Latin Texts & Translations

Hammochrysos ^[Note] resembles sand in appearance, but sand mixed with gold. Cenchritis ^[Note] has all the appearance of grains of millet scattered here and there. Dryitis ^[Note] resembles the trunk of a tree, and burns like wood. Cissitis, ^[Note] upon a white,

transparent surface, has leaves of ivy running all over it. Narcissitis ^[Note] is distinguished by veins on the surface, and has a smell like that of the narcissus. Cyamias ^[Note] is a black stone, but when broken, produces a bean to all appearance. Pyren ^[Note] is so called from its resemblance to an olive-stone: in some cases it would appear to contain the back-bone ^[Note] of a fish. Phœnicitis ^[Note] resembles a palm-date in form. Chalazias ^[Note] resembles a hailstone, both in form and colour: it is as hard as adamant, so much so, indeed, that in the fire even it retains its coolness, it is said. Pyritis, ^[Note] though a black stone, burns the fingers when rubbed by them. Polyzonos ^[Note] is a black stone traversed by numerous zones of white.

Astrapæa ^[Note] has rays like flashes of lightning, running across the middle on a ground of white or blue. In phlogitis, ^[Note] there is, to all appearance, a flame burning within, but not reaching the surface of the stone. In anthracitis, ^[Note] there are sometimes sparks, to all appearance, flying to and fro. Enhygros ^[Note] is always perfectly round, smooth, and white; but when it is shaken a liquid is heard to move within, just like the yolk within an egg. Polythrix ^[Note] presents the appearance of hair upon a green surface; but it causes the hair to fall off, it is said. Leontios and pardalios ^[Note] are names given to stones, from their resemblance to the skin of the lion and panther. Drosolithos ^[Note] has received its name from its colour. Melichrus is a honey-coloured stone, of which there are several varieties.

Melichloros ^[Note] is a stone of two colours, partly honey-coloured, partly yellow. Crocias ^[Note] is the name given to a stone which reflects a colour like that of saffron; polias, to a stone resembling white hair in colour; and spartopolias, to a stone more thinly sprinkled with white.

Rhoditis is like the rose in colour, chalcitis resembles copper, and sycitis ^[Note] is in colour like a fig. Bostrychitis ^[Note] is covered with branches of a white or blood-red colour, upon a ground of black; and chernitis ^[Note] has, on a stony surface, a figure like that of two hands grasping each other. Anancitis ^[Note] is used in hydromancy, they say, for summoning the gods to make their appearance; and synochitis, ^[Note] for detaining the shades from below when they have appeared. If white dendritis ^[Note] is buried beneath a tree that is being felled, the edge of the axe will never be blunted, it is asserted. There are many other stones also, of a still more outrageously marvellous nature, to which, admitted as it is that they are stones, barbarous names have been given: we have refuted, however, a quite sufficient number of these portentous lies already.