Anonymous: the Babylonian Africanus on male and female children
Anonymous, in Paris manuscript gr. 2286. As the Babylonian Africanus says, if someone wants to beget a child, before coming together with the woman — that is, when he is about to come to intercourse — let him smear his member with hare’s blood and he will make a male child; but if he smears goose-fat he will make a female.
Greek
9.4 ανονψμι ιν μς. παρισινο γρ. 2286 Ὡς δὲ Βαβυλώνιος ὁ Ἀφρικανὸς φησὶν ὅτι εἰ θέλει παιδοποιῆσαι τις, πρὸ τῆς συνελεύσεως τῆς γυναικὸς ἤγουν ὅταν μέλλῃ εἰς συνουσίαν ἐλθεῖν, ἐπιχρισάτω τὸ μόριον αὐτοῦ αἷμα λαγωοῦ καὶ ποιήσει παῖδα ἄρρενα εἰ δὲ χήνειον στέαρ ἐπιχρίσει καὶ ποιήσει θῆλυ.
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.