Monday, January 11, 2010

Plinius on Hares


Vessels in the shape of hares. The animal was considered a lovers gift in ancient Greece.

"There are also numerous species of hares. Those in the Alps are white, and it is believed that, during the winter, they live upon snow for food; at all events, every year, as the snow melts, they acquire a reddish colour; it is, moreover, an animal which is capable of existing in the most severe climates."

Pliny the Elder - Naturalis Historia (the Natural History) VIII 81 55
Translated by John Bostock, H.T. Riley

No comments: