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Theophrastus on fungi: inaccurate citations in Athenaeus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2013

R. W. Sharples  and
D. W. Minter
R. W. Sharples
Affiliation:
University College London Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AF
D. W. Minter
Affiliation:
University College London Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AF
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Extract

Ancient authors often cited each other inaccurately through misunderstanding or carelessness; and this can cause problems in the collecting of fragments of authors of whose works some, but not all, survive. For a distinction has to be made between inexact citations of extant works and citations which, although resembling such works, do in fact seem to derive from material now lost. Such problems occur repeatedly in connection with the botanical writings of Theophrastus; and one particular group of problems stems from a section in the epitome of Bk ii of Athenaeus.

Type
Notes
Information
The Journal of Hellenic Studies , Volume 103 , November 1983 , pp. 154 - 156
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1983

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References

1 The present note reflects studies undertaken as part of a project, organised by Prof. W. Fortenbaugh, to collect and edit all the fragments and testimonia relating to Theophrastus.

2 Cf. Regenbogen, O., ‘Theophrastos’, RE suppl. vii (1940) cols 1444–5Google Scholar.

3 As was pointed out by Schweighaüser, , Animadv. in Athenaei Deipnos. i 414Google Scholar.

4 Cf. Buller, A. H. R., ‘The fungus lore of the Greeks and Romans’, Trans. Brit. Mycological Soc. v (1914–1916) 47–8Google Scholar.

5 i 5.2; Schweighaüser 415. Smoothness of roots is mentioned in i 6.4; Maggiulli, G., Nomenclatura Micologica Latina (Genoa 1977) 117Google Scholar.

6 Loeb, ii 481 and ii 456 respectively.

7 ‘Notices of fungi in Greek and Latin authors’, Annals and Magazine of Nat. Hist. ser. 5 xv (1885) 35Google Scholar; Buller (n. 4) 54–5.

8 Schweighaüser 417.

9 Houghton (n. 7) 43; Buller (n. 4) 62.

10 Winter, W., ‘Two Greek names for the truffle’, AJP lxxii (1951) 63–4Google Scholar. For truffles and thunder cf. Pliny NH xix 37, Athen. ii 62b, and Juv. v 117.

11 Carnoy, A., Dictiotmaire etymologique des noms grecs des plantes (Louvain 1959) 40Google Scholar.

12 Cf. Schneider, J. G., ed., Theophrasti Opera iii (1818) 34 and v (1821) 5Google Scholar.

13 Schneider iii 36, v 5; Hort i 50.

14 Schweighaüser 417.

15 Cf. Maggiulli (n. 5) 133.

16 Indeed truffles have no roots at all, in Theophrastus' view: HP i 6.5.