Good Words

I mistrust myself now, said Pliny the Elder. After that dream.

It was just the cheese, Pliny, I said soothingly. You shouldn't have had so much before bedtime.

No, said Pliny. The cheese may have caused the dream but the dream revealed my failings as a natural historian. Perhaps I did not distinguish well enough between hearsay, conjecture and fact.

Oh Pliny! I said. That is part of your charm for the readers of today.

Do not patronise me, said Pliny. I do not wish to be known for my idiosyncrasies.But something is puzzling me. Where did I get the idea of the stars and the yellow camel? I do not recall any mention of them in my own writings.

That was me, Pliny. Remember when I googled Zoroaster? Zoroaster is the Latinised version of the Greek Zoroastres, which means 'undiluted stars'. But his Persian name is Zarathustra, and that is where the camels come in. Ustra means camels, but there is some dispute as to the spelling of the first half of his name. If it is Zarant-ustra, it means either ' with yellow camels', with aging camels', or 'with angry camels', and if it is Zarat-ustra, it means 'driving camels', 'moving camels' or 'desirous of camels'.

I do remember, said Pliny. Desirous of camels! I am fortunate my dream was not even more alarming! Well I'm glad we've cleared that up. I would not like to think I had been confounded by a Magus.

Yes, Pliny. It's good to know you did it on your own.