[100] Oleum si in metretam novam inditurus eris, amurca, ita uti est cruda, prius conluito agitatoque diu, ut bene conbibat. Id si feceris, metreta oleum non bibet, et oleum melius faciet, et ipsa metreta firmior erit.
[100] 1 If you intend to store oil in a new jar, first wash down the jar with crude amurca, shaking for a long time so that it may soak up the amurca thoroughly. If you do this, the jar will not soak up the oil, it will make the oil better, and the jar itself will be stronger.
[101] Virgas murteas si voles cum bacis servare et item aliud genus quod vis, et si ramos ficulneos voles cum foliis, inter se alligato, fasciculos facito, eos in amurcam demittito, supra stet amurca facito. Sed ea quae demissurus eris sumito paulo acerbiora. Vas, quo condideris, oblinito plane.
[101] 1 To preserve myrtle or any other twigs with the berries, or fig branches with the leaves, tie them together into bundles and plunge them into amurca until they are covered. But the fruit to be preserved should be picked a little before it is ripe, and the vessel in which it is stored should be sealed tight.
[102] Si bovem aut aliam quamvis quadrupedem serpens momorderit, melanthi acetabulum, quod medici vocant zmurnaeum, conterito in vini veteris hemina: id per nares indito et ad ipsum morsum stercus suillum apponito. Et idem hoc, si usus evenerit, homini facito.
[102] 1 When a serpent has bitten an ox or any other quadruped, macerate an acetabulum of fennel flower, which the physicians call smyrnaeum, in a hemina of old wine. Administer through the nostrils, and apply swine’s dung to the wound itself. Treat a person in the same way if occasion arises.
[103] Boves uti valeant et curati bene sint, et qui fastidient cibum, uti magis cupide adpetant, pabulum quod dabis amurca spargito; primo pabulum, dum consuescant, postea magis, et dato rarenter bibere conmixtam cum aqua aequabiliter. Quarto quinto quoque die hoc sic facies. Ita boves et corpore curatiores erunt, et morbus aberit.
[103] 1 To keep cattle well and strong, and to increase the appetite of those which are off their feed, sprinkle the feed which you give with amurca. Feed in small quantities at first to let them grow accustomed to it, and then increase. Give them less often a draught of equal parts of amurca and water. Do this every fourth or fifth day. This treatment will keep them in better condition, disease will stay away from them.
[104] Vinum familiae per hiemem qui utatur. Musti Q. X in dolium indito, aceti acris Q. II eodem infundito, sapae Q. II, aquae dulcis Q. L. Haec rude misceto ter in die dies quinque continuos. Eo addito aquae marinae veteris sextarios LXIIII et operculum in dolium inponito et oblinito post dies X. Hoc vinum durabit tibi usque ad solstitium. Siquid superfuerit post solstitium, acetum acerrimum et pulcherrimum erit.
[104] 1 Wine for the hands to drink through the winter: Pour into a jar 10 quadrantals of must, 2 quadrantals of sharp vinegar, 2 quadrantals of boiled must, 50 quadrantals of fresh water. Stir with a stick thrice a day for five consecutive days. Then add 64 sextarii of old sea-water, cover the jar, and seal ten days later. This wine will last you until the summer solstice; whatever is left over after the solstice will be a very sharp and excellent vinegar.
[105] Qui ager longe a mari aderit, ibi vinum Graecum sic facito. Musti Q. XX in aheneum aut plumbeum infundito, ignem subdito. Ubi bullabit vinum, ignem subducito. Ubi id vinum refrixerit, in dolium quadragenarium infundito. Seorsum vas aquae dulcis Q. I infundito, salis M I, sinito muriam fieri. Ubi muria facta erit, eodem in dolium infundito. Schoenum et calamum in pila contundito, quod satis siet, sextarium unum eodem in dolium infundito, ut odoratum siet. Post dies XXX dolium oblinito. Ad ver diffundito in amphoras. Biennium in sole sinito positum esse. Deinde in tectum conferto. Hoc vinum deterius non erit quam Coum.
[105] 1 If your place is far from the sea, you may use this recipe for Greek wine: Pour 20 quadrantals of must into a copper or lead boiler and heat. As soon as the wine boils, remove the fire; and when the wine has cooled, pour into a jar holding 40 quadrantals. Pour 1 modius of salt and 1 quadrantal of fresh water into a separate vessel, and let a brine be made; and when the brine is made pour it into the jar. Pound rush and calamus in a mortar to make a sufficient quantity, and pour 1 sextarius into the jar to give it an odour. Thirty days later seal the jar, and rack off into amphorae in the spring. Let it stand for two years in the sun, then bring it under cover. This wine will not be inferior to the Coan.
[106] Aquae marinae concinnatio. Aquae marinae Q. I ex alto sumito, quo aqua dulcis non accedit. Sesquilibram salis frigito, eodem indito et rude misceto usque adeo, donec ovum gallinaceum coctum natabit, desinito miscere. Eodem vini veteris vel Aminnii vel miscelli albi congios II infundito, misceto probe. Postea vas picatum confundito et oblinito. Siquid plus voles aquae marinae concinnare, pro portione ea omnia facito.
[106] 1 Preparation of sea-water: Take 1 quadrantal of water from the deep sea where no fresh water comes; parch 1½ pounds of salt, add it, and stir with a rod until a boiled hen’s egg will float; then stop the stirring. Add 2 congii of old wine, either Aminnian or ordinary white, and after mixing thoroughly pour into a pitched jar and seal. If you wish to make a larger quantity of sea-water, use a proportionate amount of the same materials.
[107] Quo labra doliorum circumlinas, ut bene odorata sint et nequid viti in vinum accedat. Sapae congios VI quam optimae infundito in aheneum aut in plumbeum et iris aridae contusae heminam et sertam Campanicam P. V bene odoratam una cum iri contundas quam minutissime, per cribrum cernas et una cum sapa coquas sarmentis et levi flamma. Commoveto, videto ne aduras. Usque coquito, dum dimidium excoquas. Ubi refrixerit, confundito in vas picatum bene odoratum et oblinito et utito in labra doliorum.
[107] 1 To coat the brim of wine jars, so as to give a good odour and to keep any blemish from the wine: Put 6 congii of the best boiled must in a copper or lead vessel; take a hemina of dry crushed iris and 5 pounds of fragrant Campanian melilot, grind very fine with the iris, and pass through a sieve into the must. Boil the whole over a slow fire of faggots, stirring constantly to prevent scorching; continue the boiling, until you have boiled off a half. When it has cooled, pour into a sweet smelling jar covered with pitch, seal, and use for the brims of wine jars.
[108] Vinum si voles experiri duraturum sit necne, polentam grandem dimidium acetabuli in caliculum novum indito et vini sextarium de eo vino quod voles experiri eodem infundito et inponito in carbones; facito bis aut ter inferveat. Tum id percolato, polentam abicito. Vinum ponito sub dio. Postridie mane gustato. Si id sapiet, quod in dolio est, scito duraturum; si subacidum erit, non durabit.
[108] 1 If you wish to determine whether wine will keep or not, place in a new vessel half an acetabulum of large pearl barley and a sextarius of the wine you wish to test; place it on the coals and bring it to a boil two or three times; then strain, throw away the barley, and place the wine in the open. Taste it the next morning. If it is sweet, you may know that the wine in the jar will keep; but if it is slightly acid it will not.
[109] Vinum asperum quod erit lene et suave si voles facere, sic facito. De ervo farinam facito libras IIII et vini cyathos IIII conspargito sapa. Postea facito laterculos. Sinito conbibant noctem et diem. Postea conmisceto cum eo vino in dolio et oblinito post dies LX. Id vinum erit lene et suave et bono colore et bene odoratum.
[109] 1 To make sharp wine mild and sweet: Make 4 pounds of flour from vetch, and mix 4 cyathi of wine with boiled must; make into small bricks and let them soak for a night and a day; then dissolve with the wine in the jar, and seal sixty days later. The wine will be mild and sweet, of good colour and of good odour.
[110] Odorem deteriorem demere vino. Testam de tegula crassam puram calfacito in igni bene. Ubi calebit, eam picato, resticula alligato, testam demittito in dolium infimum leniter, sinito biduum oblitum dolium. Si demptus erit odor deterior, id optime; si non, saepius facito, usque dum odorem malum dempseris.
[110] 1 To remove a bad odour from wine: Heat a thick clean piece of roofing-tile thoroughly in the fire. When it is hot coat it with pitch, attach a string, lower it gently to the bottom of the jar, and leave the jar sealed for two days. If the bad odour is removed the first time, that will be best; if not, repeat until the bad odour is removed.
[111] Si voles scire, in vinum aqua addita sit necne, vasculum facito de materia hederacia. Vinum id, quod putabis aquam habere, eo demittito. Si habebit aquam, vinum effluet, aqua manebit. Nam non continet vinum vas hederaceum.
[111] 1 If you wish to determine whether wine has been watered or not: Make a vessel of ivy wood and put in it some of the wine you think has water in it. If it contains water, the wine will soak through and the water will remain, for a vessel of ivy wood will not hold wine.
[112] Vinum Coum si voles facere, aquam ex alto marinam sumito mari tranquillo, cum ventus non erit, dies LXX ante vindemiam, quo aqua dulcis non perveniet. Ubi hauseris de mari, in dolium infundito, nolito inplere, quadrantalibus quinque minus sit quam plenum. Operculum inponito, relinquito qua interspiret. Ubi dies XXX praeterierint, transfundito in alterum dolium puriter et leniter, relinquito in imo quod desiderit. Post dies XX in alterum dolium item transfundito; ita relinquito usque ad vindemiam. Unde vinum Coum facere voles, uvas relinquito in vinea, sinito bene coquantur, et ubi pluerit et siccaverit, tum deligito et ponito in sole biduum aut triduum sub dio, si pluviae non erunt. Si pluvia erit, in tecto cratibus conponito, et siqua acina corrupta erunt, depurgato. Tum sumito aquam marinam Q. S. S. E, in dolium quinquagenarium infundito aquae marinae Q. X. Tum acina de uvis miscellis decarpito de scopione in idem dolium, usque dum inpleveris. Manu conprimito acina, ut conbibant aquam marinam. Ubi inpleveris dolium, operculo operito, relinquito qua interspiret. Ubi triduum praeterierit, eximito de dolio et calcato in torculario et id vinum condito in dolia lauta et pura et sicca.
[112] 1 Recipe for Coan wine: Take sea-water at a distance from the shore, where fresh water does not come, when the sea is calm and no wind is blowing, seventy days before vintage. After taking it from the sea, pour into a jar, filling it not fully but to within five quadrantals of the top. Cover the jar, leaving space for air, and thirty days later pour it slowly and carefully into another jar, leaving the sediment in the bottom. Twenty days later pour in the same way into a third jar, and leave until vintage. Allow the grapes from which you intend to make the Coan wine to remain on the vine, let them ripen thoroughly, and pick them when they have dried after a rain. Place them in the sun for two days, or in the open for three days, unless it is raining, in which case put them under cover in baskets; clear out any berries which have rotted. Then take the above-mentioned sea-water and pour 10 quadrantals into a jar holding 50; then pick the berries of ordinary grapes from the stem into the jar until you have filled it. Press the berries with the hand so that they may soak in the sea-water. When the jar is full, cover it, leaving space for air, and three days later remove the grapes from the jar, tread out in the pressing-room, and store the wine in jars which have been washed clean and dried.
[113] Ut odoratum bene sit, sic facito. Sumito testam picatam, eo prunam lenem indito, suffito serta et schoeno et palma, quam habent unguentarii, ponito in dolio et operito, ne odor exeat, antequam vinum indas. Hoc facito pridie quam vinum infundere voles. De lacu quam primum vinum in dolia indito, sinito dies XV operta, antequam oblinas, relinquito qua interspiret, postea oblinito. Post dies XL diffundito in amphoras et addito in singulas amphoras sapae sextarium unum. Amphoras nolito inplere nimium, ansarum infimarum fini, et amphoras in sole ponito, ubi herba non siet, et amphoras operito, ne aqua accedat, et ne plus quadriennium in sole siveris. Post quadriennium in cuneum conponito et instipato.
[113] 1 To impart a sweet aroma: Take a tile covered with pitch, spread over it warm ashes, and cover with aromatic herbs, rush and the palm which the perfumers keep, place in a jar and cover, so that the odour will not escape before you pour in the wine. Do this the day before you wish to pour in the wine. Pour the wine into the jars from the vat immediately, let them stand covered for fifteen days before sealing, leaving space for air, and then seal. Forty days later pour off into amphorae, and add one sextarius of boiled must to the amphora. Do not fill the amphorae higher than the bottom of the handles, and place them in the sun where there is no grass. Cover the amphorae so that water cannot enter, and let them stand in the sun not more than four years; four years later, arrange them in a wedge, and pack them closely.
[114] Vinum si voles concinnare, ut alvum bonam faciat, secundum vindemiam, ubi vites ablaqueantur, quantum putabis ei rei satis esse vini, tot vites ablaqueato et signato. Earum radices circumsecato et purgato. Veratri atri radices contundito in pila, eas radices dato circum vitem et stercus vetus et cinerem veterem et duas partes terrae circumdato radices vitis. Terram insuper inicito. Hoc vinum seorsum legito. Si voles servare in vetustatem ad alvum movendam, servato, ne conmisceas cum etero vino. De eo vino cyathum sumito et misceto aqua et bibito ante cenam. Sine periculo alvum movebit.
[114] 1 If you wish to make a laxative wine: After vintage, when the vines are trenched, expose the roots of as many vines as you think you will need for the purpose and mark them; isolate and clear the roots. Pound roots of black hellebore in the mortar, and apply around the vines. Cover the roots with old manure, old ashes, and two parts of earth, and cover the whole with earth. Gather these grapes separately; if you wish to keep the wine for some time as a laxative, do not mix it with the other wine. Take a cyathus of this wine, dilute it with water, and drink it before dinner; it will move the bowels with no bad results.
[115] In vinum mustum veratri atri manipulum coicito in amphoram. Ubi satis efferverit, de vino manipulum eicito. Id vinum servato ad alvum movendam. Vinum ad alvum movendam concinnare. Vites cum ablaqueabuntur, signato rubrica, ne admisceas cum cetero vino. Tris fasciculos veratri atri circumponito circum radices et terram insuper inicito. Per vindemiam de iis vitibus quod delegeris, seorsum servato, cyathum in ceteram potionem indito. Alvum movebit et postridie pepurgabit sine periculo.
[115] 1 Throw in a handful of black hellebore to the amphora of must, and when the fermentation is complete, remove the hellebore from the wine; save this wine for a laxative.
To prepare a laxative wine: When the vines are trenched, mark with red chalk so that you will not mix with the rest of the wine; place three bundles of black hellebore around the roots and cover with earth. Keep the yield from these vines separate during the vintage. Put a cyathus into another drink; it will move the bowels and the next day give a thorough purging without danger.
[116] Lentim quo modo servare oporteat. Laserpicium aceto diluito, permisceto lentim aceto laserpiciato et ponito in sole. Postea lentim oleo perfricato, sinito arescat. Ita integra servabitur recte.
[116] 1 To preserve lentils: Infuse asafetida in vinegar, soak the lentils in the infusion of vinegar and asafetida, and expose to the sun; then rub the lentils with oil, allow them to dry, and they will keep quite sound.
[117] Oleae albae quo modo condiantur. Antequam nigrae fiant, contundantur et in aquam deiciantur. Crebro aquam mutet. Deinde, ubi satis maceratae erunt, exprimat et in acetum coiciat et oleum addat, salis selibram in modium olearum. Feniculum et lentiscum seorsum condat in acetum. Si una admiscere voles, cito utito. In orculam calcato. Manibus siccis, cum uti voles, sumito.
[117] 1 To season green olives: Bruise the olives before they become black and throw them into water. Change the water often, and when they are well soaked press out and throw into vinegar; add oil, and a half pound of salt to the modius of olives. Make a dressing of fennel and mastic steeped in vinegar, using a separate vessel. If you wish to mix them together they must be served at once. Press them out into an earthenware vessel and take them out with dry hands when you wish to serve them.
[118] Oleam albam, quam secundum vindemiam uti voles, sic condito. Musti tantumdem addito, quantum aceti. Cetera item condito ita, uti supra scriptum est.
[118] 1 To season green olives which you wish to use after vintage, add as much must as vinegar; for the rest, season them as stated above.
[119] Epityrum album nigrum variumque sic facito. Ex oleis albis nigris variisque nucleos eicito. Sic condito. Concidito ipsas, addito oleum, acetum coriandrum, cuminum feniculum rutam, mentam. In orcuam condito, oleum supra siet. Ita utito.
[119] 1 Recipe for a confection of green, ripe, and mottled olives. Remove the stones from green, ripe, and mottled olives, and season as follows: chop the flesh, and add oil, vinegar, coriander, cummin, fennel, rue, and mint. Cover with oil in an earthen dish, and serve.