[Footnote A: Strabo Geograph. lib. 2. p.m. 48.]
Athenæus[A] out of Philochorus, and so likewise Ælian[B], tell us a Story, That in the Nation of the Pygmies the Male-line failing, one Gerana was the Queen; a Woman of an admired Beauty, and whom the Citizens worshipped as a Goddess; but she became so vain and proud, as to prefer her own, before the Beauty of all the other Goddesses, at which they grew enraged; and to punish her for her Insolence, Athenæus tells us that it was Diana, but Ælian saith 'twas Juno that transformed her into a Crane, and made her an Enemy to the Pygmies that worshipped her before. But since they are not agreed which Goddess 'twas, I shall let this pass.
[Footnote A: Athenæi Deipnosoph. lib. 9 p.m. 393.]
[Footnote B: Ælian. Hist. Animal. lib. 15. cap. 29.]
Pomponius Mela will have it, and I think some others, that these cruel Engagements use to happen, upon the Cranes coming to devour the Corn the Pygmies had sowed; and that at last they became so victorious, as not only to destroy their Corn, but them also: For he tells us,[A] Fuere interiùs Pygmæi, minutum genus, & quod pro satis frugibus contra Grues dimicando, defecit. This may seem a reasonable Cause of a Quarrel; but it not being certain that the Pygmies used to sow Corn, I will not insist on this neither.
[Footnote A: Pomp. Mela de situ Orbis, lib. 3. cap. 8.]
Now what seems most likely to me, is the account that Pliny out of Megasthenes, and Strabo from Onesicritus give us; and, provided I be not obliged to believe or justifie all that they say, I could rest satisfied in great part of their Relation: For Pliny[B] tells us, Veris tempore universo agmine ad mare descendere, & Ova, Pullosque earum Alitum consumere: That in the Spring-time the whole drove of the Pygmies go down to the Sea side, to devour the Cranes Eggs and their young Ones. So likewise Onesicritus,[B] [Greek: Pros de tous trispithamous polemon einai tais Geranois (hon kai Homaeron daeloun) kai tois Perdixin, ous chaenomegetheis einai; toutous d' eklegein auton ta oa, kai phtheirein; ekei gar ootokein tas Geranous; dioper maedamou maed' oa euriskesthai Geranon, maet' oun neottia;] i.e. That there is a fight between the Pygmies and the Cranes (as Homer relates) and the Partridges which are as big as Geese; for these Pygmies gather up their Eggs, and destroy them; the Cranes laying their Eggs there; and neither their Eggs, nor their Nests, being to be found any where else. 'Tis plain therefore from them, that the Quarrel is not out of any Antipathy the Pygmies have to the Cranes, but out of love to their own Bellies. But the Cranes finding their Nests to be robb'd, and their young Ones prey'd on by these Invaders, no wonder that they should so sharply engage them; and the least they could do, was to fight to the utmost so mortal an Enemy. Hence, no doubt, many a bloody Battle happens, with various success to the Combatants; sometimes with great slaughter of the long-necked Squadron; sometimes with great effusion of Pygmæan blood. And this may well enough, in a Poet's phancy, be magnified, and represented as a dreadful War; and no doubt of it, were one a Spectator of it, 'twould be diverting enough.
[Footnote A: Plinij. Hist. Nat. lib. 7. cap. 2. p.m. 13.]
[Footnote B: Strab. Geograph. lib. 15. pag. 489.]
——-Si videas hoc
Gentibus in nostris, risu quatiere: sed illic,
Quanquam eadem assiduè spectantur Prælia, ridet
Nemo, ubi tota cohors pede non est altior uno.[A]