History of Serpents and Dragons, Book I.

A ...to. In Italian, Serpe and Serpente: although some write that Scorzone A common name in Italy for the Grass Snake or similar non-venomous snakes is a generic name and encompasses all serpents. For the Bolognese, it is Biscia. But Testu, Tento, Agestim, Apartias, and Agussi are barbarous names used by Sylvaticus Matthaeus Silvaticus, a 14th-century Latin medical writer and botanist to signify serpents.

DIFFERENCES.

Decorative drop cap 'S' featuring a floral or foliage design with a central vertical stem.If we pursue the differences among serpents, it should be noted that these animals differ among themselves in smallness and magnitude, color, location, odor, harmfulness, and finally appearance, and other accidental traits. Considering first magnitude and smallness regarding sex (since the male serpent is said to be always smaller than the female, as also happens in other egg-laying animals), we declare first that very small serpents are found.

BBook 20, ch. 11. For Gaudentius Merula An Italian humanist and scientist of the early 16th century writes that in northern regions, at the beginning of summer, many small serpents are found near the roots of oaks and other trees. These recognize and venerate their king, who is distinguished by a crest, in the manner of bees; once he is killed, the whole swarm of serpents flees. Vincentius also notes in the Natural Mirror Vincent of Beauvais’s Speculum Naturale, a massive medieval encyclopedia a rumor of a small serpent around Thessaly which is said to kill animals by its voice alone; indeed, at the very sight of it, vipers and other serpents immediately commit themselves to flight. He adds that a small, hairy serpent dwells there, which the locals call "sacred." On the other hand, in warmer regions, In the book On Length and Shortness of Life; Book 8 of History of Animals, ch. 28. snakes of admirable magnitude are seen. The cause of this wondrous growth is warm moisture, if what Aristotle wrote is true. Therefore, the same philosopher elsewhere relates that he understood vast snakes live in Africa, which do not shrink from attacking a trireme An ancient galley with three banks of oars to devour men; indeed, bones of oxen were seen there by sailors, which many believe were consumed by the aforementioned serpents. For this reason, Suessanus Agostino Nifo, an Italian philosopher who wrote commentaries on Aristotle in his commentaries on Aristotle, thinks that among the aforementioned serpents should be counted the one killed by Attilius Regulus, the Roman Consul, in the First Punic War—a war which was concluded not long after Aristotle’s lifetime.

CA serpent skin 120 feet long. Book 9, ch. 9. In Curio post. Book 15. That serpent near the Bagradas river Now the Medjerda River in Tunisia near the African coast was killed with great struggle by the whole army; Gellius Aulus Gellius, a 2nd-century Roman author relates that its skin, 120 feet long, was later brought to Rome. Nor should we wonder much at this, since Posidonius writes (as reported by Aelian) that in a place called Macra, a dead serpent was seen a furlong original: "iugeri"; here referring to a length of about 200 feet in length, and of such thickness that horsemen standing on either side of the animal could not see each other. Indeed, by the testimony of the same Aelian, Alexander, on his voyage in the Red Sea, saw a serpent forty cubits About 60 feet long. Likewise, Pausanias mentions serpents of thirty cubits. In the forest nearest to Sabo, Clusius Charles de l'Écluse, a pioneering 16th-century botanist asserts that very large serpents dwell, exceeding sixteen, eighteen, and twenty feet in length, which the inhabitants do not fear to restrain. Did not Porus, the King of the Indians (according to Strabo), so that he might honor Augustus with gifts, arrange for a serpent of ten cubits, a tortoise of three, and a partridge larger than a vulture to be brought to him?

DBook 5, ch. 18, ch. 39. Book 17, ch. 11. In Malabar A region on the southwestern coast of India, many historians report there are serpents of horrible appearance, eight feet long, which, having taken delight in the long-term sight of boys without doing harm, are finally captured by love for them; for this reason, Scaliger Julius Caesar Scaliger, a renowned Renaissance scholar called snakes of this kind paederotas A Greek-derived term meaning "boy-lovers". These, while lying down, are said to have an eel-like face, but when rising, they dilate it so much that it seems to approach a human appearance. Furthermore, Charles Clusius in his Exotics, describes the skin of a foreign serpent nine feet long (he draws Roman feet) and in the following chapter a serpent eight Roman feet long; he thinks it difficult to declare what kind they are, since, according to Aelian, there are many and various kinds of serpents, and to follow all their species would be infinite. Nonetheless, Clusius thinks this last one should be placed among the kind that Aelian indicated as marked with pigments and multi-colored, though inferior in size to those known in India to be sixteen cubits. We ourselves have seen the skin of an Indian serpent in the possession of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, twelve hands original: "dodrantum"; a dodrans is 9 inches, so 12 x 9 inches = 9 feet long, namely nine feet, and especially wide in the middle by one hand. Hence we should be moved by no wonder if Gyllius wrote that in Caledonia Scotland serpents match their magnitude: although to attain this excessive growth...

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