Chapter 399

2773See B xviii. c. 2.

2774See Chapter24of this Book.

2775Beckmann says, in reference to this passage, supposing that a kind ofsparis meant by the wordphengites—“It is probable that the openings of the walls of the building where the windows used to be, were in this instance filled up withphengites. which, by admitting a faint light, prevented the place from being dark, even when the doors were shut.”— Hist. Inv. Vol. II. p. 66.Bohn’s Edition.

2776In Chapter10of this Book.

2777See B. v. cc. 22, 35, for two places of this name.

2778A Celtic word, probably.

2779See B. iii. c. 2.

2780Identical, probably, with the Tufa of modern Mineralogy, which thence derives its name, a Carbonate of lime.

2781Thus reversing the order of things with the Romans, who put the lime on their houses, and the pitch in their wines. See B. xiv. cc. 3, 24, 25.

2782See B. xiv. c. 24.

2783A white tufa, Vitruvius says, B. i. c. 7.

2784It was in reference, possibly, to this stone that Cicero made the remark, mentioned in Chapter5of this Book; the heat of Chios being so great, perhaps, that the Tiburtine stone could not have endured it.

2785A general name for Silica, Flint, or Quartz, and the several varieties.

2786See B. iii. c. 8.

2787See B. ii. c. 96, B. iii. c. 9, and B. xiv. c. 8.

2788Ajasson thinks that Travertine is meant; a tufa, or carbonate of lime, which is common in Tuscany.

2789“Built of stones of equal size.”

2790“Built of stones of unequal sizes.”

2791“Filled up work,” apparently.

2792The reading is very doubtful here: for the word seems to mean, in Greek, “From one wall to another.” “Diamicton”—“Mixed up,” is another reading.

2793Where the outer face of each stone forms an exact square; the pointings consequently having a netlike or reticulated appearance.

2794The vertical pointings or junctures lying one over the other.

2795De Re Rust. c. 38.

2796See Chapters29and30of this Book.

2797To which Pozzuolane belongs.

2798For making mortar.

2799Pounded marble mixed with quicklime.

2800“Lacte et croco” appears to be a preferable reading to “late e croco,” as given by the Bamberg MS.

2801It seems difficult to understand whether by the word “spiræ” he means astragals, or bases. It would almost appear, by the use of the word “subditæ,” that it is “bases” for the shafts. It is just possible, however, that the meaning may be that the “spiræ” were placedbeneaththe capitals which were added.

2802A different thing altogether from the Maltha or Pissasphalt of B. ii. c. 108. Festus describes it as a mixture of pitch and wax; and Palladius, in B. i. c. 17, speaks of it as being composed of tar, grease, and lime boiled; and in c. 35 he describes Maltha caldaria as a mixture of hammoniacum, figs, tow, tar, and melted suet. It was probably a general name for several kinds of cement. Heineccius says that it was employed for sealing, but on what authority does not appear. See Beckmann, Hist. Inv. Vol. I. p. 141.Bohn’s Edition.

2803This is perhaps the meaning of “duplici lenimento.” The reading, however, is doubtful.

2804The name now given to Sulphate of lime, including the varieties of Alabaster and Selenite. Plaster of Paris is prepared from it.

2805The method of preparing plaster of Paris.

2806See B. iv. c. 3.

2807See B. iv. c. 3.

2808The same thing, strictly speaking. See Chapter12of this Book.

2809See Chapter45of this Book.

2810See B. vii. c. 46.

2811Dioscorides says, B. v. c. 134, that, taken internally, it produces suffocation.

2812“Lithostrota.”

2813His age and country are unknown.

2814“The house that has no sweeping.”

2815“Subtegulanea.”—“Undercover;” in contradistinction to the “subdialia” of next Chapter.

2816“Pavimentum,” from “pavio,” to “beat down.”

2817“Scutulatum.”—Having figures in the shape of a lozenge or rhombus.

2818The line is,“Arte pavimenti atque emblemate vermiculato;”literary compositions being compared by him to the artificial construction of a pavement.

2818The line is,

“Arte pavimenti atque emblemate vermiculato;”

literary compositions being compared by him to the artificial construction of a pavement.

2819“Subdialia;” more literally, “open-air pavements.”

2820Or “kernel;” so called because it lay in the middle. Vitruvius says that it was composed of one part lime, and three parts pounded pottery.

2821“Quercus.”

2822“Spicata testacea.” These pavements were probably so called because the bricks were laid at angles to each other (of about forty-five degrees), like the grains in an ear of wheat; or like the spines projecting from either side of the back-bone of a fish.

2823“Lithostrota.”

2824In Chapter24of this Book.

2825See B. v. c. 17.

2826See B. v. c. 19.

2827A mineral alkali, Beckmann thinks; for it could not possibly be our saltpetre, he says. See B. xxxi. c. 46.

2828Beckmann discredits this story, because sand, he says, is not so easily brought to a state of fusion. Hist. Inv. Vol. II. p. 496.Bohn’s Edition.

2829“Magnes lapis.” See B. xxxiv. c.42, and Chapter25of this Book. Beckmann is of opinion that an ore of Manganese is meant, a substance which has a resemblance to the magnet, and is of the greatest utility in making glass. Hist. Inv. Vol. II. p. 237.

2830This appears to be the meaning of “Quoniam in se liquorem vitri quoque ut ferrum trahere creditur.”

2831In the description given by Isidorus in the “Origines,” which in other respects is similar, these words are omitted, and it is possible that they are a gloss by some one who was better acquainted with the Old Testament than with Pliny. On the other hand, as Sillig remarks, the Phœnicians may, at an early period, have imported into Greece a substance which they called “nitre of Ophir.”

2832See Beckmann, Hist. Inv. Vol. II. p. 84.

2833“Excogitaverat.” Beckmann would seem to give this word the force only of “thought of,” for he gives it as his opinion that attempts were made at Sidon to form glass mirrors, but that the experiments had not completely succeeded. “Had this invention formed an epoch in the art of making mirrors, Pliny, in another place (B. xxxiii. c.45), where he describes the various improvements of it so fully, would not have omitted it: but of those experiments he makes no further mention.” He also expresses an opinion that the Sidonian mirrors consisted of dark-coloured glass, resembling obsidian stone.”—Hist. Inv. Vol. II. pp. 69, 70.Bohn’s Edition.

2834Knowles says, in hisTurkish History, p. 1273, that in 1610, among other rare presents sent to the King of Spain from the Sophy of Persia, there were six drinking-glasses, made of malleable glass so exquisitely tempered that they could not be broken.

2835Dion Cassius and Suetonius tell a similar story; and, according to one account, Tiberius ordered the artist to be put to death.

2836This reading is doubtful. It would appear to mean “stone handled.” Another reading is “pterotos,” “with winged handles.”

2837Volcanic glass, feldspar in a more or less pure state, our Obsidian, is probably meant; a word derived from the old reading, Obsidius, corrected by Sillig toObsius.

2838He is speaking of the stone, not the glass that resembled it.

2839A thing very difficult to be done, as Beckmann observes, by reason of its brittleness.

2840The present Portugal.

2841“Blood-red” glass.

2842See B. xxxvii. cc.7,8,11. This glass was probably of an opal colour, like porcelain.

2843This passage is commented upon by Beckmann, Vol. II. p. 75, in connexion with a similar passage in Isidorus, Orig., which is probably corrupt.

2844See B. xxxvii. c.10. He was not aware, apparently, that in such case they act as convex burning-glasses, and that ice even may be similarly employed.

2845This is, probably, the meaning of “in guttas;” a new reading, which is only found in the Bamberg MS.

2846See B. xxxiv. c.2.

2847See B. xxxiv. c.47.

2848“Improba” seems to be used here in much the some sense in which Virgil has said “Labor improbus”—“Unremitting labour.”

2849He alludes, probably, to eclipses of the sun.

2850Acacia charcoal is still recommended as a valuable tonic, and as good for internal ulcerations and irritations of the mucous membrane.

2851In B. xxvi. c. 4.

2852“Querneus.”

2853It is much more likely that he was the son of Tarquin himself, who not improbably, if indeed there ever was such a person, invented the story, to escape the wrath of Queen Tanaquil. This absurd story is mentioned also by Ovid, Arnobius, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus.

2854See B. iii. c. 9, and B. xix. c. 4.

2855See end of B. ii. L. Cælius Antipater.

2856See end of B. ii.

2857Probably Sulpicius Galba, who devoted his time to literary pursuits, and rose to no higher office than the prætorship, He was grand-father of the Emperor Galba, and wrote a historical work.

2858Another reading is “Ictius,” but nothing is known of either.

2859See end of B. ii.

2860See end of B. ii.

2861See end of B. ii.

2862See end of B. ii. and end of B. xviii.

2863See end of B. vii.

2864See end of B. xvi.

2865See end of B. ii. and end of B. xviii.

2866See end of B. vi.

2867See end of B. iii.

2868See end of B. xvi.

2869See end of B. iii.

2870See end of B.xxxiii.

2871See end of B. v.

2872See end of B. viii.

2873All that we know of him is, that he wrote on Precious Stones. Apollonius Dyscolus mentions an author who wrote on the same subject, whose name was “Tacus;” and possibly the same person is meant.

2874Mentioned in this and the next Book, as a writer on Precious Stones.

2875Cornelius Alexander. See end of B. iii.

2876See end of B. xxx.

2877See end of B. xx.

2878See end of B. vii.

2879See end of B. ii.

2880A Sicilian author of the time of Alexander. In his “Sacred History,” he interpreted the legends of the popular religion as based upon historical facts, and taught that the gods of Mythology were only deified men. His system has been compared with the rationalism of some German theologians, and Euhemerists were still to be found at the close of last century. Diodorus Siculus, Polybius, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus have followed in his track; and the poet Ennius translated his work, which is now lost.

2881A Greek writer on Egypt. He is often quoted by Stephanus Byzantinus, who says that he was not much younger than Plato. He is mentioned as a writer on the Pyramids of Egypt, in Chapter17of this Book.

2882See end of B. xii.

2883See end of B. ii.

2884From the mention made of him in Chapter17of this Book, he must have lived in the first century before, or the first century after Christ.

2885Possibly Antisthenes of Rhodes, a historian who lived about 200B.C.

2886Possibly the author mentioned by Athenæus, B. xv. as having written on Egypt. He is mentioned in Chapter17of this Book.

2887Hardouin thinks that he is the same person as Hermateles, mentioned by Tertullian,De Spectaculis, c. 8, as having written on Obelisks.

2888A native of Naucratis, in Egypt, who wrote a work on that country, mentioned by Athenæus, and some Poems.

2889In B. xxxiii. c.4.

2890This being imposed as a punishment on him, in remembrance of his sacrilegious crimes, when released by Jupiter from the rock. Prometheus and Vulcan, as Ajasson remarks, are personifications of fire, employed for artistic purposes.

2891See B. xxxiii. c.6.

2892For ultimately, Oroetes, the satrap of Sardes, contrived to allure him into his power, and had him crucified,B.C.522. Fuller, in hisWorthies, p. 370, tells a very similar story of the loss and recovery of his ring by one Anderson, a merchant of Newcastle-on-Tyne; and Zuinglius gives a similar statement with reference to Arnulph, duke of Lorraine, who dropped his ring into the Moselle, and recovered it from the belly of a fish.

2893See Chapter23. According to Herodotus, Pausanias, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, and Suidas, the stone was an emerald; and Lessing thinks that there was no figure engraved on it. See Chapter4of this Book. Without vouching for the truth of it, we give the following extract from theLondon Journal, Vol. xxiii. No. 592. “A vine-dresser of Albano, near Rome, is said to have found in a vineyard, the celebrated ring of Polycrates.—The stone is of considerable size, and oblong in form. The engraving on it, by Theodore of Samos, the son of Talikles, is of extraordinary fineness and beauty. It represents a lyre, with three bees flying about; below, on the right, a dolphin; on the left, the head of a bull. The name of the engraver is inscribed in Greek characters. The upper surface of the stone is slightly concave, not highly polished, and one corner broken. It is asserted that the possessor has been offered 50,000 dollars for it.”

2894“Achates.” A variegated chalcedony. It was probably what is called, from its radiated streaks, afortification agate. See Chapter54of this Book.

2895Ajasson remarks that there can be little doubt that Nature had at least been very extensively seconded by Art.

2896“Choraules.” One who accompanies the chorus on the pipe or flute.

2897“Smaragdus.”

2898One of the Danaïdes.

2899This is said with reference to the one in the Temple of Concord, mentioned in Chapter2.

2900But see Exodus xxvii. 9,et seq., where it is shown that the practice existed many hundreds of years before.

2901See B. vii. c. 38; where marble is the substance named. There are still two gems in existence said to have been engraved by this artist; but by some they are thought to be spurious.

2902There are many precious stones with his name, still extant: but only six appear to have been really engraved by him.

2903This signet is mentioned also by Plutarch and Valerius Maximus.

2904See B. iii. c. 4.

2905The younger Africanus. This circumstance is mentioned in the Epitome of Livy, B. xlviii.

2906See B. xxxiii. c.5, and end of Book ix.

2907In reference to the ambiguous part which he acted, Ajasson thinks, in the early part of his career.

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