Kitap 2
77
Seasonings are mentioned even by Sophocles. In his Phæacians we find the expression, And seasoning for food. And in Aeschylus too we read— You are steeping the seasonings. And Theopompus says—Many bushels of seasonings, and many sacks and bags of books, and of all other things which may be useful for life. In Sophocles too the expression is found— I like a cook will cleverly season . . . . And Cratinus says in the Glaucus— It is not every one who can season skilfully. And Eupolis speaks of Very bad vinegar seasoned in an expensive way. And Antiphanes, in his Leucas, gives the following catalogue of seasonings:— Dried grapes, and salt, and eke new wine Newly boiled down, and assafætida, And cheese, and thyme, and sesame, And nitre too, and cummin seed, And sumach, honey, and marjoram, And herbs, and vinegar and oil And sauce of onions, mustard and capers mix d, And parsley, capers too, and eggs, And lime, and cardamums, and th' acid juice Which comes from the green fig-tree, besides lard And eggs and honey and flour wrapp'd in fig-leaves, And all compounded in one savoury forcemeat. The ancients were well acquainted with the Ethiopian cardamum. We must take notice that they used the words θύμος and ὀρίγανος as masculine nouns. And so Anaxandrides says— Cutting asparagus and squills and marjoram, (ὃς) Which gives the pickle an aristocratic taste, When duly mixed (μιχθεὶς) with coriander seed. And Ion says— But in a hurried manner in his hand He hides the marjoram (τὸν ὀρίγανον). Plato however, or Cantharus, used it as feminine, saying— She from Arcadia brought The harshly-tasted (τὴν δριμυτάτην) marjoram. Epicharmus and Ameipsias both use it as a neuter noun; but Nicander, in his Melissurgica, uses θύμος as masculine.
