Dog-chorion knot and male or female herbs
A most genuine easy-birth, very much so. Polygonon is a herb plentiful everywhere, which is also called drōsa. Bound in a dog's chorion that has been treated with myrrh and cleaned as it must be, and hung around, it becomes a cause of conception.
So that the animal may conceive what you want, whether male or female: the herbs linozostis and peristereon are thought to be male and female — males the upright ones, the spread-out the contrary. Make it wear these with the former: if you wish it to bear a male, a male herb; if a female, a female.
Greek
3.6 Εὐτόκιον γενναιότατον πάνυ Πολύγονόν ἐστι πόα πολλὴ πανταχοῦ ὅπερ λέγεται καὶ «δρῶσα»· ἥτις ἐνδεθεῖσα χορίῳ κυνὸς ἐσμυρνισμένῳ καὶ ὡς χρὴ κεκαθαρμένῳ καὶ περιαφθεῖσα αἰτία κυήσεως γίνεται. Ἵνα δὲ ὃ θέλεις συλλάβῃ τὸ ζῷον, εἴτε ἄρρεν εἴτε θῆλυ, λινόζωστις καὶ περιστερεὼν βοτάναι ἄρρενες εἶναι δοκοῦσι καὶ θήλειαι, ἄρρενες μὲν αἱ ὄρθιαι, αἱ ἡπλωμέναι δὲ τοὐναντίον. Ταύτας σὺν τοῖς προτέροις φορεῖν ποίει, ἂν μὲν βούλῃ ἄρρεν τεκεῖν, ἄρρενα, ἂν δὲ θῆλυ, θήλειαν.
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.