“All men possess in their bodies a poison which acts upon serpents; and the human saliva, it is said, makes them take to flight, as though they had been touched with boiling water. The same substance, it is said, destroys them the moment it enters their throat.” MenHumansSaidMomentsBodyWaterFlightSubstancePoisonTouchedThroatSerpentBoilingSalivaBoiling Water Book:Delphi Complete Works of Pliny the Elder (Illustrated) Source: Delphi Complete Works of Pliny the Elder (Illustrated)
“Antagoras the poet was boiling a conger, and Antigonus, coming behind him as he was stirring his skillet, said, "Do you think, Antagoras, that Homer boiled congers when he wrote the deeds of Agamemnon?" Antagoras replied, "Do you think, O king, that Agamemnon, when he did such exploits, was a peeping in his army to see who boiled congers?” ThinkingSaidBehindsPoetKingsArmyDeedsExploitsStirringBoilingPeepingAgamemnon Book:Plutarch's Morals Source: Plutarch's Morals