Chap. 40.J THE YATIIOUS KINDS OF MILIUM. 121 



the same word ; this being properly the name given to the 

 thick matter which issues from the dragon when cruslied be- 

 neath the weight of the dying elephant, mixed with the blood 

 of either animal, as already described." Indeed this last is the 

 only colour that in painting gives a proper representation of 

 blood. This cinnabaris, too, is extremely useful as an ingre- 

 dient in antidotes and various medicaments. But, by Her- 

 cules ! our physicians, because minium also has the name of 

 " cinnabaris," use it as a substitute for the other, and so em- 

 ploy a poison, as we shall shortly^^ show it to be. 



CHAP. 39. THE EMPLOYMENT OF CINNABAEIS IN PAINTING. 



The ancients used to paint with cinnabaris^^ those pictures 

 of one colour, which are still known among us as ''monochro- 

 mata."^^ They painted also with the minium of Ephesus :^^ 

 but the use of this last has been abandoned, from the vast 

 trouble which the proper keeping of the picture entailed. And 

 then besides, both these colours were thought to be too harsh ; 

 the consequence of which is, that painters have now adopted 

 tlie use of rubrica®- and of sinopis, substances of which I shall 

 make furtlier mention in the appropriate places.®^ 



Cinnabaris^* is adulterated by the agency of goats' blood, or 

 of bruised sorb-apples. The price of genuine cinnabaris is hfty 

 sesterces per pound. 



CHAP. 40. THE VARIOUS KINDS OF MINIUM. THE USE MADE OF 



IT IN PAINTING. 



According to Juba minium is also a production of Carmania,^^ 

 and Timagenes says that it is found in --Ethiopia. But from 

 neither of those regions is it imported to Rome, nor, indeed, 



Indian cinnabar. The latter substance is probably identical "with that 

 which is now used for varnishes, being imported from India, and still 

 known as " dragons' blood," the resin of the Ptero-carpus draco, or Cala- 

 mus palm. 57 Iji b. viii. c. 12. 68 j^ Chapter 41. 



59 The dragon's blood, mentioned in the preceding Chapter. 



^•^ " Single colour paintings." See B. xxxv. cc. 5, 11, 34, 36. 



61 Mentioned in Chapter 37. 



62 ^i^j^e u mjitos" of the preceding Chapter. See Note 55 above. 

 ^•^ In B. xxxv. c. 13, et seq. 



6* He is here speaking of our cinnabar, or vermilion, mentioned in 

 Chapter 36. 65 See B. vi. cc. 27, 28, 32. 



