seize it, there arises a change of the sense; the heat therefore is pained by itself, being roused within by the impression on the sense. The pains then are from nature’s being increased, or a redundance thereof. Arthritis fixes itself sometimes in one joint and sometimes in another; sometimes in the hip-joints; and for the most part in these cases the patient remains lame in it; and the other joints it affects little, and sometimes does not go to the small joints, as the feet and hands. If it seizes the greater members which are able to contain the disease, it does not go beyond these organs; but if it begin from a small one, the attack is mild and unexpected. The commencement of ischiatic disease is from the thigh behind, the ham, or the leg. Sometimes the pain appears in the cotyloid cavity, and again extends to the nates or loins, and has the appearance of anything rather than an affection of the hip-joint. But the joints begin to be affected in this way: pain seizes the great toe; then the forepart of the heel on which we lean; next it comes into the hollow of the foot, but the ankle swells last; and they blame a wrong cause; some, the friction of a new shoe; others, a long walk; another again, a stroke or being trod upon; but no one will of his own accord tell the true one; and the true one appears incredible to the patients when they hear of it. On this account the disease gets to an incurable state, because at the commencement, when it is feeble, the physician is not at hand to contend with it; but if it has acquired strength from time, all treatment is useless. In some, then, it remains in the joints of the feet until death, but in others it spreads over the compass of the whole body. For the most part, it passes from the feet to the hands. For to the disease there is no great interval between the hands and the feet, both being of a similar nature, slender, devoid of flesh, and very near the external cold, but very far from the internal heat; next the elbow and the knee, and after these the hip-joint; which is the transition to the muscles of the back and chest. It is incredible how far the mischief spreads. The vertebræ of the spine and neck are affected with the pain, and it extends to the extremity of the os sacrum: there is a general pain of all the parts of the groin, and a pain peculiar to each part thereof. But likewise the tendons and muscles are intensely pained; the muscles of the jaws and temples; the kidneys, and the bladder next in succession. And, what a wonder! at last the nose, the ears, and the lips, suffer; for every where there are nerves and muscles. A certain person had pains in the sutures of the head, and not knowing why he was pained there, he pointed out the shapes of the sutures—the oblique, the straight, the transverse—both behind and before, and stated that the pain was narrow and fixed in the bones; for the disease spreads over every commissure of the bones, in the same manner as in the joints of a foot or of a hand. Callosities also form in the joints; at first they resemble abscesses, but afterwards they get more condensed, and the humour being condensed is difficult to dissolve; at last they are converted into hard, white tophi, and over the whole there are small tumours, like vari and larger; but the humour is thick, white, and like hailstones. For it is a cold disease of the whole (body), like hail; and there appears to be a difference in regard to heat and cold; for in certain cases there is delight in things otherwise disagreeable. But, I fancy, that the cause is a refrigeration of the innate heat, and that the disease is single; but if it speedily give way, and the heat re-appears, there is need of refrigeration and it delights in such things; this is called the hot species. But if the pain remain internally in the nerves, and the part not becoming heated subside, nor get swollen, I would call this variety cold, for which there is need of hot medicines to restore the heat, of which those very acrid are most necessary. For heat excites the collapsed parts to swelling, and calls forth the internal heat, when there is need of refrigerants. In proof of this, the same things are not always expedient in the same cases, for what is beneficial at one time proves prejudicial in another; in a word, heat is required in the beginning, and cold at the conclusion. Wherefore Gout does not often become unremitting; but sometimes it intermits a long time, for it is slight; hence a person subject to Gout has won the race in the Olympiac games during the interval of the disease. Men then are more readily affected, but more slightly the women; women more rarely than men, but more severely. For what is not usual nor cognate, if from necessity it gets the better engenders a more violent ailment. The most common age is after thirty-five; but sooner or slower according to the temperament and regimen of every one. The pains then are dreadful, and the concomitants worse than the pains; fainting even upon touch, inability of motion, loss of appetite, thirst, restlessness. But, if they recover partly, as if escaped from death, they live dissolutely, are incontinent, open-handed, cheerful, munificent, and luxurious in diet; but partly, as if they would (not?) again escape from death, they enjoy the present life abundantly. In many cases the gout has passed into dropsy, and sometimes into asthma; and from this succession there is no escape.
12. ξυνὸς μὲν ἁπάντων τῶν ἄρθρων πόνος ἡ ἀρθρῖτις· ἀλλὰ ποδῶν μὲν ποδάγρην καλέομεν, ἰσχιάδα δὲ ἰσχίων, χειράγρην δὲ χειρῶν· ἤν γε μὲν σχέδιος ᾖ ἐπί τινι τῶν προσκαίρων αἰτίων ὁ πόνος, ἢ κρύβδην δὲ μελετήσῃ πολλὸν χρόνον ἡ νοῦσος, εὖτε ἐπὶ προφάσι σμικρῇ ὁ πόνος καὶ ἡ νοῦσος ἐξήφθη· ἔστι δὲ ἁπάντων ξυλλήβδην τῶν νεύρων ἡ πάθη, ἢν αὐξηθὲν τὸ κακὸν ἅπασι ἐπιφοιτῇ· ἀρχὴ δὲ νεῦρα τὰ δεσμὰ τῶν ἄρθρων, καὶ ὁκόσα ἐξ ὀστέων πέφυκεκαὶ ἐν ὀστέοισι ἐμφύνει. θώϋμα δὲ τουτέων μέγα. οὐ πονέει μὲν γὰρ θρὶξ, οὐδʼ ἂν τέμνῃ τις ἢ θλίβῃ· ἢν δὲ ἐξ ἑωυτέων πονῇ, οὐδὲ ἕτερον ἀλγέει τοῦδε δυνατώτερον, οὐ σιδηρὰ σφίγγοντα, οὐ δεσμὰ, οὐ τιτρῶσκον ξίφος, οὐ καῖον πῦρ. καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα ἐπαναιροῦνται ὡς μεζόνων πόνων ἄκεα· καὶ ἢν τάμῃ τις αὐτὰ πονεῦντα, ἀμαυροῦται ὁ τῆς τομῆς πόνος σμικρὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ μέζονος· ἢν δὲ ὅδε κρατέῃ, ἡδονὴ σφέας λάζυται ἐπιλήθουσα τῶν πάρος· πάσχουσι δὲ τοῦτο ὀδόντες καὶ ὀστέα. αἰτίην δὲ ἀτρεκέα μὲν ἴσασι μοῦνοι θεοὶ, ἐοικυῖαν δὲ καὶ ἄνθρωποι· ἔστι δὲ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν τοιόνδε. τὸ μὲν κάρτα πυκνὸν ἀναίσθη τον ψαύσιος καὶ τρώσιος, τῇδε καὶ ἄπονον ψαύσι καὶ τρώσι. ἄλγος γὰρ τρηχείᾳ ἐν αἰσθήσι, τὸ δὲ πυκινὸν ἀτρήχυν τον· διὰ τόδε καὶ ἄπονον· τὸ δὲ ἀραιὸν, εὐαισθη τὸν, καὶ τρηχύνεται τρώματι. ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ πυκνὰ ζῇ ἐμφύτῳ θέρμῃ, καὶ αἴσθεται τῇδε τῇ θέρμῃ· εἰ μὲν οὐσιώδης ἡ δρῶσα αἰτίη ἔοι, οἷον ἠ μάχαιρα ἢ λίθος, τὸ οὐσιῶδες τοῦ πάσχοντος οὐκ ἀλγέει· πυκνὸν γὰρ τὴν φυήν. ἢν δὲ τῆς ἐμφύτου θέρμης δυσκρασίη λάβηται, αἰσθήσιος γίγνεται τροπή. τοῦτο ὦν ἐξ ἑωυτέης πονέει ἡ θέρμη, ἐκ τῆς κατʼ αἴσθησιν ἔσωθεν ἐγείρεται ὤσιος. φύσιος δὲ τῆς ἐς μέζω, ἢ περιουσίης, τὰ ἄλγεα. Ἐγχρίμπτεται δὲ ἡ ἀρθρῖτις ἄλλοτε ἐς ἄλλα ἄρθρα, τοῖς μὲν ἐς ἰσχία, καὶ τὰ πολλὰ τῇδε ἐπιμίμνει γυιὸς, ἅσσα τε μέλεά κοτε μικρὸν, εὖτε οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τὰ σμικρὰ φοιτῇ, πόδας τε καὶ χεῖρας. ἢν γὰρ μειζόνων λάβηται μελέων χωρῆσαι τὴν νοῦσον δυναμένων, οὐχ ὑπερβαίνει τὰ ὄργανα· ἢν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ σμικροῦ ἄρξηται, ἔστι εὐήθης καὶ ἀδόκητος ἡ εἰσβολή. ἰσχιάδος μὲν ἀπὸ μηροῦκατόπιν, ἢ ἰγνύος, ἢ κνήμης, ἡ ἀρχή. ἄλλοτε δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ κοτύλῃ τὸ ἄλγημα φαίνεται, αὖθις ἐς γλουτὸν ἢ ὀσφὺν ὀκέλλει, καὶ πάντα μᾶλλόν ἐστιν ἢ δόκησις ἰσχίου. ἀτὰρ καὶ τὰ ἄρθρα ὧδέ πως ἄρχεται· τοῦ ποδὸς τὸν μέγαν δάκτυλον ὰλγέει, αὖθις τὴν ἐπιπρόσω πτέρνην, ᾗ ποτε στηριζόμεθα· ἔπειτα ἐς τὸ κοῖλον ἧκε· τὸ δὲ σφυρὸν ἐξῴδησε ὕστατον. πρόφασιν δὲ αἰτιῶνται ἀναίτιον, οἱ μὲν κρηπῖδος καινῆς τρίβον, οἱ δὲ μακρὴν περίοδον· ἄλλος δὲ πληγὴν ἢ πάτημα· οὐδεὶς δὲ φράσει τὴν οἴκοθεν οὖσαν, ἀτὰρ καὶ ἀκούσασι τοῖσι πάσχουσι τὸ ἀτρεκὲς ἔδοξε ἄπιστον· διὰ τόδε ἐς ἀνήκεστον ἐτράπη, ὅτιπερ τῇσι ἀρχῇσι ὁκότε ἀσθενεστάτη ἐστὶ ἡ νοῦσος, ὁ ἰητρὸς οὐκ ἐνίσταται· ἢν δὲ χρόνῳ κρατυνθῇ, ἀνόνητος ἡ μελέτη. τισὶ μὲν οὖν ἐς ποδῶν ἄρθρα μίμνει μέσφι θανάτου, τισὶ δὲ νέμεται ἐς τὴν τοῦ παντὸς σκήνεος περίοδον· τὰ πολλὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ποδῶν ἐς χεῖρας ἤϊξε. οὐ γὰρ μεγάλα τὰ ὅρια τῇ νούσῳ χειρῶν τε καὶ ποδῶν, ὅτι ἄμφω ὁμοφυέα, ἰσχνὰ καὶ ἄσαρκα καὶ ἐγγυτάτω τοῦ ἔξω ψύχεος· ἀπωτάτω δὲ τοῦ ἔσω θάλπεος. αὖθις ἀγκὼν καὶ γόνυ· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖσι κοτύλαι, περίστροφος ἥδε μετάβασις ἐς νώτου μύας καὶ θώρηκος. ἄπιστον εἰς ὅσον ἕρπει τὸ κακόν. σπόνδυλοι ἀλγέουσι Ῥάχεός τε καὶ αὐχένος, καὶ ἐς ἄκρον ἐρείδει τοῦ ἱεροῦ ὀστέου· καὶ ξυμπάντων τοῦ βουβῶνος καὶ ἰδίῃ ἡ ἑκάστου ὀδύνη. ἀτὰρ οἱ δὲ τένοντες ἠδὲ μύες ξὺν ἐντάσι ἀλγέουσι. γνάθων καὶ κροτάφων μύες· νεφρῶν καὶ κύστιος ἡ διαδοχή. ὢ τοῦ θώματος, ἐπὶ πᾶσι πάσχει Ῥῖνας, καὶ ὦτα, καὶ χείλεα, πάντη γὰρ νεῦρα καὶ μύες· τῆς κεφαλῆς ἤλγεέ τις Ῥαφὰς, οὐκ εἰδὼς μὲν ὅ τι πονέει, ἐδείκνυε τῶν Ῥαφῶν τὰ εἴδεα, λοξὴν, εὐθείην, ἐπικάρσιον, ὀπίσω τε καὶ πρόσω· ἰσχνὴν δὲ τὴν ὀδύνην καὶ τοῖσι ὀστέοισι ἐμπεπαρμένην. πᾶσαν γὰρ ὀστέων ξυμβολὴν νέμεται ἡ νοῦσος, ὅκως ποδὸς ἢ χειρὸς ἄρθρον. γίγνονται δὲ τῶν ἄρθρων καὶ ἐπιπωρώσιες· τὰ πρῶτα μὲν ὁκοῖον ἀποστάσιες ἴσχουσι· ἐπὶ δὲ μᾶλλον πυκνοῦνται, καὶ πηγνυμένου τοῦ ὑγροῦ ἀπηνέες αἱ ἀφέσιες· τέλος δὲ πῶροι στερροὶ, λευκοὶ ξυνίστανται· ἐς δὲ πᾶν ὄγκοι σμικροὶ ὁκοῖον ἴονθοι καὶ μέζονες· ὑγρὸν δὲ παχὺ, λευκὸν, χαλαζῶδες. καὶ γὰρ τοῦ παντὸς ἡ νοῦσος ψυχρὴ ὅκως χάλαζα· δοκέει δὲ θέρμης ἢ ψύξιος ἴσχειν διαφορήν. καὶ γάρ τισι τῶν αὖ βδελυκτῶν ἡδονή· ἐμοὶ δὲ ἁνδάνει μίην μὲν αἰτίην τὴν ἔμφυτον ψύξιν ἔμμεναι, μίην δὲ καὶ πάθην· ἀλλʼ ἢν μὲν εὐθέως ἐπιδώῃ καὶ θέρμη φανῇ, ἐμψύξιος χρέος καὶ τοῖσι τέρπεται. ὀνομάζουσι δὲ θέρμην τήνδε· ἢν δὲ ὁ πόνος ἐν τοῖσι νεύροισι εἴσω μίμνῃ, ξυμπεπτώκῃ δὲ τὸ ἄρθρον ἄθερμον, μηδὲ ἐποιδέῃ, ψυχρὴν τήνδε φαίην ἔμμεναι, ἐφʼ ἧς θερμῶν φαρμάκων ἐς ἀνάκλησιν θέρμης χρέος. χρὴ δὲ τάδε πολλὰ τῶν κάρτα δριμέων, θερμασίη γὰρ τά τε ξυμπεπτωκότα μέρεα εἰς ὄγκον ἤγειρε, καὶ τὴν ἔσω θέρμην ἐς ἀνάκλησιν ἤγαγε· εὖτε τῶν ψυχρῶν χρέος. πίστις· τοῖσι γὰρ αὐτέοισι οὐ τὰ αὐτὰ ξυμφέρει· καὶ γὰρ ὅ κοτε ξυνήνεγκε, τοῦτʼ ἔβλαψεν ἄλλοτε· ὡς δὲ ἔπος εἰπεῖν, θέρμης ἐπὶ τῇ ἀρχῇ, ψύξιος δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ τέλει χρέος. ξυνεχὴς μὲν οὖν ποδάγρη οὐ Ῥηϊδίως γίγνεται, διαλείπει δὲ ἔσθʼ ὅπη χρόνον μακρόν, λεπτὴ γάρ· καὶ Ὀλυμπίασι ἐνίκησε ποδαγρὸς ἐπʼ ἀνέσι δρόμον. ἀλλʼ ἄνδρες μὲν παθεῖν Ῥηΐτεροι, γυναικῶν δὲ ἐλαφρότερον· γυναῖκες δὲ ἀραιότερον μὲν ἀνδρῶν, χαλεπώτερον δέ. τὸ γὰρ μὴ ἐν ἔθεϊ μηδὲ οἰκεῖον, ἢν ὑπὸ ἀνάγκης κρέσσον γένηται, βιαστὴν μέζονα τίκτει τὴν ξυμφορήν· ἡλικίη τὰ πολλὰ μὲν ἀπὸ ἐτέων πέντε καὶ τριήκοντα. θᾶσσον δὲ καὶ βράδιον ἐκ τῆς ἑκάστου φύσιος καὶ διαίτης. δεινοὶ μὲν οὖν οἱ πόνοι, καὶ τὰ παρεόντα πόνων μέζονα· λειποθυμίη ἐπὶ τῇσι ψαύσεσι, ἀκινησίη, ἀποσιτίη, δίψος, ἀγρυπνίη· ἢν δὲ ἐπανέλθωσι, τοῦτο μὲν, ὅκως ἐκ θανάτου πεφευγότες, ἄνετοι τὸν βίον, ἀκρατέες, ἁπλοῖ, εὔθυμοι, δωροδόκοι, καὶ ἐς τὴν δίαιταν ἁβροί· τοῦτο δὲ ὡς ἐκ θανάτου αὖθις ἐσόμενοι ἄδην χρέονται τῇ παρούσῃ ζωῇ. ἀπέσκηψε πολλοῖσι ἐς ὕδρωπα ἡ ποδάγρη, ἄλλοτε δὲ ἐς ἆσθμα· καὶ τῶνδε ἄφυκτος ἡ διαδοχή.
13. THERE are many things in common as to form, colour, size, and mode of life between the affection Elephas and the wild beast the elephant; but neither does the affection resemble any other affection, nor the animal any other animal. The wild beast, the elephant, indeed, is very different from all others; in the first place then, he is the greatest and the thickest of animals; in size, he is as great as if you were to put one animal on another, like a tower; in bulk, he is as large as if you should place several other very large animals side by side. But neither in shape is he much like unto any other. Then, as to colour, they are all intensely black, and that over their whole body. One horse, indeed, is very white, like “the Thracian steeds of Rhesus”; others white-footed, like “the white-footed horse of Menelaus”; and bay, like “one hundred and fifty”; others are tawny, as “assuming the shape of a horse having a tawny mane, he lay down with her.” And so it is with oxen, and dogs, and all other reptiles and animals which live on the earth. But elephants are only of a lurid colour, “like to night and death.” With regard to shape, they have a very black head, and unseemly face of no marked form, upon a small neck, so that the head appears to rest upon the shoulders, and even then it is not very conspicuous. For the ears are large, broad, resembling wings, extending to the collar-bone and breast-bone, so as to conceal the neck with the ears, like ships with their sails. The elephant has wonderfully white horns on a very dark body—others call them teeth—these alone are most white, such as is nothing else of even any other white animal; and these are not above the forehead and temples, as is the nature of other horned animals, but in the mouth and upper jaw, not indeed quite straight forwards but a little bent upwards, so that it might swallow in a straight direction, and lift a load in its flat teeth. Moreover the horns are large, the medium length being as much as a fathom, and some much larger; that is to say, as long as two fathoms. And the upper jaw from its lip has a long, ex-osseous, crooked, and serpent-like protuberance; and there are two perforations at the extremity of this protuberance; and these by nature are perforated all the way to the lungs, so as to form a double tube, so that the animal uses this pipe as a nostril for respiration, and likewise as a hand; for it could take a cup if it please with this protuberance, and can grasp it round and hold it firmly, and none could it take by force from the animal, except another stronger elephant. And with this also it seeks herbage for food; for neither does it live by eating flesh with its mouth and small teeth. For, its feet being long, raise the animal considerably above the ground; but its neck also, as I have said, is small, and therefore it cannot browse on the earth with its mouth; and moreover the excrescence of the horns in front of the mouth prevents the mouth from touching the herbage. Wherefore it raises a great load with its protuberance; then as if with a binder having bound the same with it, he can convey it to his mouth; whence the ancients properly call it proboscis, for it collects food in front of the animal. But neither is it able to drink from a lake or river with its mouth, for the same reason. But, if it is thirsty, it introduces into the water the extreme nostril of the proboscis, and then, as if inhaling, it draws in much water, instead of air; and when it has filled its nose, as it were a cup, it pours the same as a stream of water into its mouth, and then it draws anew and discharges again, until it fills its belly, as it were a vessel of burden. It has a rough and very thick skin, containing fissures with prominent edges, long channels, and other hollow clefts, some transverse, others oblique, very deep, like in all respects to a furrowed field. Other animals have naturally hairs for a mane, but in the elephant this is merely down. There are also innumerable other differences between it and other animals; for, like man, it bends its leg backward at the knee; and like woman, it has its dugs at the arm-pits. But there is no necessity for me now to write concerning the animal, except in so far as there is any discrepancy between the animal and the disease, and in so far as the symptoms of the patient resemble the nature of the animal. The disease is also called Leo, on account of the resemblance of the eyebrows, as I shall afterwards explain; and Satyriasis, from the redness of the cheeks, and the irresistible and shameless impulse ad coitum. Moreover it is also called the Heracleian affection, insomuch as there is none greater and stronger than it.
13. ἐλέφαντι τῷ πάθεϊ καὶ τῷ θηρίῳ τῷ ἐλέφαντι ξυνὰ μυρία καὶ ἰδέῃ καὶ χροιῇ καὶ μεγέθεϊ καὶ βιοτῇ· ἀτὰρ οὐδὲ ἄλλῳ τῳ ἴκελα, οὔτε τὸ πάθος πάθεϊ, οὔτε τὸ ζῷον ζῴῳ· ἐλέφας μέν γε τὸ θηρίον καὶ κάρτα διαφέρον· πρώτιστα μέν γε μέγιστον καὶ πάχιστον· μεγέθεϊ μὲν ὁκόσον ἂν ζῷον ἐπʼ ἄλλῳ ζῴῳ πυργηδὸν ἀναθείης μέγα· πάχιστον δὲ ἐς πλεῦνα ζῷα πάχιστα, εἰ παράλληλα ξυνθείης. ἀτὰρ οὐδὲ ἰδέην κάρτα τῳ ἴκελον· χροιὴν μὲν μέλανες κατακορ έως ἅπαντες καὶ διʼ ὅλου τοῦ σκήνεος. ἵππος μέν γε ἄλλος μὲν λευκότατος, ὅκως οἱ Θρήϊκες Ῥήσου· ἄλλοι δὲ πόδαργοι, ὅκως Μενέλεω πόδαργος. οἱ δὲ ξανθοὶ, ὅκως ἑκατὸν καὶ πεντήκον τα· ἄλλοι δὲ κυάνεοι· ἵππῳ εἰσάμενος παρελέξα το κυανοχαίτῃ. ὧδε καὶ βόες, ὧδε καὶ κύνες, ἠδὲ ὁκόσα ἀνὰ τὴν γῆν ἑρπετὰ καὶ ζῷα φέρβεται. ἐλέφαντες δὲ μοῦνοι, ζοφοειδέες τὴν χροιήν· νυκτὶ δὲ καὶ θανάτῳ ἴκελοι· ἰδέην δὲ, κάρηνα μὲν μελάντα τα κατέχων καὶ πρόσωπα ἄσημα, ἀΐδηλα τὴν μορφὴν, ἐπʼ αὐχένι σμικρῷ, ὡς δοκέειν τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπὶ τοῖσι ὤμοισι ἱζάνειν· καὶ ὧδε οὐκ ἔκδηλον. ὦτα γὰρ μεγάλα, πλατέα, πτερυγώδεα, μέσφι κληΐδων τε καὶ στέρνου, ὥστε κρύψαι τὸν αὐχένα τοῖσι ὠσὶ, ὅκως νῆες λαίφεσι. κέρατα δὲ θώϋμα διάλευκα ὁ ἐλέφας ἐπὶ μελαντάτῳ· μετεξέτεροι τάδε ὀδόντας κικλήσκουσι· τάδε μοῦνα λευκότα τα, ὅκως οὐδενὸς ἄλλου τε οὐδὲν οὐδὲ λευκοῦ ζῴου· καὶ τάδε οὐχ ὑπὲρ μέτωπα καὶ κροτάφους, ὅκως τοῖσι κερασφόροισι ἡ φυή· ἀλλὰ κατὰ στόμα καὶ τὴν ἄνω γνάθον, ὄρθια μὲν ἐς τὸ πρόσθεν οὐ κάρτα· ἀλλὰ ἄνω σμικρόν τι καμπύλα· ὅκως δατύσσεσθαι ἐκ τοῦ ὀρθίου ἐνείη, καὶ ἄρασθαι ἄχθος ἐν τοῖσι ὀδοῦσι σιμοῖς. μεγάλα δὲ τὰ κέρατα, μῇκος μὲν ὁκόσον ὀργυιὴν οἱ μέσοι. ἄλλοι δὲ πολλόν τι τουτέων μέζους μέσφιδιπλῶν· προβολὴν δʼ ἴσχει ἡ ἄνω γνάθος ἀπὸ τοῦ χείλεος μακρὴν, ἀνόστεον, σκολιὴν, ἑρπετώδεα. δοιαὶ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον τῆς προβολῆς ἔασι ἐκτρήσιες· καὶ τάσδε διαμπερὲς μέσφι τοῦ πνεύμονος ἐτέτρηνεν ἡ φύσις, ὅκως αὐλὸν διφυέα· χρέεται δὲ τὸ ζῷον ἐς ἀναπνοὴν, ὅκως Ῥινὶ τῇδε τῇ σύριγγι· ἀτὰρ καὶ χερσὶ τῇδε· καὶ κωθωνίην τε γὰρ λάζοιτο, ὁκότε θέλει, τῇ προβολῇ· ἀμφιλαμβάνει τε καὶ ἴσχει κραταιῶς, καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις ἀφέλοιτο αὐτέου βίῃ, ἢν μὴ κρέσσων ἄλλος ἐλέφας· ἀτὰρ καὶ ποίην ἐς νομὴν τῇδε μαστεύει, οὐδὲ τῷ στόματι καὶ τοῖσι σμικροῖσι ὀδοῦσι ἔσθων σάρκας ζῇ· πόδες γὰρ εὐμήκεες ὕπερθεν τῆς γῆς πολλὸν τὸ ζῷον ἀνέχοντες· ἀτὰρ καὶ σμικρὸς αὐχὴν ὅκως ἔλεξα. οὔκουν δύναται τῷ στόματι εἰς τὴν γῆν νέμεσθαι. ποτὶ καὶ ἡ τῶν κεράτων πρὸ τοῦ στόματος ἔκφυσις εἴργει τῆς ποίης ἅπτεσθαι τὸ στόμα. τοιγαρο ῦν ἀνιμᾶται τῇ προβολῇ φόρτον μέγαν· ἔπειτα, ὅκως ἀμαλλοδετῆρι, τῇδε ξυνδήσας ἐντίθησι πολλὸν τῇ κοιλίῃ· εὖτε οἱ πρῶτοι προβοσκίδα τήνδε καλέουσι. ἐπίπροσθεν γὰρ τοῦ ζῴου τῇδε βόσκεται. ἀτὰρ οὐδὲ πιεῖν ἀπὸ λίμνης ἢ ποταμοῦ τῷ στόματι θέμις· ἡ ὠυτὴ γὰρ αἰτίη. ἀλλὰ ἢν διψῇ, ἐντίθεται μὲν τῷ ὕδατι τῆς προβοσκίδος ἄκρην τὴν Ῥῖνα· ἔπειτα ὅκως ἀναπνέων, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἠέρος, τοῦ ὕδατος ἕλκει πολλόν· ἐπὴν δὲ πλήσῃ, ὅκως κώθωνα, τὴν Ῥῖνα, τῷ στόματι ποταμηδὸν ἐγχέει· εἶτα αὖθις ἕλκει καὶ αὖθις ἐγχέει, ἔς τʼ ἂν πλήσῃ ὅκως φορτίδος νηὸς τὴν γαστέρα. ῥινὸν τρηχὺν καὶ πάχιστον, ὀχθώδεας Ῥωγμοὺς ἴσχοντα, αὐλῶνας ἐπιμήκεας, ἑτέρας ἐντομὰς κοίλας, ἐπικαρσίους, ἄλλας δὲ λοξὰς, βαθείας κάρτα, ἴκελον τὸ ξύμπαν τριπόλῳ νειῷ. τρίχες δὲ ἄλλοισι μὲν ζῴοισι φύσι ἠδὲ καὶ χαῖται· ἐλέφαντι δὲ τόδε ἐστὶ ὁ χνοῦς· μυρίαι δὲ καὶ ἄλλαι παραλλαγαὶ πρὸς τὰ ἀλλὰ ζῷα· καὶ γὰρ ὀπίσω κοτὲ κατὰ γόνυ κάμπτει, ὅκως ἄνθρωπος, καὶ μαζὸν πρὸς τῇσι μασχάλῃσι ἴσχει ὅκως γυναῖκες· ἀλλʼ οὔτι μοι χρέος τανῦν ἀμφὶ τοῦ ζῴου γράφειν, πλὴν ὁκόσον ἔξαλλόν τι καὶ ἡ νοῦσος ὁ ἐλέφας καὶ ὁκόσα ἴκελα ἡ ἰδέη τοῦ νοσοῦντος ἴσχει τῇ τοῦ ζῴου φυῇ· ἐκίκλησκον δὲ καὶ λέοντα τὸ πάθος, τοῦ ἐπισκυνίου τῆς ὁμοιότητος εἵνεκεν, ἣν ὕστερον φράσω· ἠδὲ σατυρίησιν τῶν τε μήλων τοῦ ἐρυθήματος καὶ τῆς ἐς συνουσίην ὁρμῆς ἀσχέτουτε καὶ ἀναισχύντου. ἀτὰρ καὶ ἡράκλειον ὅτι τοῦδε μέζον οὐδὲν οὐδὲ ἀλκιμώτερον.
Wherefore the affection is mighty in power, for it is the most powerful of all in taking life; and also it is filthy and dreadful to behold, in all respects like the wild animal, the elephant. And from the disease there is no escape, for it originates in a deadly cause; it is a refrigeration of the innate heat, or rather a congelation like a great winter, when the water is converted into snow, or hail, or ice, or frost. This is the common cause of death, and of the affection.
μέγα μὲν οὖν τὸ πάθος ἐς δύναμιν· κτεῖναι γὰρ πάντων μᾶλλον δυνατώτατον· ἀτὰρ καὶ ἰδέσθαι αἰσχρὸν καὶ δειματῶδες τὰ πάντα ὡς ἐλέφας τὸ θηρίον· ἀλλʼ ἄφυκτος ἡ νοῦσος· τίκτεται γὰρ θανάτου ἐπʼ αἰτίῃ. ψύξις ἐστὶ τοῦ ἐμφύτου θερμοῦ οὐ μικρά γε, ἢ καὶ πάγος, ὡς ἕν τι μέγα χεῖμα, εὖτε τὸ ὕδωρ τρέπεται ἐς χιόνα, ἢ καὶ χάλαζαν, ἢ κρύσταλλον, ἢ πάγον.
But the commencement of the disease gives no great indication of it; neither does it appear as if any unusual ailment had come upon the man; nor does it display itself upon the surface of the body, so that it might be immediately seen, and remedies applied at the commencement; but lurking among the bowels, like a concealed fire it smolders there, and having prevailed over the internal parts, it afterwards blazes forth on the surface, for the most part beginning, like a bad signal-fire, on the face, as it were its watch-tower; but in certain cases from the joint of the elbow, the knee, and knuckles of the hands and feet. In this way the patient’s condition is hopeless, because the physician, from inattention and ignorance of the patient’s ailment, does not apply his art to the commencement when the disease is very feeble. For, indeed, they are merely torpid, as if from some light cause, drowsy, inactive, dry in the bowels, and these symptoms are not very unusual even in healthy persons. But upon the increase of the affection, the respiration is fetid from the corruption within of the breath (pneuma). The air, or something external, would seem to be the cause of this. Urine thick, muddy, like that of cattle; the distribution of crude undigested food; and yet of these things there is no perception nor regard; for neither are they aware whether or not they digest, thus digestion or indigestion is all one to them, since, for anything useful and proper to them, digestion is not usual with them. The distribution, however, is easy, the disease, as it were, greedily attracting the food for its own nourishment; for this reason the lower belly is very dry. Tumours prominent, not continuous with one another anywhere, but thick and rough, and the intermediate space cracked, like the skin of the elephant. Veins enlarged, not from abundance of blood, but from thickness of the skin; and for no long time is the situation of them manifest, the whole surface being elevated equally in the swelling. The hairs on the whole body die prematurely, on the hands, the thighs, the legs, and again on the pubes; scanty on the chin, and also the hairs on the head are scarce. And still more frequently premature hoariness, and sudden baldness; in a very short time the pubes and chin naked of hair, or if a few hairs should remain, they are more unseemly than where they are gone. The skin of the head deeply cracked; wrinkles frequent, deep, rough; tumours on the face hard, sharp; sometimes white at the top, but more green at the base. Pulse small, dull, languid, as if moved with difficulty through the mud; veins on the temples elevated, and also those under the tongue; bowels bilious; tongue roughened with vari, resembling hailstones; not unusual for the whole frame to be full of such (and thus also in unsound victims, the flesh is full of these tubercles resembling hail). But if the affection be much raised up from the parts within, and appear upon the extremities, lichens occur on the extremities of the fingers; there is pruritus on the knees, and the patients rub the itchy parts with pleasure. And the lichen sometimes embraces the chin all round; it reddens the cheeks, but is attended with no great swelling; eyes misty, resembling bronze; eye-brows prominent, thick, bald, inclining downwards, tumid from contraction of the intermediate space; colour livid or black; eye-lid, therefore, much retracted to cover the eyes, as in enraged lions; on this account it is named leontium. Wherefore it is not like to the lions and elephants only, but also in the eye-lids “resembles swift night.” Nose, with black protuberances, rugged; prominence of the lips thickened, but lower part livid; nose elongated; teeth not white indeed, but appearing to be so under a dark body; ears red, black, contracted, resembling the elephant, so that they appear to have a greater size than usual; ulcers upon the base of the ears, discharge of ichor, with pruritus; shrivelled all over the body with rough wrinkles; but likewise deep fissures, like black furrows on the skin; and for this reason the disease has got the name of elephas. Cracks on the feet and heels, as far as the middle of the toes; but if the ailment still further increase, the tumours become ulcerated, so that on the cheeks, chin, fingers, and knees, there are fetid and incurable ulcers, some of which are springing up on one part, while others are subsiding on another. Sometimes, too, certain of the members of the patient will die, so as to drop off, such as the nose, the fingers, the feet, the privy parts, and the whole hands; for the ailment does not prove fatal, so as to relieve the patient from a foul life and dreadful sufferings, until he has been divided limb from limb. For it is long-lived, like the animal, the elephant. But if there be a sudden pain of the limbs, it attacks much more grievously, spreading sometimes to this part, and sometimes to that. Appetite for food not amiss; taste indiscriminate, neither food nor drink affords pleasure; aversion to all things from a painful feeling; atrophy; libidinous desires of a rabid nature; spontaneous lassitude; the figure of each of the limbs heavy, and even the small limbs are oppressive to the patient. Moreover, the body is offended with everything, takes delight neither in baths nor abstinence from them, neither in food nor in abstinence from it, neither in motion nor in rest, for the disease has established itself in all the parts. Sleep slight, worse than insomnolency, from its fantasies; strong dyspnœa, suffocation as if from strangling. In this way certain patients have passed from life, sleeping the sleep which knows no waking, even until death.
ἥδε ἐστὶ ἡ ξυνὴ θανάτου καὶ τοῦ πάθεος αἰτίη, ἀτὰρ οὐδὲ ἴσχει τέκμαρ οὐδὲν ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς νούσου μέγα· οὐδέ τι ξενοπρεπὲς κακὸν τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐπιφοιτῇ· οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τοῖσι ἐπιπολῆς τοῦ σκήνεος φαντάζεται, ὡς ἰδεῖν τε εὐθὺς καὶ ἀρχομένῳ ἀρῆξαι. ἀλλὰ τοῖσι σπλάγχνοισι ἐμφωλεῦσαν ὅκως ἀΐδηλον πῦρ, ἤδη τύφεται, καὶ τῶν εἴσω κρατῆσαν αὖθίς κοτε ἐπιπολαίως ἐξάπτεται, τὰ πολλὰ μὲν ὅκως ἀπὸ σκοπιῆς τοῦ προσώπου ἀρχόμενον τηλεφαν ὲς πῦρ κακόν. μετεξετέροισι δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄκρου ἀγκῶνος, γούνατος, κονδύλων χειρῶν τε καὶ ποδῶν. τῇδε καὶ ἀνέλπιστοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ὅτι περ ὁ ἰητρὸς οὐ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχὰς τὰς ἀσθενεστάτας τοῦ πάθεος τῇ τέχνῃ χρέεται, Ῥαθυμίῃ καὶ ἀγνοίῃ τῶν καμνόντων τῆς ξυμφορῆς. νωθέες μὲν γὰρ, ὡς ἀπὸ σχεδίου προφάσιος, ὑπναλέοι, ἡσύχιοι, τὴν κοιλίην ἐπίξηροι. τάδε καὶ τοῖσι ὑγιαίνουσι κάρτα οὐκ ἀήθεα· ἐπὶ δὲ τῇσι αὐξήσεσι τοῦ πάθεος ἀναπνοὴ βρωμώδης ἐκ τῆς ἔνδον διαφθορῆς τοῦ πνεύματος. τοιάδε ὁ ἀὴρ, ἤ τι τῶν ἔξωθεν αἰτίην ἴσχειν δοκέει· οὖρα παχέα, λευκὰ, θολερὰ, οἷον ὑποζυγίου. ἀπὸ σιτίων ὠμῶν τε καὶ ἀπέπτων ἡ ἀνάδοσις, καὶ οὔτε τουτέων ἐστὶ αἴσθησίς τε καὶ μελέτη. οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδʼ ἢν μὴ πέψωσι γιγνώσκουσι· ὁμοίη ἀπεψίη καὶ πέψις ἥδε· εἰς χρηστὸν γὰρ ἢ οἰκεῖον, οὐ ξυνήθης αὐτέοισι ἡ πέψις. ἀνάδοσις δὲ Ῥηϊδίη, ὅκως ἐς τὴν ἑωυτέων τροφὴν ἁρπάγδην ἕλκοντος τοῦ πάθεος. διὰ τόδε ἐπίξηροι τὴν κάτω κοιλίαν· ὄχθοι ἐπανιστάμενοι, ἄλλοι παρʼ ἄλλους ξυνεχέες μὲν οὐδέκω, παχέες δὲ καὶ τρηχέες, καὶ τὸ μεσηγὺτῶν ὄχθων ἔρρηκται, ὅκως τὸν Ῥινὸν ἐλέφας. εὐρεῖαι δὲ φλέβες οὐ πλημμύρῃ τοῦ αἵματος, ἀλλὰ τῷ τοῦ δέρματος πάχεϊ· οὐκ ἐς πολλὸν δὲ καὶ ἕδρα δήλη, τοῦ παντὸς εἰς ἶσον ὄχθον ἐγειρομένου· τρίχες ἐν μὲν τῷ παντὶ προτεθνήσκουσι, χερσὶ, μηροῖσι, κνήμῃσι, αὖθις, ἥβῃ, γενείοισι ἀραιαὶ, ψεδναὶ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ κόμαι· τὸ δὲ μᾶλλον πρόωροι πολιοὶ καὶ φαλάκρωσις ἀθρόη. οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν δὲ ἥβη καὶ γένειον ψιλά· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιμίμνοιεν παυραὶ τρίχες, ἀπρεπέστεραι τῶν ἀποιχομένων· δέρμα τῆς κεφαλῆς κατερρωγὸς εἰς βάθος· Ῥυτίδες δὲ συχναὶ, βαθεῖαι, τρηχεῖαι· ὄχθοι ἐς τὸ πρόσωπον σκληροὶ, ὀξέες· ἄλλοτε μὲν ἐς κορυφὴν λευκοί· ποιωδέστεροι δὲ τὴν βάσιν· σφυγμοὶ σμικροὶ, βαρέες, νωθροὶ, ὅκως διʼ ἰλύος μόλις κινεύμενοι· φλέβες κροτάφων ἐπηρμέναι, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς γλώσσης· κοιλίαι χολώδεες. γλῶσσα χαλαζώδεσι ἰόνθοισι τρηχεῖα· οὐκ ἀδόκητον καὶ τὸ ξύμπαν σκῆνος ἔμπλεων τοιῶνδε ἔμμεναι. καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῖσι κακοχύμοισι ἱερείοισι τὰ κρέα χαλάζης ἐστὶ ἔμπλεα· ἢν δὲ πολλὸν αἴρηταί τι ἀπὸ τῶν ἔνδοθεν, ἡ πάθη καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖσι ἄκροισι φαίνηται, λειχῆνες ἐπὶ τοῖσι ἄκροισι δακτύλοισι, γούνασι κνησμοὶ, καὶ τῶν κνησμῶν ἅπτονται μεθʼ ἡδονῆς· ἀμπίσχει δὲ ὁ λειχὴν καὶ γένειόν κοτε ἐν κύκλῳ· ἐρεύθει δὲ καὶ μῆλα ξὺν ὄγκῳ οὐ κάρτα μεγάλῳ· ὀττίες ἀχλυώδεες, χαλκώδεες· ὀφρύες προβλῆτες, παχεῖαι, ψιλαὶ, βρίθουσαι κάτω, μεσοφρύων ξυνηγμένων ὀχθώδεες· χρῶμα πελιδνὸν ἢ μέλαν. ἐπισκύνιον οὖν μέγα ἕλκεται καλύπτειν ὄσσε, ὅκως τοῖς θυμουμένοις, ἢ λέουσι· διὰ τόδε καὶ λεόντιον κικλήσκεται. τοιγαροῦν οὐ λέουσι οὐδὲ ἐλέφαντι μοῦνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ νυκτὶ θοῇ ἀταλάντος ὑπώπια. Ῥὶς, σὺν ὄγκοισι μέλασι, ὀκριοειδέες, χειλέων προβολὴ παχείη· τὸ δὲ κάτω πελιδνόν· ἔκρινες· ὀδόντες οὐ λευκοὶ μὲν, δοκέοντες δὲ ὑπὸ μέλανος, ὦτα ἐρυθρὰ, μελανόεντα, κεκλεισμένα, ἐλεφαντώδεα, ὡς δοκέειν μέγεθος ἴσχειν μέζον τοῦ ξυνήθεος· ἕλκεα ἐπὶ τῇσι βάσεσι τῶν ὤτων, ἰχῶρος Ῥύσις, κνησμώδεα· Ῥυσοὶ τὸ πᾶν σκῆνος Ῥυτίσι τρηχείῃσι· ἀτὰρ καὶ ἐντομαὶ βαθεῖαι, ὁκοῖον αὔλακες μέλανες τῶν Ῥινῶν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ ἐλέφας τοῦ πάθεος τοὔνομα· ἰχνέων καὶ πτερνέων μέσφι τῶν μέσων τῶν δακτύλων Ῥήξιες. ἢν δὲ ἐπὶ μᾶλλον αὔξῃ τὸ κακὸν, ἑλκώδεες τοὺς ὄχθους, μήλων, γενείου, δακτύλων, γονάτων, κάκοδμα καὶ ἀναλθέα τὰ ἕλκεα. ἄλλα γὰρ ἐπʼ ἄλλοισι ἐξανίσταται, ἐπʼ ἄλλοισι ἄλλα πρηο̈́νεται. ἤδη κοτὲ καὶ τῶν μελέων προαποθνήσκει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἄχρι ἐκπτώσιος, Ῥίς, δάκτυλοι, πόδες, αἰδοῖα καὶ ὅλαι χεῖρες. οὐδὲ γὰρ θανατοῖ τὸ κακὸν εἰς ἀπαλλαγὴν βίου αἰσχροῦ καὶ ἀλγέων δεινῶν πρόσθεν ἢ ἐς μέλεα διατμηθῆναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον· ἀλλὰ μακρόβιόν ἐστι, ὅκως ἐλέφας τὸ ζῷον. ἢν δὲ καὶ ἄλγος ἀρτίως ἔῃ τῶν μελέων, πολλόν τι ἐπικόπτει βαρύτερον, ἄλλῃ καὶ ἄλλῃ πλανεύμενον· σιτίων ὄρεξις οὐκ ἀγεννὴς, ἄποιος ἡ γεῦσις, οὐδὲ τερπνὸν ἡ ἐδωδὴ καὶ ἡ πόσις· ἁπάντων δὲ ὑπʼ ἀχθηδόνος, μῖσος, ἀτροφίη, ἐπιθυμίη λυσσώδης· κόποι αὐτόματοι, μελέων ἑκάστου ἰδέη βαρεῖα, καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀχθέει καὶ τὰ σμικρὰ μέλεα· ἀτὰρ καὶ τὸ σῶμα πρὸς ἅπαντα ἄχθεται, οὐ λουτροῖσι τέρπεται οὐκ ἀλουσίῃ, οὐ τροφῇ, οὐκ ἀσιτίῃ, οὐ κινήσι, οὐκ ἠρεμίῃ. πᾶσι γὰρ ἐφέστηκ εν ἡ νοῦσος. ὕπνος λεπτὸς, ἀγρυπνίης κακίων φαντασίῃ· δύσπνοια καρτερή· πνῖγες ὡς ἀπʼ ἀγχόνης. ὧδε γοῦν τινὲς κατέστρεψαν τὸν βίον, νήγρετον ὕπνον ἐς θάνατον εὕδοντες.
When in such a state, who would not flee;—who would not turn from them, even if a father, a son, or a brother? There is danger, also, from the communication of the ailment. Many, therefore, have exposed their most beloved relatives in the wilderness, and on the mountains, some with the intention of administering to their hunger, but others not so, as wishing them to die. There is a story that one of those who had come to the wilderness, having seen a viper creep out of the earth, compelled by hunger, or wearied out with the affection, as if to exchange one evil for another, ate the viper alive, and did not die until all his members had become putrid and dropped off: and that another person saw a viper creep into a cask of new wine, and after drinking of the same to satiety, vomit it up, and discharge a great deal of its venom along with the new wine; but when the viper was smothered in the new wine, that the man drank of it largely and greedily, seeking thus to obtain a rescue from life and the disease; but when he had carried the drinking to satiety and intoxication, he lay down on the ground, at first as if about to die; but when he awoke from his sleep and intoxication, first of all his hair fell off, next the fingers and nails, and all the parts melted away in succession. But as the power was still in the semen, nature formed the man again, as if from the act of generation: it made other hairs to grow, and made new nails and clean flesh, and put off the old skin, like the slough of a reptile; and he was called back, like another new man, to a growth of life. Thus goes the fable; not very probable, indeed, nor yet entirely incredible; for that one ill should be overcome by another is credible. And that from the existing spark nature should renew the man, is not so incredible as to be held to be a prodigy.
τοιούσδε οὖν ἐόντας τίς οὐκ ἂν φύγοι ἢ τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐκτραπείη, κἤν υἱὸς, ἢ πατὴρ ἔῃ, κἢν κασίγνητος τύχῃ; δέος καὶ ἀμφὶ μεταδόσιος τοῦ κακοῦ. πολλοὶ γοῦν ἐπʼ ἐρημίης καὶ ἐς ὄρεα τοὺς φιλτάτους ἐξέθεσαν, οἱ μὲν ἐς χρόνον ἐπαρήγοντες τῷ λιμῷ, οἱ δὲ ἥκιστα, ὡς σφέας ἐθέλοντες ἐκθανεῖν. λόγος δὲ ὡς τῶν ἐπʼ ἐρημίης ἀφιγμένων τις ἐξερπύσαντα ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἔχιν ἰδὼν, ὑπʼ ἀνάγκης τοῦ λιμοῦ ἢ τῷ πάθεϊ ἀχθεσθεὶς, ὡς ἀμείψασθαι τὸ κακὸν κακῷ, ζῶντος ἐνέφαγε τοῦ ἔχιος, καὶ οὐ πρόσθεν ἐτελεύτησε πρὶν ἢ πάντα αὐτῷ διασαπῆναι καὶ ἀποστῆναι τὰ μέλεα. ἄλλον δὲ ἰδεῖν ἔχιν εἰς πίθον γλεύκεος ἑρπύσαντα, πιόντα τε τοῦ γλεύκεος εἰς κόρον ἀποβλύσαι, πολλὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἰοῦ συνεκχεῖν τῷ γλεύκεϊ· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπεπνίγη τὸ θηρίον ἐν τῷ γλεύκεϊ, χανδὸν καὶ πολλὸν τοῦ γλεύκεος πιεῖν τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀπαλλαγὴν τοῦ βίου καὶ τοῦ πάθεος διζήμενον· ὡς δὲ ἐς κόρον ἧκε καὶ μέθην, ἔκειτο μὲν χαμαὶ τὰ πρῶτα ὅκως ἀποθνήσκων· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κάρου καὶ τῆς μέθης ἐξήγρετ ο, περιερρύησαν μὲν τὰ πρῶτα αἱ κόμαι, ἔτι δὲ δάκτυλοίτε καὶ ὄνυχες· ἑξῆς δὲ περιτετήκεισαν πάντα. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔτι ἐν σπέρματι ἡ δύναμις ἦν, ἐκηροπλάστεεν αὖθις, ὅκως ἐκ γενετῆς, τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἡ φύσις· ἐξέθρεψε μὲν ἄλλας κόμας καὶ ὄνυχας νέους καὶ σάρκα καθαρὴν, καὶ ἐξέδυ μὲν τὸν παλαιὸν Ῥινὸν, ὡς γῆρας ἑρπετοῦ· ἐπανεκλήθη δὲ ἐς φῦμα ζωῆς, ὅκως ἄλλος ἄνθρωπος. ὧδε μὲν οὖν ὁ μῦθος, οὐ κάρτα μὲν ἀτρεκὴς, οὐ πάγχυ δὲ ἄπιστος. κακὸν γὰρ κακῷ βλαφθῆναι πιστόν. τὴν φύσιν δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ ἐόντι ζωπύρῳ ἀνανεῶσαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον, οὐκ ἄπιστον ἐς τέρατος ἰδέην.