Corrections to Isidore of Seville’s Text on Horses, Asses and Hybrids and about Impressions in the Mind during Conception

Abstract

  This is a critical analysis of the passage of Isidore’s Etymologies on equidae, hybrids and other procedures to alter the features of the fetus (orig. 12.1.38-61). In order to better understand its content in approaching the original text, several textual corrections and spelling variants are proposed taking into account Isidore’s methodology and linguistic approaches, the readings of the best manuscripts (aseddus, mauro, dosina, hii), literary sources (spectantur, maximi... clunes, ab hoc, perspexerint); parallel expressions (caperent, homines), other passages of the work (ideo... quod, Vgnicis, pulcritudo, suboles), grammar (habet and coitum); etymology (equi equabantur); sense (a cauo); variant spellings that Isidore is believed to have used (honeribus, Hana, quum, prelium, mestitia, Iudei, Spanis, abtum, cenocephalus, tipis), confusions caused by abbreviations (antea from autem a) and by Greek words (μύλος), and the treatise’s unfinished state with sentences or words to be completed (nam glaucum ueteres dicunt) or deleted (frequens opinio est).