- ANF06. Fathers of the Third Century: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius the Great, Julius Africanus, Anatolius, and Minor Writers, Methodius, Arnobius

23. If you give a grape to him when hungry, a must-cake, an onion, a thistle,³⁵⁴⁷

³⁵⁴⁷ Carduus, no doubt the esculent thistle, a kind of artichoke.
a cucumber, a fig, will he know that his hunger can be appeased by all these, or of what kind each should be to be fit for eating?³⁵⁴⁸

³⁵⁴⁸ So, according to an emendation in LB., esui, adopted by Orelli and others, instead of the ms. reading et sui.
If you made a very great fire, or surrounded him with venomous creatures, will he not go through the midst of flames, vipers, tarantulæ,³⁵⁴⁹

³⁵⁴⁹ There has been much discussion as to whether the solifuga or solipuga here spoken of is an ant or spider.
without knowing that they are dangerous, and ignorant even of fear? But again, if you set before him garments and furniture, both for city and country life, will he indeed be able to distinguish³⁵⁵⁰

³⁵⁵⁰ The ms. reads discriminare, discernere, with the latter word, however, marked as spurious.
for what each is fitted? to discharge what service they are adapted? Will he declare for what purposes of dress the stragula³⁵⁵¹

³⁵⁵¹ A kind of rug.
was made, the coif,³⁵⁵²

³⁵⁵² Mitra.
zone,³⁵⁵³

³⁵⁵³ Strophium, passing round the breast, by some regarded as a kind of corset.
fillet, cushion, handkerchief, cloak, veil, napkin, furs,³⁵⁵⁴

³⁵⁵⁴ Mastruca, a garment made of the skins of the muflone, a Sardinian wild sheep.
shoe, sandal, boot? What, if you go on to ask what a wheel is, or a sledge,³⁵⁵⁵

³⁵⁵⁵ Tribula, for rubbing out the corn.
a winnowing-fan, jar, tub, an oil-mill, ploughshare, or sieve, a mill-stone, ploughtail, or light hoe; a carved seat, a needle, a strigil, a laver, an open seat, a ladle, a platter, a candlestick, a goblet, a broom, a cup, a bag; a lyre, pipe, silver, brass, gold,³⁵⁵⁶

³⁵⁵⁶ Aurum is omitted in all edd., except those of LB., Hild., and Oehler.
a book, a rod, a roll,³⁵⁵⁷

³⁵⁵⁷ Liber, a roll of parchment or papyrus, as opposed to the preceding codex, a book of pages.
and the rest of the equipment by which the life of man is surrounded and maintained? Will he not in such circumstances, as we said, like an ox³⁵⁵⁸

³⁵⁵⁸ The ms. reads vobis unintelligibly, corrected by Meursius bovis.
or an ass, a pig, or any beast more senseless, look³⁵⁵⁹

³⁵⁵⁹ So Orelli and modern edd.; but Crusius gives as the ms. reading conspici-etur (not -et), as given by Ursinus, and commonly received—“Will he not…be seen?”
at these indeed, observing their various shapes, but³⁵⁶⁰

³⁵⁶⁰ The ms. and first five edd. read et—“and,” changed in LB. to sed.
not knowing what they all are, and ignorant of the purpose for which they are kept? If he were in any way compelled to utter a sound, would he not with gaping mouth shout something indistinctly, as the dumb usually do?
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