斯人如桂：谁赋予了你无以伦比的荣耀
（十二）谁赋予了你无以伦比的荣耀
老普林尼（Pliny, the elder, 23年－79年）的《自然史》(Natural History)共37卷，分为2500章，以巨大的篇幅极为详尽地记述了作者所生活时代的几乎所有方面的知识，被认为是百科全书的起源。里面有两个章节比较详细地介绍了月桂。
第15卷第39章：
“月桂是特别奉献给凯旋的，对房屋有着很好的装饰作用，守护着皇帝和高级祭司的正大门；它单独悬吊在那里，为宫殿增光添彩，而且一直守卫在门槛前。卡托谈到了这种树的两个变种，德尔斐月桂和塞浦路斯月桂。庞培·莱纳乌斯又添了另一种，因其被放置在一种叫"mustaceum"的蛋糕下面，故而得名“ mustax”。他说，这个品种的月桂叶子大且松软，叶面略带灰白。 德尔斐月桂是纯正的绿色，颜色深过其他品种，浆果很大，绿中透红。据说，德尔斐的获胜者佩戴着的正是这种桂冠，罗马勇士们享此殊荣。据说，塞浦路斯月桂的叶子短，是暗色的，边缘具锯齿，叶质酥脆”。
（注：mustaceum是一种流传至今的意大利传统糕点，由优质小麦、芥末、茴香籽、小茴香籽、羊脂，奶酪和月桂叶小树枝制成的。烘烤时将月桂树的叶子放在下面。是一种有益于肠胃的清淡糕点）。
（The laurel is especially consecrated to triumphs, is remarkably ornamental to houses, and guards the portals of our emperors and our pontiffs: there suspended alone, it graces the palace, and is ever on guard before the threshold. Cato speaks of two varieties of this tree, the Delphic and the Cyprian. Pompeius Lenæus has added another, to which he has given the name of "mustax," from the circumstance of its being used for putting under the cake known by the name of "mustaceum." He says that this variety has a very large leaf, flaccid, and of a whitish hue; that the Delphic laurel is of one uniform colour, greener than the other, with berries of very large size, and of a red tint approaching to green. He says, too, that it is with this laurel that the victors at Delphi are crowned, and warriors who enjoy the honours of a triumph at Rome. The Cyprian laurel, he says, has a short leaf, is of a blackish colour, with an imbricated edge, and crisped.)
紧接着的第40章是与月桂树有关的历史事件，（CHAP. 40.—Historical Anecdotes Connected With The Laurel），翻译如下：
“这棵树象征着和平，伸出一根月桂枝，表示两军休战。对于罗马人而言，它更是喜讯和胜利的信使：它跟随将军的调遣，装饰着士兵们的长矛、标枪以及摆在首领前面的束棒。正是这棵树的枝条被摆放在万能之神朱庇特的大腿上，时不时一些新的胜利给全民带来了喜悦。究其根由，不是因为它是常绿的，也不是因为它是和平的象征（这两方面橄榄树更有优势），而是因为它是帕纳苏斯山上最美丽的树，优雅的姿态甚至让阿波罗感到愉悦；正如我们从卢修斯·布鲁图斯的故事中学到的，早期的罗马国王供奉阿波罗神。也许，这棵树被特别赋予了‘荣誉’的含义，因为布鲁图斯在神谕的指点下，亲吻了生长着月桂树的土地，并在那里因断言祖国的自由而赢得了荣誉。另一个原因，也可能是事实，我们在房屋四周种植的所有灌木中，月桂是唯一从未被雷击倒的。我认为，正是出于这些原因，月桂被特别视为胜利的象征，而不是像马修里斯所说的，人们用月桂熏蒸和去除敌人的血污，故而此树象征着胜利”。
（注：帕纳苏斯山（Mount Parnassus）是希腊中部的石灰岩山，高耸于科林斯湾北部的德尔斐之上）
（This tree is emblematical of peace: when a branch of it is extended, it is to denote a truce between enemies in arms. For the Romans more particularly it is the messenger of joyful tidings, and of victory: it accompanies the despatches of the general, and it decorates the lances and javelins of the soldiers and the fasces which precede their chief. It is of this tree that branches are deposited on the lap of Jupiter All-good and All-great, so often as some new victory has imparted uni- versal gladness. This is done, not because it is always green, nor yet because it is an emblem of peace—for in both of those respects the olive would take the precedence of it—but because it is the most beauteous tree on Mount Parnassus, and was pleasing for its gracefulness to Apollo even; a deity to whom the kings of Rome sent offerings at an early period, as we learn from the case of L. Brutus. Perhaps, too, honour is more particularly paid to this tree because it was there that Brutus earned the glory of asserting his country's liberties, when, by the direction of the oracle, he kissed that laurel-bearing soil. Another reason, too, may be the fact, that of all the shrubs that are planted and received in our houses, this is the only one that is never struck by lightning. It is for these reasons, in my opinion, that the post of honour has been awarded to the laurel more particularly in triumphs, and not, as Massurius says, because it was used for the purposes of fumigation and purification from the blood of the enemy.）
“除了以上所述，禁止将月桂树和橄榄树用于猥亵用途，从而玷污了它们的名声；也不能为了讨好神灵，把它们放在祭坛或神殿里燃烧。很显然的，月桂在火中发出啪啪响声以示抗议，对这种做法极其厌恶。这种树的木材可食，可以治疗体内疾病和胫骨疼痛”。
（In addition to the above particulars, it is not permitted to defile the laurel and the olive by applying them to profane uses; so much so, indeed, that, not even for the propitiation of the divinities, should a fire be lighted with them at either altar or shrine. Indeed, it is very evident that the laurel protests against such usage by crackling as it does in the fire, thus, in a manner, giving expresssion to its abhorrence of such treatment. The wood of this tree when eaten is good as a specific for internal maladies and affections of the sinews. ）
“据说打雷时，提贝里乌斯皇帝习惯戴上月桂花环，以减轻其对雷击造成的灾难性后果的焦虑。一些显著的事实表明了月桂树与已故的奥古斯都皇帝的联系：有一次，还是奥古斯都的未婚妻的莉薇娅·杜路希拉（婚后改姓为奥古斯塔）就坐时，一只雪白的母鸡挣脱了鹰爪，从高空落到了她的大腿上，丝毫没有受伤。莉薇娅盯着母鸡看，母鸡没有任何惊慌的症状，更奇的是，它的嘴里衔着一根结着浆果的月桂枝。莉薇娅下令小心地看护母鸡和她的后代，并以宗教礼仪栽种和伺候那根月桂枝。这些命令在距离城市八里的恺撒的乡间别墅得以执行，该别墅位于靠近台伯河两岸的弗拉比尼亚路，这条路后来被命名为“家禽”路（注：Ad gallinas，拉丁语，意为The Poultry，家禽）。如今，当年种下的树枝已蔚然成林，堪称一绝。随后，奥古斯都·恺撒庆祝胜利时，手握月桂枝，头戴着桂冠。后继的皇帝们都效仿他的样子。因此，将皇帝们在这些场合亲手握着的月桂枝种植在地上成为一种习俗，我们看到的不少月桂树林就是这样产生的。基于这些事实，月桂的胜利象征没有发生很大的变化。月桂树是拉丁语中唯一给予男性称谓的树，也是唯一一种叶子拥有独特名称“laurea”的树。罗马城里的某个地方仍保留着这个名字，因为我们在阿文丁山上（注：古罗马七座山峰之一。于公元前456年成为平民居住地）找到了一个仍以“ Loretum”为名的地点，这里曾经有月桂林。月桂用于提纯，我们在这里顺带提一下，月桂树可以靠栽子繁殖，尽管德谟克利特和提奥夫拉斯图斯对此表示怀疑”。
（注：德谟克利特，公元前460年—公元前370年或前356年，古希腊自然派哲学家，“原子论”的创始者。提奥夫拉斯图斯，公元前372年-公元前287年，古希腊植物学家，曾跟随柏拉图学习。植物学的奠基人。）
（It is said that when it thundered, the Emperor Tiberius was in the habit of putting on a wreath of laurel to allay his apprehensions of disastrous effects from the lightning. There are also some remarkable facts connected with the laurel in the history of the late Emperor Augustus: once while Livia Drusilla, who afterwards on her marriage with the Emperor assumed the name of Augusta, at the time that she was affianced to him, was seated, there fell into her lap a hen of remarkable whiteness, which an eagle let fall from aloft without its receiving the slightest injury: on Livia viewing it without any symptoms of alarm, it was discovered that miracle was added to miracle, and that it held in its beak a branch of laurel covered with berries. The aruspices gave orders that the hen and her progeny should be carefully preserved, and the branch planted and tended with religious care. This was accordingly done at the country-house belonging to the Cæsars, on the Flaminian Way, near the banks of the Tiber, eight miles from the City; from which circumstance that road has since received the title "Ad gallinas." From the branch there has now arisen, wondrous to relate, quite a grove: and Augustus Cæsar afterwards, when celebrating a triumph, held a branch of it in his hand and wore a wreath of this laurel on his head; since which time all the succeeding emperors have followed his example. Hence, too, has originated the custom of planting the branches which they have held on these occasions, and we thus see groves of laurel still existing which owe their respective names to this circumstance. It was on the above occasion, too, that not improbably a change was effected in the usual laurel of the triumph. The laurel is the only one among the trees that in the Latin language has given an appellation to a man, and it is the only one the leaf of which has a distinct name of its own,—it being known by the name of "laurea." The name of this tree is still retained by one place in the city of Rome, for we find a spot on the Aventine Mount still known by the name of "Loretum," where formerly a laurel-grove existed. The laurel is employed in purifications, and we may here mention, incidentally, that it will grow from slips—though Democritus and Theophrastus have expressed their doubts as to that fact.）
老普林尼在这两个章节里介绍了月桂的种类，食用和医疗价值，文化象征以及与月桂有关的历史故事。他在第40章里提到的卢修斯·布鲁图斯的故事是这样的：卢修斯·布鲁图斯是罗马共和国的建立者，传统上被认为是其第一个执政官（公元前509年）。布鲁图斯的舅舅是是罗马第七任国王卢基乌斯·塔奎尼乌斯·苏培布斯（Lucius Tarquinius Superbus ），他对舅舅很不满，因为舅舅杀了许多罗马权贵，其中包括布鲁图斯的哥哥。布鲁特斯假装弱智，避免了国王对他的不信任。他陪着国王的儿子们去德尔斐求神谕。国王的儿子们问，他们当中的哪一个将成为罗马的下一任国王。德尔斐的圣谕回应，他们当中第一个亲吻母亲的那个人“应该在罗马拥有最高的统治权。” 布鲁图斯将“母亲”解释为大地母亲盖亚（Gaia），假装被绊倒并亲吻了地面。
文中提到的月桂可以靠栽子（slips）繁殖，“栽子”是指在原有树木上接枝繁殖。《自然史》第17卷第17章详述了这个古老的农艺技术：“然而德谟克利特说，塔伦丁香桃木可用另一种方式繁殖。他们取最大的浆果，轻轻地捣烂，以免压碎果仁，制成糊：用绳子覆盖糊状物，平铺在地上，结果形成了一排与墙一样厚的树篱，上面长着大量的便于移植的栽子。他们也以同样的方式，把灯芯草绳覆盖在树莓糊上，然后长出树莓树篱。有需要的话，三年后可移植按此法繁殖的月桂和香桃木的吸盘”。
（Democritus, however, says that the Tarentine myrtle may be re-produced another way. They take the largest berries and pound them lightly so as not to crush the pips: with the paste that is thus made a rope is covered, and put lengthwise in the ground; the result of which is that a hedge is formed as thick as a wall, with plenty of slips for transplanting. In the same way, too, they plant brambles to make a hedge, by first covering a rope of rushes with a paste made of bramble-berries. In case of necessity, it is possible at the end of three years to transplant the suckers of the laurel and the myrtle that have been thus re-produced.）
这种古老的农艺迄今仍在使用。