Dry fruit trees, except the apple

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On the destruction of trees. It seems right to us also to destroy the fruit-bearing trees of the fields, so that the enemies, often lacking foods, may not find the fruits instead of food. You will dry every tree except the apple, if you plant the sting of the sea stingray into the stem of the tree. The Quintilii say that the husks of beans, put to the roots, dry these. I am rather pleased, speaking of all that have grown for beauty, that these be cut down; for when this has been done, no enemy hides in the cut, no bird sits over them for hunting — which is complete destruction.

Greek

2.3 Περὶ δένδρων ἀφανισμοῦ Ἀφανίζειν ἴσως ἡμῖν δοκεῖ καὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν τὰ δένδρα τὰ κάρπιμα, ὡς μὴ τοὺς πολεμίους πολλάκις τροφῶν <ἀποροῦντας> εὑρίσκειν ἀντὶ τροφῆς τοὺς καρπούς. Ξηρανεῖς γοῦν πᾶν δένδρον πλὴν μηλέας, εἰ τὸ τῆς θαλαττίας τρυγόνος κέντρον ἐμπήξεις εἰς τὸ τοῦ δένδρου στέλεχος. Οἱ δὲ Κυϊντίλιοί φασιν ὡς τὰ κέλυφα τῶν κυάμων ταῖς ῥίζαις ἐμβαλλόμενα ταῦτα ξηραίνει. Ἐμοὶ δὲ μᾶλλον ἁπάντων ἃ φι<λο>κάλως πέφυκεν ἀρέσεις λέγων ἐκκόπτεσθαι ταῦτα· τούτων γὰρ οὕτως πραχθέντων, ἐν τοῖς κοπεῖσιν οὐ πολέμιος κρύπτεται, οὐκ ὄρνεον εἰς θήραν τούτων ὑπερκαθέζεται· ὅπερ ἐστὶ τέλειος ἀφανισμός.

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About this text

Julius Africanus's Miscellanies: history, science and craft, in the fragments that survive, with books 7, 2 and 3 in full and parts of books 4, 8, 9 and 13.

This volume gathers the translated fragments, drawn from books 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, and 13: poisons and antidotes, veterinary charms, military stratagems, and the farm and household lore of the ancient world.

Julius Africanus (c. 160–c. 240) was a Christian scholar of the early third century, best known for the Chronographiai — the first Christian attempt at a universal chronology from creation to his own day. He wrote from Emmaus in Palestine and moved in the highest Roman circles.

The Cesti ("embroidered girdles") were his wide-ranging miscellany of curiosities, spanning military science, farming, medicine, and natural marvels. Only fragments survive, quoted by later Byzantine writers.

Fresh English from PG 10 Greek of the Cesti fragmenta through 9.5.

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Translated from PG 10 Cesti fragmenta (Greek)

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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