And besides, the admiral-ship of Antigonus's navy, having by chance some parsley growing on its poop, was called Isthmia.

Besides, a certain obscure epigram upon an earthen vessel stopped with parsley intimates the same thing.

It runs thus:-- The Grecian earth, now hardened by the flame, Holds in its hollow belly Bacchus blood; And hath its mouth with Isthmian branches stopped.
Sure, he continued, they never read these authors, who cry up the pine as anciently wreathed in the Isthmian garlands, and would not have it some upstart intruder.

The young men yielded presently to him, as being a man of various reading and very learned.
But Lucanius, with a smile looking upon me, cried out: Good God! here's a deal of learning.

But others have taken advantage of our ignorance and unacquaintedness with such matters, and, on the contrary, persuaded us that the pine was the first garland, and that afterwards in honor of Hercules the parsley was received from the Nemean games, which in a little time prevailing, thrust out the pine, as if it were its right to be the wreath; but a little while after the pine recovered its ancient honor, and now flourishes in its glory.