Aspaltum

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Complete text of entry:

Aspaltum, Dyascorides est bitumen iudaicum aliud est aridum aliud liquidum. Sed aridum gignitur in iudea fenice sidonia quod est primum et tondi potest ut cetera pigmenta. Liquidum vero generatur in babilonia et appolonia et sicilia, reperitur autem innatans in fontibus et cetera. Plinius bithuminis sulphuris proxima est natura est velut limus a iudee lacu emergens in syria circa sydonem opidum maritimum. Spissatur namquam et in densitatem coit. Est vero liquidum bitumen et acchytium et quod a babilone invehitur ibi quidem et candidum gignitur liquidum est et apollonaticum que omnia greci pissaspalton appellant ex argumento picis et bituminis. gignitur et pinguis liquoris in sicilia agrigentino fonte inficiens rivum, incole hic arundinum panniculis colligunt citissime sic adherens, omnes utuntur eo ad lucernarum lumina olei vice et cetera, et infra naptha bituminis generibus ascribitur, verum ardens eius natura et ignium cognata procul abest ab omni usu et cetera, aspaltum quod et bitumen iudaicum et stercus demonis vocatur a quibusdam est naptha et petroleum unius generis sunt de naptha infra.


Simon's text sectioned: Pliny:

Plinius bithuminis sulphuris proxima est natura est velut limus a iudee lacu emergens in syria circa sydonem opidum maritimum. Spissatur namquam et in densitatem coit. Est vero liquidum bitumen et acchytium et quod a babilone invehitur ibi quidem et candidum gignitur liquidum est et apollonaticum que omnia greci pissaspalton appellant ex argumento picis et bituminis.


Apparatus:

bithuminis AC | bitumĩs B | bittumĩs e

sulphuris AC e | sulfuris B

velut A | velud BC | ualde e

sydonem C | sydonẽ A e | sidonẽ B

maritimum C | maritimuʒ A | maritimũ e | mirtimũ B

densitatem C Pliny | densitate e | dẽsitatẽ A | dẽsitate B

coit AC | coyt B | cadit e

acchytium AC | accinthiuʒ e | accĩthiũ B | Zacynthium Pliny

a babilõe AC | ab qa.lone B e | a Babylone Pliny

inuehitur C Pliny |inuehit~ A | inueĩtur B | inuenit~ e

apollonaticũ AC | apollonatiũ B | apollonatiuʒ e | Appoloniaticum Pliny

pissaspalton AC | pisaspalton e | pisaspaltõ B | pissasphalton Pliny

et bitumĩs e | & bitũmĩs AC | & bitumĩis B


Translation:

Bitumen is close to the nature of sulphur, it is like the sludge emerging from a certain lake in Judaea, and furthermore there is also a certain earth in Syria near Sidon, the maritime city. It can be made thicker and made to shrink in density. But there is also a liquid bitumen like the Zacynthian bitumen and the one imported from Babylon; from there a white kind is produced. The one from Apollonia is liquid, which the Greeks call pissasphaltos from the resemblance to pitch and bitumen.


Pliny, ctd.:

gignitur et pinguis liquoris in sicilia agrigentino fonte inficiens rivum, incole hic arundinum panniculis colligunt citissime sic adherens, omnes utuntur eo ad lucernarum lumina olei vice et cetera, et infra naptha bituminis generibus ascribitur, verum ardens eius natura et ignium cognata procul abest ab omni usu et cetera

Apparatus:

pinguis AC | pĩguis B | pinguuis e | pingue Pliny

agrigentino AC e | agugẽtĩo B {'ri' misread as 'n' > 'u'}| Agragantino Pliny

riuum AC | riuũ e | rinũ B {'u' misread as 'n'}

arũdinum C | arũdinũ A e | harũdinũ B

pãniculis AC e | paniculis B

citissime C e | citisime B

adherens C | adherẽs A | aderescẽs B e

oẽs vtũtur AC | utunt~ e | utũt~ B

olei AC e | oll'i B

naptha | naphta AC | napta B e

ardens e | ardẽs AC | a dẽs B

ignium C | igniũ AB | igneum e

cognata AC | cognita B | cog'ta e

et cetera deest e


Translation:

There is also one greasy bitumen {of the nature} of an oil and liquid found in a spring in Agrigentum, Sicily, which pollutes the river. The natives there collect it with tufts of reed, to which it sticks very readily, And they use it instead of oil for light from their lamps, etc. And further down Pliny says:

Some authors place naphtha among the bitumens, but its nature is to burn {quickly} and it has this temperament to ignite; therefore it is unfit for any use.


Simon's final remark:

aspaltum quod et bitumen iudaicum et stercus demonis vocatur a quibusdam est naptha et petroleum unius generis sunt de naptha infra.


Apparatus:

Simon's final remark is treated as an extra entry in ms. e.

bitumen (-mẽ AC) iudaicũ(-cuʒ C) ABC | butirũ Judaicũ e

vocatur (vocat~ A) a quibusdã AC | a quibusdam (quibusdam e) uocat~ B

est (est A) naptha AC | et napta B e

vnius generis sũt C | vnius gñis sunt A | unius sũt generis B | inanis sunt generis e

naptha (ĩfra A) infra AC | napta infra B | napta e


Aspaltum, which is also called by some bitumen iudaicum {lit. "Judean bitumen"} and stercus demonis {lit. "demon's excrement"} is naphta as well as petroleum; they are of one kind. See the entry Nafra above.



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