Ovid [1st century CE] (The Metamorphoses, Book 4, 604): ...the other was traveling through the gentle air, on beating wings, bringing back an amazing, monstrous prize, and as the victor hung above the Libyan sands, bloody drops fell from the Gorgon’s head. The earth caught them and gave them life, as species of snakes, and so that country is infested with deadly serpents. - [Kline translation]

Aristotle [ca. 350 BCE] (De animalibus Book 8, 19.3): When serpents begin to cast their skin, it is first of all separated from their eyes; and to those who do not know what is about to happen they appear to be blind. - [Cresswell translation, 1887]

Lucan [1st century CE] (Pharsalia, book 9, verse 1078-1081): ...they burn / Larch, southern-wood and antlers of a deer / Which lived afar. From these in densest fumes, / Deadly to snakes, a pungent smoke arose.... - [Ridley translation, 1919]

Pliny the Elder [1st century CE] (Natural History, Book 8, 35; 8, 41; 10, 5; 10, 82; 10, 90): [Book 8, 35] As concerning serpents, it is generally stated that most of them have the color of the earth that they usually lurk in; that there are innumerable kinds of them; that horned snakes have little horns, often a cluster of four, projecting from the body, by moving which so as to hide the rest of the body they lure birds to them; that the amphisbaena has a twin head, that is one at the tail-end as well, as though it were not enough for poison to be poured out of one mouth; that some have scales, others colored markings, and all a deadly venom; that the javelin-snake [jaculus] hurls itself from the branches of trees, and that serpents are not only formidable to the feet but fly like a missile from a catapult; that when asps' necks swell up there is no remedy for their sting except the immediate amputation of the parts stung. Although so pestilential, this animal has one emotion or rather affection: they usually roam in couples, male and female, and only live with their consort. Accordingly when either of the pair has been destroyed the other is incredibly anxious for revenge: it pursues the murderer and by means of some mark of recognition attacks him and him only in however large a throng of people, bursting through all obstacles and traversing all distances, and it is only debarred by rivers or by very rapid flight. It is impossible to declare whether Nature has engendered evils or remedies more bountifully. In the first place she has bestowed on this accursed creature dim eyes, and those not in the forehead for it to look straight in front of it, but in the temples - and consequently it is more quickly excited by hearing than by sight; and in the next place she has given it war to the death with the ichneumon. [Book 8, 41] When a snake's body gets covered with a skin owing to its winter inactivity it sloughs this hindrance to its movement by means of fennel-sap and comes out all glossy for spring ; but it begins the process at its head, and takes at least 24 hours to do it, folding the skin backward so that what was the inner side of it becomes the outside. Moreover as its sight is obscured by its hibernation it anoints and revives its eyes by rubbing itself against a fennel plant, but if its scales have become numbed it scratches itself on the spiny leaves of a juniper. A large snake quenches its spring nausea with the juice of wild lettuce. [Book 10, 5] [The eagle] has a fiercer battle with a great serpent, and one that is of much more doubtful issue, even though it is in the air. The serpent with mischievous greed tries to get the eagle's eggs; consequently the eagle carries it off wherever seen. The serpent fetters its wings by twining itself round them in manifold coils so closely that it falls to the ground itself with the snake. [Book 10, 82] On the other hand among land animals, the snake is oviparous; we have not yet described this species. Snakes mate by embracing, intertwining so closely that they could be taken to be a single animal with two heads. [Book 10,90] Snakes are driven away by the stench of burnt stag's horn, but especially by that of styrax-tree gum... - [Rackham translation]

Aelianus [170-230 CE] (On the Characteristics of Animals, Book 1, 37-38): If you touch a snake with a reed, it will after the first stroke remain still, and in the grip of numbness will lie quiet; if however you repeat the stroke a second or a third time, you at once revive its strength. ... And the Egyptians maintain that all snakes dread the feathers of the ibis. - [Scholfield translation]

Gaius Julius Solinus [3rd century CE] (De mirabilibus mundi / Polyhistor, Chapter 27.35): The vision of all snakes is dull. They seldom look directly ahead, and not without cause, as they do not have eyes in front, but on their temples, so far back that they hear more readily than they see. - [Arwen Apps translation, 2011]

Saint Ambrose [4th century CE] (Hexameron, Book 6, 4.28): A snake suffers death after tasting the sputum of a man who is fasting. - [Savage translation, 1961]

Isidore of Seville [7th century CE] (Etymologies, Book 12, 4:1-3; 12, 4.39-48): [Book 4, 9.8] Tyriaca is an antidote made from snakes that expels venom, so that poison is resolved by poison. [Book 12, 4.1] ‘Serpent’ [anguis] is the term for the family of all snakes, because they can bend and twist; and thus it is anguis because it is ‘turned at angles’ [angulosus] and never straight. Snakes were always considered among the pagans as the spirits of places...[Book 12, 4.2] The coluber [another word for ‘snake’] is named thus because it ‘inhabits the shadows’ [colit umbras] or because it glides in slippery [lubricus] courses with sinuous curves. [Book 12, 4.3] The snake [serpens] takes its name because it creeps [serpere\ by secret approaches; it crawls not with open steps but by tiny thrusts of its scales. ... Snakes are also reptiles, because they crawl [repere] on their stomach and breast. Of these animals there are as many poisons as there are kinds, as many varieties of danger as there are of appearance, and as many causes of pain as there are colors. [Book 12, 4.39] Finally, there are as many deaths caused by snakes as there are names for them. Further, all snakes are cold by nature, and they do not strike except when they are warm. [Book 12, 4.40] When they are cold they injure no one; hence their venom is more noxious during the day than at night, for they are sluggish in the chill of the night, and understandably so, since they are cold in the evening dew. Thus their venom, which is cold by nature, draws to itself the warmth of their chilled bodies.Hence during the winter they lie motionless in coils, but in the summer they are uncoiled. [Book 12, 4.41] Hence it is that whenever someone is injected with snake venom, he is stupefied at first and then, when the poison is heated up in him and becomes fiery, it kills him forthwith. [Book 12, 4.42] Hence venom is unable to cause harm unless it reaches a person’s blood. Lucan [Civil War 9.614]: The pestilence of snakes is fatal when mixed in with blood. Further, all venom is cold, and hence the soul, which is fiery, flees the cold venom. Among the natural advantages that we see are common to humans as well as to irrational animals, the snake excels in a certain quickness of sense. [Book 12, 4.43] Hence it is written in Genesis [3:1]: “For the serpent was shrewder than all the beasts of the earth.” And Pliny says [a false attribution from Servius], if it may be believed, that if a snake’s head escapes with only two inches of its body, it will still live. Hence it will cast its entire body towards those striking it in order to save its head. [Book 12, 4.44] Vision in snakes generally is feeble – they rarely look directly forward, with good reason, since they have eyes not in the front of their face but in their temples, so that they hear more quickly than they see. No other animal darts its tongue as quickly as the snake, so that it appears to have three tongues when in fact it has one. [Book 12, 4.45] The snake’s body is moist, so that it leaves a trail of moisture wherever it goes. The tracks left by snakes are such that, although they are seen to lack feet, they nevertheless crawl on their ribs with forward thrusts of their scales, which are spread evenly from the highest part of the neck to the lowest part of the belly. They support themselves on their scales, which are like nails, and with their ribs, which are like legs. [Book 12, 4.46] Hence if a snake is crushed by some blow to any part of the body, from the belly to the head, it is unable to make its way, having been crippled, because wherever the blow strikes it breaks the spine, which activates the ‘feet’ of the ribs and the motion of the body. Snakes are said to live for a long time, because when they shed their old skin they are said to shed their ‘old age’ [senectus, also meaning the “cast-off” skins of snakes] and return to youth. [Book 12, 4.47] Snake skins are called ‘castoffs’ [exuviae] because when snakes age they ‘cast off’ [exuere] these skins from themselves, and having cast them off, return to youth. Likewise ‘castoffs’ and ‘garments’ [induviae] are so called because they are cast off and ‘put on’ [induere]. [Book 12, 4.48] Pythagoras says that a snake is created from the spinal cord of a dead person. ... This, if it is believed, occurs with some justice, in that as a human’s death comes about from a snake, so a snake comes about from a human’s death. It is also said that a snake will not dare to strike a naked human. - [Barney, Lewis, et. al. translation]

Albertus Magnus [13th century CE] (De animalibus, Book 22.12): If the saliva of a man who has fasted for a long time falls into the mouth of a snake, the creature dies immediately.

Thomas of Cantimpré [circa 1200-1272 CE] (Liber de natura rerum, Serpents 8.38): There are, as Jacobus and Solinus say, in many parts of the East, but especially in India, snakes so large that they are said to devour stags and cross the ocean itself. There are also other snakes that eat white pepper; these are said to have precious stones in their heads. Every year they fight and for the most part kill each other. Other serpents also in the East have horns like a ram; they strike men by tossing them. - [Badke translation/paraphrase]

Bartholomaeus Anglicus [13th century CE] (Liber de proprietatibus rerum, Book18.9; 18.34; 18.94): [Book 18.9] All kinde of Serpentes and Adders that by kinde may wrappe and folde his owne body, is called Anguis, & hath that name, for he hath many corners and angles in such folding, and goeth never straight. For as Isidore sayth, libro. 12. Anguis is called Serpens, for he créepeth with priuy paces, but he créepeth wt smal paces yt he hid with folding & sliding, and withdrawing of scales, & is accounted among créeping wormes, For he créepeth on the brest & womb, as Isi[dore] saith, li. 12. & is called also Colluber, either for he dwelleth in shadowe, or for be glideth with slipper bendings, wrinklings, & draughts: for an Adder slideth while he is held. And of Adders is many manner kind: & how many kind, so many manner venim: & how many speces, so many manner malice, & so many manner sores & aches, as there are colours, as Isid[ore] saith, li. 12. And as Adders be diverse in quantitie, so they be divers in mallice of venim. And some Adders be great and huge, as Plin[y] saith, li. 8. cap. 16. Magellenes writeth, that in Inde be so great adders, yt they swallow up both Harts and Bulls all whole. And so in Punico Bello, the battell that was besides the river Bragada, Regulus ye Emperour slew an Adder wt Arbalastes & Torme¯ts, yt which Adder was an hundred and twentie foote long, & the skin & the chéeke bones therof hang before the temple at Rome, & dured untill the battaile Numantinum. Also in Claudeus Caesars time in Italy was a Serpent slaine, & in his wombe a whole child was found. And such an adder grieveth most nowe with biting, now with blowing, now with smiting with ye taile, & now with stinging, now with looking and sight. And there are other Adders, small in bodye, but they be most greate in might of grieving. ... Some serpents dwell in woods, in dens, and in shadowye plates, and hunt small Birdes and beastes, and sucke the moisture thereof, as Aristotle sayth, libro. 14. And such Serpents and adders lye in awaite for them that sleepe: And if they find the mouth open of them, or of other beasts, then they créepe in, for they love heate and humour that they finde there ... Also they bée diverse in manner of going & passing, for some créep and glide awaye wiggeling and crookedly, and some alway stretch and goe forth right, as Isidore sayth, libro. 17. ... A Serpent eateth gladlye flesh, and sucketh gladly the moisture therof, as the Spinner sucketh flyes, and the Serpent swalloweth egges of birds, & their birds on live. And when they have swallowed them, they bring them to the hinder end, and putteth them out, and suffereth them not abide in the wombe. Also libro 2. Aristotle sayeth, that the guts of the Serpents be lyke to the guts of foure footed beastes that laye egges, and have no gendering stones, but they have wayes as fish, and have mothers, long and divided, and theyr bowelles and guts bée long by the length of their bodies. And the tongues of Serpents be blacke, long, & thin, and cloven in twaine, and sharpe before, and move out farre therefore, and move easily. And the wombe of the serpent is long and straight, and is lyke to a large gut. And that gut is lykened to an hoands gut, and hath after the womb a lyttle gut, and stretcheth unto the out passing of superfluitie, and hath a lyttle heart nigh unto the neck like to the kidney in sight. And after the heart is that lung, and there after be subtill partes sinewie and krindled, and hangeth downward from the heart. After the long is the liver, long and straight, and thereupon is the gall, as the flesh is lesse and more, the gall is uppon the guts in Serpents, the splene is little and rounde, and their téeth be some deale sharpe and crooked, and joyned together, but they bée departed as the téeth of a Sawe. And a Serpent hath thirtie ribbes by the number of the dayes of the moneth. And it is sayd, yt Serpents fare as swallowes birdes, for if their eyen bée put out, yet their sight commeth againe: and the taile of a Serpent groweth againe if it bée cut off, as the taile of an ewt. Also Serpents have egges first within, and layeth them afterwarde, not all at once, but one and one. ... Also li. 7. he [Aristotle] saith, ye Serpentes love well Wine, and bée therefore hunted with wine. And also a serpent loveth passing well milke, and followeth the savour thereof, and therfore if a serpent be crept into a mannes wombe [stomach], he may be drawen out with the odour and smell of milke, as he saith, and Dioscorides also, Libro. 14. Aristotle sayth, that Serpents have that propertye, that they may move the head backwarde, resting the bodye. And the cause therof is, for the joynts of the ridge boane be of gristles, therefore they be full plyaunt. And it is needfull to Serpents, that they may bende their heads backward to sée their long bodies and small, or else they might not rule their bodies, but they were holpe by rearing of the head to rule wisely all the body. Also serpents swimme in water by wiggeling and folding of the bodye, as they creepe on the ground. For kinde giveth not to Serpentes for to goe uppon féete, nor on finnes to swimme with, and the cause therof is the great length of the body, for if they had many féet they shuld move full evill: and so they should with few feet. Also if they had many finnes set nigh together, they shuld move hevily, & if they wer set far a sunder, they wer not sufficient to susteine & to beare up ye other deale of the body, yt is long & pliant: and therefore what fishes doe that have fins with drawing and clitching of fins, and foules & birds with clitching & spreading of wings, that do serpents with bending & weigling & pliantnes of body. Serpents have wayes and guts, by the which somtime superfluitie passeth out of the body, as other beasts have ye gender, but they have no way of urine, for they be without bladder. Item in eodem, Serpents be found wrapped together, when they come together & to love. For they have not a yarde nor gendering stones, for they bee without a yard, for if they had gendring stones, the Semen should coole for tarrieng of out passing: and so the séede were not according to generation. Item idem 18. In generation of Serpents falleth not errour nor wonderfull shape of ye kinde, but seld, & that is for the shape of the mother, that is long, strict, and strait. And so Egges of Serpents bée disposed & set arow, because of length of the mother. [Book 18.34] An Adder is called Coluber, as it wer Colens umbras, dwelling in shaddowes. Or els he hath ye name Coluber, for he slydeth and wiggeleth in slipperye draughts and wrinckles, and in slimie passing: for all that slydeth while it is helde, is called Lubricum, as Papias saieth. The Adder Coluber flyeth ye Hind, and slayeth the Lyon, as Isidore sayth, & he eateth Rew, and chaungeth his skin, and loveth hollownesse of woode and of trées, and drinketh milke busely: and he hurteth and grieveth with the téeth, and with the tayle, and sheddeth venim, and lyeth in the Sun under hedges, and sucketh bitches, eateth flyes, and lycketh pouder. Looke before De Angue. And Plinius lib. 30. ca. 4. saith, that the greace of the water Adder Coluber, helpeth against the biting of the Crocodile. And if a man have with him the gall of this Adder, the Crocodil shal not grieve him nor noy him: and that most jeoperdous and fearfull beast dare not, nor maye doe against him in no manner of wise, dommage nor griefe, which beareth the gall of the sayd Adder. [Book 18.94] The Serpent hath that name Serpens of Serpere, to créepe, for he créepeth with privy pares and glidings, & goeth not nor steppeth openly, but créepeth wt privy puttings forth of teates, as Isido[re] saith, lib. 12. Héere I make no processe of this kind, for before in littera A, cap. de Angue, all his properties be declared & shewed at full, but it noyeth not to set héere shortly some of his properties that be knowen. Io. de sancto Egedio speaketh of the Serpent, and sayeth, that hée dreadeth a naked man, and leapeth on a man that is clothed. Spettle is venim to ye serpent, for spettle of a fasting man is venim to him, the Serpent fighteth for his head, for therein is accounted the place of the heart. His flesh is accounted colde, for he is of colde kind, he glydeth on ye brest & on the wombe, & that is said for he goeth not forth right, but créepeth, & renueth himselfe everye yere, & liketh moistie places, & loveth filthy places and shadowye, and he looketh aside, & not forthright, and stingeth also aside, and the téeth be dented inwarde, & crooked, & so be bendeth when he smiteth. The serpent hideth Lepra, & is eaten for to heale that evill yt it be not knowne: and useth not to turne & wind te tongue, for he moveth it alway, & that by stre¯gth of venim. The serpent fasteth & suffreth hunger long time, & stoppeth his eares, because he wil not heare the inchanters conjurations. And is hunted with wine, & he hisseth before he bileth, & slaieth all that he biteth, & is enimy to birdes, for he slaieth them with his blowing: and taketh againe that thing that he casted up, for he taketh againe the venim that hée casteth. - [Batman]