Abstract

At Alexipharmaca 472–5, Nicander compares the sea hare to the cuttlefish and describes the latter's defensive mechanism of ink emission before turning to a symptom of sea hare poisoning, a change of skin colour:οἷά τε σηπιάδος φυξήλιδος ἥ τε μελαίνειοἶδμα χολῇ δολόεντα μαθοῦσ’ ἀγρώστορος ὁρμήν.τῶν ἤτοι ζοφόεις μὲν ἐπὶ χλόος ἔδραμε γυίοιςἰκτερόεις […][the sea hare also resembles] the cowardly cuttlefish, which blackens the swell with its bile upon learning of the fisherman's crafty attack. A dark green, indeed, runs over the limbs of [those who ingest sea hare], similar to that of jaundice.