together, arose the forms and colours of all those mortal things that have been fitted together by Aphrodite, and so are now come into being. . . .
(72)
How tall trees and the fishes in the sea . . .
(73)
And even as at that time Kypris, preparing warmth,[1] after she had moistened the Earth in water, gave it to swift fire to harden it. . . . R. P. 171.
(74)
Leading the songless tribe of fertile fish.
(75)
All of those which are dense within and rare without, having received a flaccidity of this kind at the hands of Kypris. . . .
(76)
This thou mayest see in the heavy-backed shell-fish that dwell in the sea, in sea-snails and the stony-skinned turtles. In them thou mayest see that the earthy part dwells on the uppermost surface of the skin.
(77–78)
It is moisture[2] that makes evergreen trees flourish with abundance of fruit the whole year round.
(79)
And so first of all tall olive trees bear eggs. . . .
(80)
Wherefore pomegranates are late-born and apples succulent.
(81)
Wine is the water from the bark, putrefied in the wood.
