Interpretationes

                 Herbarum Aliorumque Magicorum

                   e papyro graeca magica XII

Interpretations

Which the Temple Scribes employed, from the Holy Writings, in 
translation.  Because of the Curiosity of the Masses they [i.e., the scribes] 
inscribed the Names of the Herbs and Other Things which they employed 
on the Statues of the Gods, so that they [the masses], since they do not take 
Precaution, might not practice Magic, [being prevented] by the 
Consequence of their Misunderstanding.  But we have collected the 
explanations from many Copies, all of them Secret.

Here they are:

A Snake's Head:  a Leech.
A Snake's Ball of Thread:  this means Soapstone.
Blood of a Snake:  Hematite.
A Bone of an Ibis:  this is Buckthorn.
Blood of a Hyrax:  truly of a Hyrax [probably the rock hyrax, Procavia capensis].
Tears [Sleep Sand] of a Hamadryas Baboon:  Dill Juice.
Crocodile Dung:  Ethiopian Soil.
Blood of a Hamadryas Baboon:  Blood of a Spotted Gecko.
Lion Semen:  Human Semen.
Blood of Hephaistos:  Wormwood.
Hairs of a Hamadryas Baboon:  Dill Seed.
Semen of Hermes:  Dill.
Blood of Ares:  Purslane.
Blood of an Eye:  Tamarisk Gall.
Blood from a Shoulder:  Bear's Breach [probably Acanthus mollis L. or 
  Helleborus foetidus L.].
From the Loins:  Camomile.
A Man's Bile:  Turnip Sap [probably Brassica napus L.].
A Pig's Tail:  Leopard's Bane [probably a variety of leopard's bane in the 
  genus Boronicum, or one of the heliotropes].
A Physician's Bone:  Sandstone.
Blood of Hestia:  Camomile.
An Eagle:  Wild Garlic [Trigonella foenumgraecum, but the reading is doubtful].
Blood of a Goose:  A Mulberry Tree's Milk.
Kronos' Spice:  Piglet's Milk.
A Lion's Hairs:  Tongue of a Turnip [i.e., the leaves of the taproot].
Kronos' Blood:  . . . of Cedar.
Semen of Helios:  White Hellebore.
Semen of Herakles:  this is Mustard-rocket [probably Eruca sativa].
A Titan's Blood:  Wild Lettuce.
Blood from a Head:  Lupine.
A Bull's Semen:  Egg of a Blister Beetle.
A Hawk's Heart:  Heart of Wormwood.
Semen of Hephaistos:  This is Fleabane.
Semen of Ammon:  Houseleek.
Semen of Ares:  Clover.
Fat from a Head:  Spurge.
From the Belly:  Earth-apple.
From the Foot:  Houseleek.
[PGM XII.401-44]

Notes

This list (slightly adapted) is from Hans Dieter Betz (ed.), The Greek 
Magical Papyri in Translation including the Demotic Spells, Univ. Chicago 
Press, 1986 167-169.  Similar lists can be found in De succedaneis 
transmitted among the works of Galen, Claudii Galeni Opera Omnia 
(Kuhn, ed.), vol. 19, 721-47; adapted version in Paul of Aegina, Paulus 
Aegineta, Corpus Medicorum Graecorum IX/2 (Heiberg, ed.), vol. II, 401-8; 
and in Dioscorides' Materia Medica.
                                                  -- John Opsopaus