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CH R O N O LO G IC A L A R R A N G EM E N T
Pytheas mentions “ mentonomon,” an estuary or bay of the Northern Ocean, upon which the
Guttones dwelt (compare Gothland); and a day’s sail from this, the amber-producing island named
“ abalus” — (Plin. xxxvii. 7 or i i ) . By Timaeus, this island is called “ basilia ; ” a name identified
by Zeuss p. 270 with Oesel. The “ vasilSioi ” and “ ourgoi ’’ are also mentioned by Strabo, and
(according to Talvi introd. and iii. 3) the “ idols ” also of the Slavonian population of this quarter.
The “ rugii ” are mentioned by Tacitus germ. 43 ; and are referred by Latham to the people around
the Gulf of Riga. In that vicinity, idol-worship and widows “ burning themselves with the corpses
of their husbands ” continued to a comparatively recent period : indicating connexion with Hindustan.
“ The same y e a r ” (O. Curt, iv., Churchill coll., and Clint.), at T}'re, a wooden mole built by Alex ander
destroyed by the besieged citizens by means of a fire -sh ip ; a novelty in warfare.
After the fall of Tyre, Alexander entered Egypt, where he founded the city of Alexandria; and
after visiting the Oasis of Ammon, returned to Memphis (see Clint.). The city wall of Alexandria —
continued standing to the time of the visit of Baumgarten i. 14.
Hieroglyphic ovals of Alexander occur in Egypt (Leps. k. pl. 51) : from this date, — the monuments
becoming comparatively uninteresting. The imposing temples by no means devoid of taste
and all in the Egyptian style of art erected by Alexander’s successors, are chiefly inscribed witli
representations of deities and the ostentatious enumeration of conquests, yet present genealogies,
astronomical records, and dates, that the historian might consult with advantage.
From this date also, — Greek inscriptions become frequent in Egypt : Greek papyri ox books also
make their appearance ; the lost oration of Plyperides discovered by A. C. Harris, being probably
among the earliest of these papyri.
“ 331, in the spring” ( . . . . ) , Alexander leaving Egypt, on his expedition Eastward.
“ Sept. 30th” (Blair, and C lin t), eclipse o f the moon. Eleven days afterwards, the army of
Darius I II. defeated at Arbela by Alexander, and Persian dominion brought to a close. A few days
after the battle, Alexander entered Babylon.
. The magian, Osthanes the younger, accompanying Alexander on his Eastern expedition— (Plin.
XXX. 2).
Pyrethrum parthenium of the Taurian and Caucasian mountains. Called in Bi itain feverfew or
may-weed or maghet or maithes, in old English “ maydenwede ” or “ maycle-wede ” or “ maythys ”
from the Anglo-Saxon “ mægth ” maid, by Galfridus pr. pm. “ feder-foy ” (Prior), in Germany “ mut-
terkraut,” in Italy “ matricale doppio ” (Lenz), in Greece “ asprokhi ” (Fraas), in Egypt “ achaovan ”
(Alpin.) ; in which we recognize the “ parthenium ” used against intermittent feve'rs by the Magians
— (Plin. xxi. 104), and the “ anthëmis ” used also according to Dioscorides iii. 144 for the same purpose
: the “ anthëmôn phullôthës” having stem-leaves according to Theophrastns vii. 8. 3, is referred
h e reb y Fraas: the “ duhn el-ukhuwan ” is mentioned by Ebn Baitar; and the “ ukhowan ” in the
Thousand-and-one Nights : P. parthenium was observed by Guldenstadt on the Beschtau peak of
Caucasus (Ledeb.) ; by Grisebach ii. 203, in mountain meads on the Bithynian Olympus and in
European T urk e y; by Sibthorp, and Fraas, frequent about dwellings from Euboea throughout
Greece ; by Alpinus pl. 39, in Egypt ; and perhaps the same species, by Forskal on the mountains
of Yemen and called “ moniat.” Westward, is regarded by A. Decandolle as introduced anciently
into Britain, perhaps before the visits of the Romans ; was already there in the days of Gerarde ; is
described by Brunfels iii. 63 (Spreng.) ; is termed “ m. vulgaris seu sativa ” by Tournefort inst, 493 ;
seems unknown in Sicily and Barbary (Guss., and Munby) ; but was observed by Moris on Sardinia,
by Lenz seemingly wild in Italy ; is known to occur in waste places in Spain and Portugal and
throughout middle Europe as far as Denmark (fl. Dan. pl. 674, Brot., and Colm.). By European
colonists, was carried before 1669 (Joss.) to Northeast America, where it continues under cultivation
in our Northern and middle States, and according to A. Gray “ escaped from gardens in some
places.” The plant according to Lindley is reckoned tonic stimulant and anti-hysteric, was “ once a
popular remedy in ague,’’ and its odour is said to be peculiarly disagreeable to bees,
“ 330, July 1 s t ” (Blair, see also Arrian iii. 22. p. 213, and Clint, ii. p. 410 to 419), the dethroned
emperor Darius III. put to death; the beginning of the Cycle o f Calippus, of 76 years = 27,759
days = 940 lunations.
“ After the death of Darius I I I . ” (Arrian, and Clint.), Alexander entered Hyrcania, subduing
the country along the Caspian, and next proceeded to Bactra in Central Asia.
“ 329 B. C,” (Arrian, and Clint.), Alexander on his “ Sixth ” campaign proceeding across the
Oxus, and “ about four hundred and twenty miles North of B a c tra ” founding Alexandria on the
Jaxartes ; changing the name of this river to “ Tanais ” (Strab. xi. 7. 4). Crossing the river, he next
attacked the Scythians; and returned to Bactra, where he passed the winter.
OF A C C O M P A N Y IN G A N IM A L S A N D P L A N T S . 3 2 7
Astragalus aristalus o f t h e m o u n t a i n o u s p o r t i o n o f t h e M e d i t e r r a n e a n c o u n t r i e s . C a l l e d i n
C r e e c e “ k o l R s t o u p a ” o r “ t g t r a g k a t h b ” o r “ t r a g a k a n t h a ” ( S i b t h . ) ; m w h i c h w e r e c o g n i z e t
“ t r a c r a k a n t h a ” f o « ; « tragacanth f o u n d a b o u t t h i s t i m e t o b e p r o d u c e d i n o t h e r c o u n t r i e s b e s i d e s
C r e t e a n d e s p e c i a l l y o f e x c e l l e n t q u a l i t y i n t h e P e l o p o n n e s u s — ( r h e o p h r a / . i x . i . 3 * 8 ) ,
f - ’ " a i J 1w D i o s c o r i d e s a n d G a l e n : A . a r i s t a t u s w a s o b s e r v e d b y S i b t h o r p , a n d F r a a s , o n
m J n \ ° « i s f r o m t h e P e l o p o n n e J s t o T h e s s a l o n i c a a n d C y p r u s , a n d t h e c o l l e c t e d g u m
U t r J s a f a c t c o n f i r m e d b y B o r y a n d C h a u b a r d . W e s t w a r d , “ t r a g a c a n t h a ” i s m e n t i o n e d b y C e l s u s
l + t o X Z i . 87, Z m L ,1.. » lc l= ; f o f o .Wins A » f o f o f o f o f o
G a r i d e l p l . 1 0 4 , a n d i s k n o w n t o g r o w o n t h e A l p s , a n d I y r e n e e s ( H a . 7 7 , •, ,
J m i T r c e “ k e t i i e a d i a m i ” f r o m P e r s i a w a s f o u n d b y F o r s k a l m a t . m e d i n t h e d r u g - s h o p s o f
e ” ; ! n d - S e t r a j c a n t h ” i s r e g a r d e d b y T h . M a r t i u s a s t h e p r o d u c t o f A . v e r u s ( L m d l . ; s e e
U ' T I s ' b U ” ( A r r i a n a n d C l i n t . ) , a f t e r s p e n d i n g i n t h e s a m e q u a r t e r h i s “ S e v e n t h ” c a m p a i g n ,
A l e x a n d e r w i n t e r e d a t N a u t a c a “ a b o u t t w e n t y - t w o m i l e s f r o m S a m a r c a n d , a n d t w o h u n d r e d a n d t h i i t y
t r e e t h a t p u t s f o r t h f l o w e r s b e f o r e t h e l e a v e s ; t h e “ p e r s i c a ” w a s p l a n t e d i n t h e
t i n n e d b v C a t o a n d o n l y a t a l a t e p e r i o d c a m e f r o m A s i a a n d G r e e c e i n t o I t a l y ( P l m . ) i s n o t
m e n t i o n e d b y v ’ i r g i l , b u t i s f i g u r e d i n t h e H e r c u l a n e a n p a i n t i n g s ; a n d at the
“ V o u - t y w h o ’ b e < » a n t o r e i g n B . C . 1 3 0 ” h a d i n I d s g a r d e n f r o m d i s t a n t l a n d s p e a c l t e s , s o m e y e I o n /
o t h e r s \ r i t . h c l o v J f r u i t , a n d o t h e r s w i t h f r u i t d e t a c h i n g i t s e l f f r o m t h e s t o n e ( C i b O T m e m . C h i n . x .
c 8 o Y B v E u r o p e a n t r a d e r s a n d c o l o n i s t s , A . p e r s i c a w a s e a r n e d t o A m e r i c a a n d t h e i s l a n d s o f t h e
P a c i f i c s l i c c e e d i n o - v e r y g e n e r a l l v i n T e m p e r a t e c l i m a t e s , i n o u r M i d d l e S t a t e s , C h i l i a n d J u a n F e r n
/ 4 J £ Z o f . c e n t r a . A s i a . T h ep k la eh io ; ; ; / i s c a l l e d i n I t a l y / / / R
a n d e z ’ N e w Z e a l J d , a n d A u s t r a l i a ; b u t i n l o w m o i s t T r o p i c a l c o u n t r i e s r a r e l y n p e n i n g f r u i t .
v e r d e ” ( L e n z ) i n G r e e c e “ p b i s t a k i a ” o r “ p s i t t a k i a ” ( F r a a s ) , i n E g y p t f e s t o q ( D e l . ) , m 1 e r s i a
“ b s l k ” ( S p r e m » ) ' a n d t h e r a r e “ t g r m i n t h o u ” b u s h e s , t h e o n l y t h i n g l i k e a t r e e f o u n d b y A l e x a n d e r
i n c J s s i i r U h U ; J n t a i n s i n t o B a c t r i a - ( S t r a b . x v . 2. 1 0 ) . m a y b e c o m p a r e d : a B a c t r i a n t r e e r e s e m -
b l i i t e t h e " t e r e b i n t h b u t b e a r i n g a l m o n d - l i k e n u t s , i s m e n t i o n e d b y T h e o p h r a / u s i v . 4 . 7 : p i s t a c h i o
J t s " a r e c J e d i n H i n d u s t a n e e “ p i s t a ” o r “ f i s t a k ” ( D ’ r o z . ) , a n d P . v e r a i s k n o w n t o g r o w w i l d i n
A f f « a n i s t a n ( R o y l e ) . T h e t r e e w a s a f t e r w a r d s i n t r o d u c e d i n t o t h e M e d i t e r r m i e a n c o u t e r m s , f o r
r o + s t a l r i J n u J h a i o i n t a ’ ’ a r e m e n t i o n e d b y N i c a n d e r t h e r . 891 t h e “ v i s t a k i o n ” b y P o s t « n i u s t h e
S t o i c , A t b e n a l u s , a n d H e s y c h i u s ; “ p i s t a k i a ” g r o w i n g i n S y r i a , 0 D i o s c o n d e s + 0 0 / ! ,
- g r o w i n g i n t h e c i t y o f P s i t t a c e o n t h e T i g r i s , b y D a m o p h , i n s A t h e n a e u s , S h i r d
B y z a n t i n u s , N o n u s m o r b . c u r . 9 1 t o 2 4 0 , a n d t h e G e o p o n i c a : P . v e r a w a s 0 ^ ® / + +
a n d F r a a s , u n d e r c u l t i v a t i o n i n t h e P e l o p o n n e s u s ; b y I o r s k a l , a n d C / B e y , i n t h e 0 / 0 +
E o - y p t a n d t h e i m p o r t a t i o n b e s i d e s o f t h e n u t s f r o m A l e p p o i s m e n t i o n e d b y A b d - a l l a t i f , a n d D e h l e
i a r t i r w e l t t h ! “ p i s t a c i a ” t r e e w a s - i n t r o d u c e d i n t o I t a l y b y V i t e l l i u s a n d a t ^ f + 7 / ®
S p a i n b y F l a c c u s P o m p e i u s ( P l i n . x v . 24); i t s c u l t i v a t i o n i n I t a l y i s m e n t i o n e d b y 1 + + +
P . v e r a w a s o b s e r v e d t b e r e u n d e r c u l t i v a t i o n b y L e n z , a n d i s k n o w n t o h a v e b e c o m e n a t u r a l i z e d m
v a r i o u s p a r t s o f S o u t h e r n E u r o p e ( P e r s . , a n d L m d l . ) . , c o f /i t i r o
“ 3 r o B C . ” ( A r i s t o b u l , a n d C l i n t . ) , A l e x a n d e r n e x t p r o c e e d e d S o u t h , t o a n d a c r o s s t h e
P a r o p m n i s u s r id g e o f m o u n t a i n s ; a n d s p e n t “ a b o u t t e n m o n t h s ” i n t h e c o u n t r y W e s t o f h e
U p p e r I n d u s . A “ c a v e ” i n t h e P a r o p a m i s u s w a s r e g a r d e d b y t h e G r e e k s a s t h e o n e i n w h i c h
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