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Ἀγαθαρχίδης φησὶν εἶναι γένος ἐν τῇ Λιβύῃ τινῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ μέντοι καὶ καλεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς Ψύλλους. καὶ ὅσα μὲν κατὰ τὸν ἄλλον βίον τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθρώπων διαφέρειν οὐδὲ ἕν, τὸ δὲ σῶμα ἔχειν ξένον τε καὶ παράδοξον ὡς πρὸς τοὺς ἑτεροφύλους ἀντικρινόμενον: τὰ γάρ τοι ζῷα τὰ δακετὰ καὶ τὰ ἐγχρίμπτοντα πάμπολλα ὄντα μηδὲν αὐτοὺς μόνους ἀδικεῖν. οὔτε γοῦν ὄφεως δακόντος ἐπαΐουσιν οὔτε φαλαγγίου νύξαντος τοὺς ἄλλους ἐς θάνατον οὔτε μὴν σκορπίου τὸ κέντρον ἀπερείσαντος. ἐπὰν δὲ ἄρα τούτων προσπελάσῃ τι καὶ παραψαύσῃ τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἅμα καὶ τῆς ὀσμῆς τῆς ἐκείνων σπάσῃ, ὥσπερ οὖν φαρμάκου γευσάμενον κάρωσίν τινα ἑλκτικὴν ἐς ἀναισθησίαν ἐμποιοῦντος, ἐξασθενεῖ καὶ παρεῖται, ἔστ᾽ ἂν παραδράμῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος. ὅπως δὲ ἐλέγχουσι τὰ ἑαυτῶν βρέφη εἴτε ἐστὶ γνήσια εἴτε καὶ νόθα, ἐν τοῖς ἑρπετοῖς βασανίζοντες ὡς ἐν τῷ πυρὶ τὸν χρυσὸν οἱ βάναυσοι, ἀνωτέρω εἶπον.
Claudii Aeliani de natura animalium libri xvii, varia historia, epistolae, fragmenta, Vol 1. Aelian. Rudolf Hercher. In Aedibus B.G. Teubneri. Lipsiae. 1864. Keyboarding.
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