His long snout is like that of a swine. Stiff bristles like horns stand up from his forehead. Red and fierce are his fiery eyes. Under his bristly back are short legs like those of a small dog. Small as this animal is, nevertheless Nature has seen fit to dower him with a wonderful means of defence. All over the body grows a threatening thicket: a harvest of brightly coloured spears bristles up ready [65] Perdiccas, the young hunter, is said to have fallen in love with his mother Polycaste (or Polycarpe)=the Earth (see _Mythogr. Lat._ ii. 130). Claudian inverts the story. For details see Höfer in Roscher’s lexicon, art. “Perdix,” col. 1953. * * * * * Page 182 alba subit radix, alternantesque colorum tincta vices, spatiis internigrantibus, exit in solidae speciem pinnae, tenuataque furtim 15 levis in extremum sese producit acumen. Sed non haec acies ritu silvestris echini fixa manet. crebris propugnat iactibus ultro et longe sua membra tegit, tortumque per auras evolat excusso nativum missile tergo. 20 interdum fugiens Parthorum more sequentem vulnerat; interdum positis velut ordine castris terrificum densa mucronum verberat unda et consanguineis hastilibus asperat armos: militat omne ferae corpus vibrataque rauco 25 terga fragore sonant. stimulis accensa tubarum agmina conlatis credas confligere signis: tantus in angusto strepitus furit. additur armis calliditas parcusque sui tumor iraque numquam prodiga telorum, caute contenta minari 30 nec nisi servandae iactus impendere vitae. error abest: certum sollertia destinat ictum nil spatio fallente modum, servatque tenorem mota cutis doctique regit conamina nisus. Quid labor humanus tantum ratione sagaci 35 proficit? eripiunt trucibus Gortynia capris cornua; subiectis eadem lentescere cogunt ignibus; intendunt taurino viscere nervos; instruitur pinnis ferroque armatur harundo. ecce brevis propriis munitur bestia telis 40 * * * * * Page 183 for battle. The roots of these weapons are white and are firmly fixed in the animal’s skin. The quills are themselves parti-coloured with black bands and come to a stiff quill-like point, diminishing in diameter towards the tip which is smooth and sharp.