Conile

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Conile secundum Dyascoridem vocavit Nichander quamdam speciem origani.


Translation:

According to Dyascorides a certain kind of origanum was called conile by Nicander.


Commentary:

Greek κονίλη /konílē/ is glossed by LSJ as "marjoram, Origanum viride", {i.e. syn. Origanum vulgare L. subsp. viride (Boiss.) Hayek} and "organy, Origanum heracleoticum", {i.e. Origanum vulgare L. subsp. hirtum "Greek oregano"}.

Simon's ultimate source is Dioscorides Longobardus, 3, 30, ed. Stadler (1899: 390-1) De origano agresti – "On wild origanum", which begins with stating the common synonyms of the plant: Origano agreste aut panace aut heraclia aut collena vocant, unde et nicandros est et colofonieus - "wild origanum, panacea, heraclia or collena {= conila}, is what they call this plant, as does Nicander the Colophonian amongst them."

The original Greek Dioscoridean text can be found: 3, 29, ed. Wellmann (1906-14: II.39), ἀγριορίγανος /agrioríganos/ "(lit.) field-origanum".

Dioscorides refers to Nicander's Θηριακά Thēriaká, lines 625, 626 ff.

625: Μὴ σύ γ' ἐλιχρύσοιο λιπεῖν πολυδευκέος ἄνθην,

626: κόρκορον ἢ μύωπα, πανάκτειόν τε κονίλην,

627: ἥν τε καὶ Ἡράκλειον ὀρίγανον ἀμφὶς ἔπουσι·


which Gow & Scholfield (1953: 71) translate:

"You must not neglect the blossom of the sweet GOLD-FLOWER,

nor the BLUE PIMPERNEL with its closed eye, nor the all-healing MARJORAM,

which men honour as Heracles's Organy. ..."


Νίκανδρος ὁ Κολοφώνιος - Nicander of Colophon, lived in the 2nd century BC. Of his works only two survive complete, one of which is the Θηριακά /Thēriaká/, a hexamenter poem of 958 lines on how to treat the wounds inflicted by venomous animals.


The plant is generally identified as Origanum viride Boiss. (André 1956) "marjoram", or some subspecies of this plant.


See also: Cunilla, Colena origanum, Golena


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