Pausanias Analysis

Passage 10.36.2

← 10.36.1 10.36.3 →

Passage 10.36.2: The dye-producing kermes insect in a small berry.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ὁ δὲ αὐτῆς καρπὸς ὅμοιος τῷ καρπῷ τῆς στρύχνου, μέγεθος δέ ἐστι κατὰ ὄροβον. γίνεται δέ τι ἐν τῷ καρπῷ τῆς κόκκου βραχὺ ζῷον· τοῦτο εἰ ἀφίκοιτο ἐς τὸν ἀέρα πεπανθέντος τοῦ καρποῦ, πέτεταί τε αὐτίκα καὶ ἐοικὸς κώνωπι φαίνοιτο ἄν· νῦν δὲ πρότερον, πρὶν ἢ τὸ ζῷον κινηθῆναι, συλλέγουσι τῆς κόκκου τὸν καρπόν, καὶ ἔστι τοῖς ἐρίοις ἡ βαφὴ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ζῴου.

English Translation

Its fruit is similar to the fruit of the nightshade and is about the size of a vetch-seed. Within the berry there develops a small creature; once the fruit ripens, if this creature should reach open air, immediately it flies away and would appear very much like a gnat. For this reason, before the creature stirs, they pick the fruit of the berry, and the dye used for wool is made from the blood of this creature.

Proper Nouns

Konops (κώνωψ) other
Orobos (ὄροβος) other
← 10.36.1 10.36.3 →