[35\5: This is the reason why so often the bones or ashes of those who die abroad are collected and brought home for burial by their relations. Exx. ap. Westermann on Dem., _Eubul._ 70; cf. also Plu., _Phoc._ 37.] [36\5: Ar., _Ec._ 1030. Origanon (wild marjoram, white thyme possesses apotropaic power: it keeps away evil spirits. The ancients knew of the virtue possessed by these plants of scaring snakes, ants, and other vermin--Aristot., _HA._ 4, 8, 534b, 22; Plin. 10, 195; Thphr., _CP._ 6, 5, 4; Diosc., _MM._ iii, 29 = i, p. 375 Spr.; _Gp._ 12, 19, 9: cf. Niclas ad _Gp._ 13, 10, 5. Modern superstition employs them against goblins and water sprites, witches and ghosts, Grimm, p. 1214; p. 1820, n. 980. If marjoram and gentian are laid by women in child-bed ghosts and devils can do them no harm "for they shun such herbs": J. Ch. Männlingen ap. Alwin Schultz, _Alltagsleben e. d. Frau im 18 Jahrh._, p. 195 f. The two purposes are closely connected. The pungent odour of herbs and burning stuff keeps away snakes as do nocentes spiritus monstra noxia: Pall. 1, 35 = 11, 3, p. 49 Sohn. The same thing applies to monstra noxia if they try to approach the corpse in the shape of snakes or insects (just as the ghost in Apul., _M._ ii, 25, approaches the corpse in the shape of a weasel; where we also read that the versipelles which threaten the corpse et aves et rursum canes et mures immo vero etiam muscas induunt: ii, 22). So, too, the marjoram has a kathartic effect on the corpse, i.e. it is a means of keeping off underworld spirits.] [37\5: Ar., _Ec._ 1031. The corpse lay on vine branches in several of the recently discovered Dipylon graves at Athens: _Athen. Mitt._ 1893, pp 165, 184. Superstitious reasons (as in the cases where olive leaves are used as a bed: see below) are to be suspected in this case, too, but can hardly be proved: cf. **Fredrich, _Sarkophagstud._, Nach. Gött. Ges. Wiss. Ph. Cl. 1895, pp. 18, 69; Anrich, _Gr. Mysterienw._ 102, 3. Apart from this the ~a/mpelos~ does not seem to have lustral effect.] [38\5: ~lê/kuthoi, tou/strakon~: Ar., _Ec._ 1032 f.; ~che/rnips epi\ phthitô=n pu/lais~: Eur., _Al._ 98 ff. The bowl was called ~arda/nion~: Sch. Ar., _Ec._ 1033; Poll. viii, 65 (cf. Phot. 346, 1 ~orda/nion~). It contained water fetched from _another_ house: Hesych, ~o/strakon~--obviously because the water in the house where the corpse lay was regarded as polluted. (Thus when the fire, for example, is "polluted", fresh fire is brought in from outside: Plu., _Q. Gr._ 24, p. 297 A; _Arist._ 20.) Those who left the house purified themselves with it: Hesych. ~arda/nia~, cf. {189} ~pêgai=on, pêgai=on hu/dôr~. A laurel branch (as holy-water sprinkler, as commonly in lustrations) was placed in it: Sch. Eur., _Al._ 98.]