Saura
Saura grece lacertus apud kirianidam zauar vero scribitur.
Apparatus:
kiranidã B | kyranidã e | kirianidam C | kirianidã A | kiramidã f
saura B | zauar AC | zaura ef | Zavra Kyranides
vero (uero B; v’o A) scribitur ABC | vocatur e | di~ f
Translation:
Saura is Greek for Latin lacertus {"lizard"}; but in the Kyranides the word is written zauar.
Commentary:
Cf. Greek σαύρα /saúra/ "lizard".
Simon alludes to the Kyranides, book II, p. 89:
Zavra genera tria sunt, unũ dicitur ἡλιακὴ {/hēliakḕ/}, solaris, aliud χαλκὴ {/khalkḕ/}, aerea, tertium χλωρὰ /khlōrà/, i. viridis - "There are three kinds of Zaura, one is called ἡλιακὴ {/hēliakḕ/}, 'of the sun, solar', the second χαλκὴ /khalkḕ/ 'copper-coloured, brazen', and the third χλωρὰ /khlōrà/, i.e. 'green'." {The text then goes on suggesting how - involving magical practices - the animal or parts of it can be carried in amulets for curing diseases and social and sexual problems.}
Why the Greek word σαύρα /saúra/ is transcribed Zaura in the Kyranides is unexplained. It may simply be a misreading of a capital Greek Σ as Z, i.e. Σαύρα as Ζαύρα.
WilfGunther 30/08/13
