stag, or he will lunge out with his antlers and
his feet; better therefore let fly your javelins from a distance.

These animals may also be captured without aid of gin or caltrop, by
sheer coursing in hot summer time; they get so tired, they will stand
still to be shot down. If hard pressed they will plunge into the sea or
take to water of any sort in their perplexity, and at times will drop
down from sheer want of breath. (36)

(36) "From mere shortness of breath."

X

To cope with the wild boar the huntsman needs to have a variety of dogs,
Indian, Cretan, Locrian, and Laconian, (1) along with a stock of nets,
javelins, boar-spears, and foot-traps.

(1) For these breeds see Pollux, v. 37: for the Laconian, Pind. "Fr."
73; Soph. "Aj." 8; cf. Shakesp. "Mids. N. D." iv. 1. 119, 129
foll.

To begin with, the hounds must be no ordinary specimens of the species
named, (2) in order to do battle with the beast in question.

(2) Or, "these hounds of the breed named must not be any ordinary
specimens"; but what does Xenophon mean by {ek toutou tou genous}?

The nets should be made of the same flaxen cord (3) as those for hares
above described. They should be forty-five threaded in three strands,
each strand consisting of fifteen threads. The height from the upper rim
(4) (i.e. from top to bottom) should be ten meshes, and the depth of the
nooses or pockets one elbow-length (say fifteen inches). (5) The ropes
running round the net should be half as thick again as the cords of the
net; and at the extremities (6) they should be fitted with rings, and
should be inserted (in and out) under the nooses, with the end passing
out through the rings. Fifteen nets will be sufficient. (7)

(3) i.e. "of Phasian or Cathaginian fine flax."

(4) {tou koruphaiou}.

(5) {pugon}. The distance from the elbow to the first joint of the
finger = 20 {daktuloi} = 5 {palaistai} = 1 1/4 ft. + (L. & S.)

(6) {ep akrois}. Cf. {akreleniois}.

(7) Reading {ikanai}, vid. Lenz ad loc. and ii. 4.

The javelins should be of all sorts, (8) having blades of a good breadth
and razor-sharpness, and stout shafts.

(8) Al. "of various material." See Pollux, v. 20 ap. Schneid.

The boar-spears should in the first place have blades fifteen inches
long, and in the middle of the socket two solid projecting teeth of
wrought metal, (9) and shafts of cornel-wood a spear-shaft's thickness.

(9) Wrought of copper (or bronze).