24. Be it so; let it be
conceded that these most unfortunate cattle are not sacrificed
in the temples of the gods without some religious obligation, and that
what has been done in accordance with usage and custom possesses some
rational ground: but if it seems a great and grand thing to slay
bulls to the gods, and to burn in sacrifice the flesh of animals
whole and entire, what is the meaning of these relics connected with
the arts of the Magi which the pontifical mysteries have
restored to a place among the secret laws of the sacred rites, and have
mixed up with religious affairs? What, I say, is the meaning of
these things, apexaones, hirciæ, silicernia, longavi, which
are names and kinds of sausages,4876
| 4876
So the edd., reading farciminumfor the ms. facinorum, corrected by Hild.
fartorum—“of stuffings.”
Throughout this passage hardly one of the names of these sacrificial
dainties is generally agreed upon; as many are met with nowhere else,
the ms. has been adhered to
strictly. |
some stuffed with
goats’
blood,
4877
| 4877 i.e., probably the
hirciæ: of the others, silicernia seem to have
been put on the table at funerals. |
others
with minced liver? What
is the meaning of tædæ,
uæniæ, offæ, not those used by the common people,
but those named and called
offæ penitæ?—of which
the first
4878
is fat
cut into very
small pieces, as dainties
4879
| 4879
So Salmasius and Meursius corrected the ms. catillaminu-a-m by omitting a. |
are; that which has been placed
second is the extension of the gut by which the excrements are given
off after being drained of all their nourishing juices; while the
offa penita is a
beast’s tail
cut off with a morsel of
flesh. What
is the meaning of polimina, omenta, palasea,
or, as some call it,
plasea?—of which that named
omentum is a certain part enclosed by the reservoirs of the
belly are kept within bounds; the
plasea is an
ox’s
tail
4880
besmeared
with
flour and
blood; the
polimina, again, are those parts which
we with more decency call
proles,—by the vulgar, however,
they are usually termed
testes. What
is the meaning
of fitilla, frumen, africia, gratilla, catumeum, cumspolium,
cubula?—of which the first two are names of species of
pottage, but differing in
kind and quality; while the series
of
names which follows denotes
consecrated cakes, for they are not
shaped in one and the same way. For we do not choose to mention
the
caro strebula which is taken from the haunches of bulls, the
roasted pieces of
meat which are spitted, the intestines first heated,
and baked on glowing
coals, nor, finally, the pickles
4881
| 4881
Salsamina, by which is perhaps meant the grits and salt
cast on the victim; but if so, Arnobius is at variance with Servius
(Virgil, Ecl., viii. 81), who expressly states that these were
of spelt mixed only with salt; while there is no trace elsewhere of a
different usage. |
which are made by mixing four kinds
of fruit. In like manner,
we do not choose to mention the
fendicæ, which also are the
hiræ,
4882
| 4882 The first four edd. retain
the unintelligible ms.
diræ. |
which the
language of the mob, when it speaks, usually terms
ilia;
4883
| 4883 i.e., the entrails.
The ms., first four edd., and Elm. read
illa. |
nor, in
the same way, the
ærumnæ,
4884
| 4884 So the ms., LB., Oberthür, Orelli, Hild., and Oehler; but
ærumnæ is found in no other passage with
this meaning. |
which are the first part of the
gullet,
4885
| 4885
Lit., “first heads in gullets.” |
where
ruminating animals are accustomed to send down their food and bring it
back again; nor the
magmenta,
4886
| 4886 By this, and the word which
follows, we know from the etymology that “offerings” to the
gods must be meant, but we know nothing more. |
augmina, and thousand other
kinds of sausages or pottages which you have given unintelligible names
to, and have caused to be more revered by common
people.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
