§2.1CAP. I. Τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ συνισταμένων τά μεν ἐστιν ὕδατος τὰ δὲ γῆς.
CAP. I. Of things formed in the earth, some are composed of water, and some of earth.
ὕδατος μὲν τὰ μεταλλευόμενα καθάπερ ἄργυρος καὶ χρυσὸς καὶ τἆλλα, γῆς δὲ λίθος τε καὶ ὅσα λίθων εἴδη περιττότερα καὶ εἴ τινες δὴ τῆς γῆς αὐτῆς ἰδιώτεραι φύσεις εἰσὶν ἢ χρώμασιν ἢ λειότησιν ἢ πυκνότησιν ἢ ἄλλῃ τινὶ δυνάμει.
Of water are those which are mined, such as silver and gold and the rest; of earth are stone, and the more remarkable kinds of stones, and if there are indeed any more peculiar substances of the earth itself, whether in colors, smoothness, density, or some other power.
περὶ μὲν οὑν τῶν μεταλλευομένων ἐν ἄλλοις τεθεώρηται περὶ δὲ τούτων (λίθων?) νῦν λέγωμεν.
Now, concerning those that are mined, they have been examined in other works, but let us now speak of these.
ἅπόντα οὖν ταῦτα χρὴ νομίζειν ὡς ἀπλῶς εἰπεῖν ἐκ καθαρὰς τινος συνεστάναι καὶ ὁμαλῆς ὕλης, εἴτε συρροῆς εἴτε διηθήσεως τινος γενομένης, εἴτε ὡς ἀνωτέρω εἴρηται καὶ κατʼ ἄλλον τρόπον ἐκκεκριμένης· τάχα γὰρ ἐνδέχεται τὰ μὲν οὕτως τὰ δʼ ἐκείνως τὰ δʼ ἄλλως.
We must indeed assume that all these, to speak simply, are composed of some pure and uniform matter, whether through a certain confluence or filtration, or, as was said above, having been separated in some other manner; for perhaps it is possible that some are formed in this way, some in that, and others in another.
ἀφʼ ὧν δὴ καὶ τὸ λεῖον καὶ τὸ πυκνὸν καὶ τὸ στιλπνὸν καὶ διαφανὲς καὶ τἆλλα τὰ τοιαῦτα ἔχουσι, καὶ ὅσῳ ἄν ὁμαλέστερον καὶ καθαρώτερον ἕκαστον τοσούτῳ καὶ ταῦτα μᾶλλον ὑπάρχει.
From these indeed they have their smoothness, density, luster, transparency, and other such qualities; and the more uniform and pure each is, the more these qualities belong to them.
τὸ γὰρ ὅλον ὡς ἂν ἀκριβείας ἔχῃ τὰ κατὰ τὴν σύστασιν ἢ πῆξιν οὕτως ἀκολουθεῖ καὶ τὰ ἀπʼ ἐκείνων.
For on the whole, in whatever state of accuracy the conditions of composition or solidification may be, so also the qualities arising from them follow.
ἡ δὲ πῆξις τοῖς μὲν ἀπὸ θερμοῦ τοῖς δʼ ἀπὸ ψυχροῦ γίνεται.
Solidification occurs in some from heat, and in others from cold.
κωλύει γὰρ ἴσως οὐδὲν ἔνια γένη λίθων ὑφʼ ἑκατέρων συνίστασθαι τούτων.
For there is perhaps nothing to prevent some kinds of stones from being formed by both of these.
ἐπεὶ τά γε τῆς γῆς ἅπαντα δόξειεν ἂν ὑπὸ πυρός· ἐπείπερ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἑκάστων ἡ πῆξις καὶ ἡ τῆξις.
Since indeed all things belonging to the earth would seem to be solidified by fire, inasmuch as solidification and dissolution for each are by opposites.
ἰδιότητες δὲ πλείους εἰσὶν ἐν τοῖς λίθοις· ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῇ γῇ χρώμασί τε καὶ γλισχρότητι καὶ λειότητι καὶ πυκνότητι καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις αἱ πολλαὶ διαφοραὶ κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἄλλα σπάνιοι.
But there are more peculiarities in stones; for in earth, the many differences are in colors, stickiness, smoothness, density, and the like, but in other respects they are rare.
τοῖς δὲ λίθοις αὗταί τε καὶ πρὸς ταύταις αἱ κατὰ τὰς δυνάμεις τοῦ τε ποιεῖν ἢ πάσχειν ἢ τοῦ μὴ πάσχειν.
In stones, however, there are these, and in addition to these, those according to their powers of either acting, or being acted upon, or not being acted upon.
τηκτοὶ γὰρ οἱ δʼ ἄτηκτοι, καὶ καυστοὶ οἱ δʼ ἄκαυστοι, καὶ ἄλλα τούτοις ὅμοια.
For some are fusible and others infusible, some combustible and others incombustible, and other things similar to these.
καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ καύσει καὶ πυρώσει πλείους ἔχοντες διαφοράς.
And in the very burning and heating they have more differences.
ἔνιοι δὲ τοῖς χρώμασιν ἐξομοιοῦν λέγονται δυνάμενοι τὸ ὕδωρ ὥσπερ ἡ σμάραγδος, οἱ δʼ ὅλως ἀπολιθοῦν τὰ τιθέμενα εἰς ἑαυτοὺς, ἕτεροι δὲ ὁλκήν τινα ποιεῖν, οἱ δὲ βασανίζειν τὸν χρυσὸν καὶ τὸν ἄργυρον ὥσπερ ἥ τε καλουμένη λίθος ἡρακλεία καὶ ἡ λυδή.
And some are said to be able to assimilate water to their colors, like the emerald; others to completely petrify what is placed into them; others to exercise a certain attraction; and others to test gold and silver, like the so-called Heraclean stone and the Lydian stone.
θαυμασιωτάτη δὲ καὶ μεγίστη δύναμις, εἴπερ ἀληθὲς, ἡ τῶν τικτόντων· γνωριμωτέρα δὲ καὶ ἐν πλείοσι κατὰ τὰς ἐργασίας·
But the most wonderful and greatest power, if indeed it is true, is that of those which give birth; but more familiar and in more kinds of stones is that concerning their workings.
γλυπτοὶ γὰρ ἔνιοι καὶ τορνευτοὶ καὶ πριστοὶ, τῶν δὲ οὐδὲ ὅλως ἅπτεται σιδήριον, ἐνίων δὲ κακῶς καὶ μόλις.
For some are chip-carved, others turned on a lathe, and others sawn; but iron does not touch some at all, and some only badly and with difficulty.
εἰσὶ δὲ πλείους καὶ ἄλλαι παρὰ ταύτας διαφοραί.
And there are also many other differences besides these.
αἱ μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὰ χρώματα καὶ τὰς σκληρότητας καὶ μαλακότητας καὶ λειότητας καὶ τἆλλα τὰ τοισῦτα διὰ τὸ περιττὸν πλείοσιν ὑπάρχουσι καὶ ἐνίοις γε κατὰ τόπον ὅλον.
Now, those differences according to colors, hardness, softness, smoothness, and other such qualities, exist in many because of their exceptional nature, and in some indeed over a whole region.
ἐξ ὧν δὴ καὶ διωνομασμέναι λιθοτομίαι Παρίων τε καὶ Πεντελικῶν καὶ Χίων τε καὶ Θηβαϊκῶν, καὶ ὡς ὁ περὶ Αἴγυπτον ἐν Θήβαις ἀλαβατρίτης — καὶ γὰρ οὗτος μέγας τέμνεται —, καὶ ὁ τῷ ἐλέφαντι ὅμοιος ὁ χερνίτης καλούμενος, ἐν ᾗ πυέλῳ φασὶ καὶ Δαρεῖον κεῖσθαι.
From which indeed the quarries of Paros, Pentelikon, Chios, and Thebes are famous, and also the alabastrite in Egyptian Thebes—for this also is quarried of great size—and that which is similar to ivory, called chernites, in which coffin they say Darius also lies.
καὶ ὁ πόρος ὅμοιος τῷ χρώματι καὶ τῇ πυκνότητι τῷ παρίῳ τὴν δὲ κουφότητα μόνον ἔχων τοῦ πόρου, διὸ καὶ ἐν τοῖς σπουδαζομένοις οἰκήμασιν ὥσπερ διάζωμα τιθέασιν αὐτὸν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι.
And the poros stone is similar in color and density to the Parian, but having only the lightness of the poros stone, wherefore the Egyptians place it as a cornice in their esteemed buildings.
καὶ μέλας αὐτόθι διαφανὴς ὅμοιος τῷ χίῳ, καὶ παῤ ἄλλοις δὲ ἕτεροι πλείους.
And there is a transparent black stone there, similar to the Chian, and among others there are many other different kinds.
αἱ μὲν οὖν τοιαῦται διαφοραὶ καθάπερ ἐλέχθη κοινότεραι πλείοσιν, αἱ δὲ κατὰ τὰς δυνάμεις τὰς προειρημένας οὐκέτι τόποις ὅλοις ὑπάρχουσιν οὐδὲ συνεχείαις λίθων οὐδὲ μεγέθεσιν.
Now, such differences, as was said, are more common to many, but those according to the aforementioned powers no longer belong to whole regions, nor to continuous veins of stone, nor to great sizes.
ἔνιοι δὲ καὶ σπάνιοι πάμπαν εἰσὶ καὶ σμικροὶ καθάπερ ἥ τε σμάραγδος καὶ τὸ σάρδιον καὶ ὁ ἄνθραξ καὶ ἡ σάπφειρος καὶ σχεδὸν. . . λόγον εἰς τὰ σφραγί δια γλυπτῶν.
Some indeed are altogether rare and small, such as the emerald, the sard, the carbuncle, the sapphire, and nearly... a relation to carved seal-stones.
οἱ δὲ καὶ ἐν ἑτέροις εὑρίσκονται διακοπτομένοις.
Others are also found inside other stones when they are split open.
ὀλίγοι δὲ καὶ οἱ περὶ τὴν πύρωσιν καὶ καῦσιν, ὑπὲρ ὧν δὴ καὶ πρῶτον ἴσως λεκτέον τίνας καὶ πόσας ἔχουσι διαφοράς.
And those concerning heating and burning are also few, about which indeed we should perhaps speak first, showing what and how many differences they have.