Athenaeus, The Deipnosophists
C. D. Yonge, B.A., Ed.

---

The λευκερινεὸς is a kind of fig-tree; and perhaps it is that kind which produces the white figs; Hermippus mentions it in his Iambics, in these terms—

There are besides the Leucerinean figs.

And the figs called ἐρινεοὶ, or ἐρινοῖ, are mentioned by Euripides in his “Sciron”—

Or else to fasten him on the erinean boughs.

And Epicharmus says, in his Sphinx,—

But these are not like the erinean figs.

And Sophocles, in his play entitled “The Wedding of Helen,” by a sort of metaphor, calls the fruit itself by the name of the tree; saying—

A ripe ἐρινὸς is a useless thing
For food, and yet you ripen others by
Your conversation.

And he uses the masculine gender here, saying πέπων ἔρινος, instead of πέπον ἔρινον. Alexis also says in his “Caldron”—

And why now need we speak of people who
Sell every day their figs in close pack'd baskets,
And constantly do place those figs below
Which are hard and bad; but on top they range
The ripe and beautiful fruit. And then a comrade,
As if he'd bought the basket, gives the price;
The seller, putting in his mouth the coin,
Sells wild figs (ἔρινα) while he swears he's selling good ones.

Now the tree, the wild fig, from which the fruit meant by the term ἔρινα comes, is called ἐρινὸς, being a masculine noun. Strattis says, in his Troilus—

Have you not perceived a wild fig-tree near her?

[p. 129] And Homer says—

There stands a large wild fig-tree flourishing with leaves.

And Amerias says, that the figs on the wild fig-trees are called ἐρίνακαι.