§2.3CAP. III. Ἀλλο δέ τι γένος ἐστὶ λίθων ὥσπερ ἐξ ἐναντίων πεφυκὸς, ἄκαυστον ὅλως, ἄνθραξ καλούμενος, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὰ σφραγίδια γλύφουσιν, ἐρυθρὸν μὲν τῷ χρώματι, πρὸς δὲ τὸν ἥλιον τιθέμενον ἄνθρακος καιομένου ποιεῖ χρόαν.
CAP. III. There is another kind of stone, which is as if of opposite nature, completely incombustible, called "anthrax", from which they also carve seals; it is red in color, and when placed in the sun, it produces the color of burning coal.
τιμιώτατον δʼ ὡς εἰπεῖν· μικρὸν γὰρ σφόδρα τετταράκοντα χρυσῶν.
It is, so to speak, of the greatest value; for a very small one is worth forty gold pieces.
ἄγεται δὲ οὗτος ἐκ Καρχηδόνος καὶ Μασσαλίας.
This is brought from Carthage and Massalia.
οὐ καίεται δὲ ὁ περὶ Μίλητον γωνιοειδὴς ὤν ἐν ᾧπερ καὶ τὰ ἑξάγωνα.
And that which is near Miletus, being angular, in which are also the hexagonal ones, does not burn.
καλοῦσι δʼ ἄνθρακα καὶ τοῦτον, ὃ καὶ θαυμαστόν ἐστιν· ὅμοιον γὰρ τρόπον τινὰ καὶ τὸ τοῦ ἀδάμαντος·
They call this also anthrax, which is indeed wonderful; for in a way it is similar to the nature of adamas.
οὐ γὰρ οὐδʼ ὥσπερ ἡ κίσσηρις καὶ τέφρα δόξειεν ἄν διὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν ὑγρόν· ταῦτα γὰρ ἄκαυστα καὶ ἀπύρωτα διὰ τὸ ἐξῃρῆσθαι τὸ ὑγρόν·
For it would not seem, like pumice and ashes, to be so because of containing no moisture; for these are incombustible and fire-resistant because their moisture has been extracted.
ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ ὅλον ἡ κίσσηρις ἐκ κατακαύσεως δοκεῖ τισι γίνεσθαι, πλὴν τῆς ἐκ τοῦ ἀφροῦ τῆς θαλάσσης συνισταμένης.
For generally, pumice seems to some to be formed from burning, except that which is composed from the foam of the sea.
λαμβάνουσι δὲ τὴν πίστιν διὰ τῆς αἰσθήσεως ἔκ τε τῶν περὶ τοὺς κρατῆρας γινομένων καὶ ἐκ τῆς διαβάρου λίθου τῆς φλογουμένης οὐ κισσηροῦται.
They obtain this proof through observation, both from what happens around the craters and from the heavy stone which, though enveloped in flame, does not turn into pumice.
μαρτυρεῖν δὲ καὶ οἱ τόποι δοκοῦσιν ἐν οἷς ἡ γένεσις· καὶ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα καὶ ἡ κίσσηρις.
The places in which they are formed also seem to bear witness; for in these places pumice is found most of all.
τάχα δὲ ἡ μὲν οὕτως αἱ δʼ ἄλλως καὶ πλείους τρόποι τῆς γενέσεως.
Perhaps, however, some are formed this way and others in another way, and there are several ways of formation.
ἡ γὰρ ἐν Νισύρῳ καθάπερ ἐξ ἄμμου τινὸς ἔοικε συγκεῖσθαι.
For that in Nisyros seems to be composed as if of some sand.
σημεῖον δὲ λαμβάνουσιν ὅτι τῶν εὑρισκομένων ἔνιαι διαθρύπτονται ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ὥσπερ εἰς ἄμμον διὰ τὸ μήπω συνεστάναι μηδὲ συμπεπηγέναι.
They take as proof the fact that some of those found crumble in the hands as if into sand, because they have not yet coalesced or congealed.
εὑρίσκουσι δʼ ἀθρόας κατὰ μικρὰ χειροπληθεῖς ὅσον πολλὰς ἢ μικρῷ μείζους ὅταν ἀπαμήσωνται τἄνω· ἐλαφρὰ δὲ σφόδρα ἡ ἄμμος.
When they scrape away the upper layer, they find them in heaps, in small sizes about hand-filling or slightly larger; and the sand is extremely light.
ἡ δʼ οὖ καὶ ἐν Μήλῳ πᾶσα μὲν ἔνια δʼ οὖ ἐν λίθῳ τινὶ ἑτέρῳ γίνεται καθάπερ ἐλέχθη πρότερον.
On the other hand, those in Melos also, though not all, but as was said before, some are formed inside some other stone.
διαφορὰς δʼ ἔχουσι πρὸς ἀλλήλας καὶ ματι καὶ πυκνότητι καὶ βάρει χρώματι μὲν ὅτι μέλαινα ἐκ τοῦ ῤύακος τοῦ ἐν Σκελίᾳ· πυκνότητι δὲ καὶ βάρει αὕτη τε καὶ μαλώδης.
And they have differences from one another in color, density, and weight; in color because that from the lava flow in Sicily is black, and in density and weight both this and the Malian kind.
γίνεται γάρ τις καὶ τοιαύτη κίσσηρις καὶ βάρος ἔχει καὶ πυκνότητα καὶ ἐν τῇ χρήσει πολυτιμότερον τῆς ἑτέρας.
For there is indeed a certain pumice of this kind, which has both weight and density, and in use is of greater value than the other.
τμητικὴ δὲ καὶ ἡ ἐκ τοῦ ῥύακος μᾶλλον τῆς κούφης καὶ λευκῆς, τμητικωτάτη δʼ ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης αὐτῆς.
And that from the lava flow is more abrasive than the light and white kind, while that from the sea itself is the most abrasive.
καὶ περὶ μὲν κισσηρίδος ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον εἰρήσθω.
Let so much, then, be said concerning pumice.
περὶ δὲ τῶν πυρουμένων καὶ τῶν ἀπυρώτων λίθων ἀφʼ ὧν καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ἐξέβημεν ἐν ἄλλοις θεωρητέον τὰς αἰτίας.
As for the stones that burn and those that do not, from which we digressed to this subject, we must consider their causes in other works.
§2.4CAP. IV. Τῶν δὲ λίθων καὶ ἄλλαι (διάφοροι) τυγχάνουσιν ἐξ ὧν καὶ τὰ σφραγίδια γλύφουσιν.
CAP. IV. Among stones, there are also other various kinds from which they also carve seals.
αἱ μὲν τῇ ὄψει μόνον οἷον τὸ σάρδιον καὶ ἡ ἴασπις καὶ ἡ σάπφψειρος· αὕτη δʼ ἐστὶν ὥσπερ χρυσόπαστος.
Some are valued for their appearance alone, such as sard, jasper, and sapphire; this sapphire is as if sprinkled with gold.
ἡ δὲ σμάραγδος καὶ δυνάμεις τινὰς ἔχει· τοῦ τε γὰρ ὕδατος ὥσπερ εἴπομεν ἐξομοιοῦται τὴν χρόαν ἑαυτῇ, μετρία μὲν οὖσα ἐλάττονος, ἡ δὲ μεγίστη παντὸς, ἡ δὲ χειρίστη τοῦ καθʼ αὐτὴν μόνον.
On the other hand, smaragdus also has certain powers; for as we said, it makes the color of the water like itself, a medium-sized one a small amount, the largest of all, and the worst only the water immediately around itself.
καὶ πρὸς τὰ ὄμματα ἀγαθὴ, διὸ καὶ τὰ σφραγίδια φοροῦσιν ἐξ αὐτῆς ὥστε βλέπειν·
It is also good for the eyes, wherefore they wear seals made of it in order to see.
ἔστι δὲ σπανία καὶ τὸ μέγεθος οὐ μεγάλη, πλὴν εἰ πιστεύειν ταῖς ἀναγραφαῖς δεῖ ὑπὲρ τῶν βασιλέων τῶν αἰγυπτίων· ἐκείνοις γάρ φασι κομισθῆναί ποτʼ ἐν δώροις παρὰ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίων βασιλέως μῆκος μὲν τετράπηχυν πλάτος δὲ τρίπηχυν.
It is rare and not large in size, unless we must believe the records concerning the kings of the Egyptians; for they say that once one was brought as a gift to them from the king of the Babylonians, four cubits in length and three in width.
ἀνακεῖσθαι δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ τοῦ Διὸς ὀβελίσκῳ σμαράγδους τέτταρας, μῆκος μὲν τετταράκοντα πηχῶν, εὖρος δὲ τῇ μὲν τέτταρας τῇ δὲ δύο.
And they say that four smaragdi were dedicated on the obelisk of Zeus, forty cubits in length, and in width four cubits at one part and two at another.
ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνων γραφήν.
These things, then, are according to their writings.
τῶν δὲ βακτριανῶν καλουμένων ὑπὸ πολλῶν ἡ ἐν Τύρῳ μεγίστη.
Of those called Bactrian stones by many, the one in Tyre is the largest.
στήλη γάρ ἐστιν εὐμεγέθης ἐν τῷ τοῦ Ἡρακλέους ἱερῷ· εἰ μὴ ἄρα ψευδὴς σμάραγδος, καὶ γὰρ τοιαύτη γίνεταί τις φύσις.
For there is a pillar of considerable size in the temple of Heracles; unless indeed it is a false smaragdus, for there is indeed such a nature formed.
γίνεται δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἐν ἐφικτῷ καὶ γνωρίμοις τόποις διτταχοῦ μάλιστα περί τε Κύπρον ἐν τοῖς χαλκορυχείοις καὶ ἐν τῇ νήσῳ τῇ ἐπικειμένῃ Χαλκηδόνι.
It is formed in accessible and well-known places chiefly in two locations: near Cyprus in the copper mines, and on the island lying opposite Chalcedon.
καὶ ἰδιωτέρους εὑρίσκουσιν ἐν ταύτῃ· μεταλλεύεται γὰρ ὥσπερ τἆλλα καὶ ἡ φύσις κατὰ ῥάβδους ἐποίησεν ἐν Κύπρῳ αὐτὴν καθʼ αὐτὴν πολλάς.
And they find more peculiar ones in this island; for it is mined just like the others, and nature has produced it by itself in Cyprus in many rods.
εὑρίσκονται δὲ σπάνιαι μέγεθος ἔχουσαι σφραγίδος ἀλλʼ ἐλάττους αἰ πολλαὶ, διὸ καὶ πρὸς τὴν κόλλησιν αὐτῇ χρῶνται τοῦ χρυσίου· κολλᾷ γὰρ ὥσπερ ἡ χρυσοκόλλα.
Those having the size of a seal are found rarely, but most are smaller, wherefore they use it for the soldering of gold; for it glues just like chrysocolla.
καὶ ἔνιοί γε δὴ καὶ ὑπολαμβάνουσι τὴν αὐτὴν φύσιν εἶναι· καὶ γὰρ τὴν χρόαν παρόμοιαι τυγχάνουσιν.
And indeed some even suppose it to be of the exact same nature; for indeed they happen to be similar in color.
ἀλλʼ ἡ μὲν χρυσοκόλλα δαψιλὴς καὶ ἐν τοῖς χρυσείοις καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς χαλκορυχείοις ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς περὶ τοὺς τόπους.
But chrysocolla is abundant both in gold mines and even more in copper mines, as well as in the areas around those places.
ἡ δὲ σμάραγδος σπανία καθάπερ εἴρηται· δοκεῖ γὰρ ἐκ τῆς ἰάσπιδος γίνεσθαι.
On the other hand, smaragdus is rare, as has been said; for it seems to be formed from jasper.
φασὶ γὰρ εὑρεθῆναί ποτε ἐν Κύπρῳ λίθον ἧς τὸ μὲν ἥμισυ σμάραγδος ἦν τὸ ἥμισυ δὲ ἴασπις ὡς οὔπω μεταβεβληκυίας ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος.
For they say that once a stone was found in Cyprus of which half was smaragdus and half was jasper, as if it had not yet completely changed because of the moisture.
ἔστι δέ τις αὐτῆς ἐργασία πρὸς τὸ λαμπρόν· ἀργὴ γὰρ οὖσα οὐ λαμπρά.
There is also a certain work on it to make it brilliant; for when unworked it is not bright.