388 pliny's natural history. [Book XXXVil. 



another king, Pyrrhus, who was so long at war with the Eomans. 

 It is said that there was in his possession an agate,^ upon which 

 were to he seen the !N'ine Muses and Apollo holding a lyre ; not 

 a work of art, but the spontaneous produce of Nature,' the veins 

 in it bebg so arranged that each of the Muses had her own 

 peculiar attribute. 



With the exception of these two jewels, authors make no 

 mention of any others that have been rendered famous. We 

 only find it recorded by them, that Ismenias the flute-player^ 

 was in the habit of displaying great numbers of glittering 

 stones, a piece of vanity, on his part, which gave occasion to 

 the following story. An emerald,^ upon which was engraved 

 a figure of Amymone,^° being offered for sale in the Isle of 

 Cyprus at the price of six golden denarii, he gave orders to 

 purchase it. The dealer however, reduced the price, and 

 returned two denarii; upon which, Ismenias remarked — "By 

 Hercules ! he has done me but a bad turn in this, for the merit 

 of the stone has been greatly impaired by this reduction in 

 price." 



It seems to have been this Ismenias who introduced the 

 universal practice among musicians of proclaiming their artis- 

 tic merit by this kind of ostentation. Thus Dionysodorus, for 

 instance, his contemporary and rival, imitated his example, 

 in order that he might not appear to be his inferior in skill ; 

 whereas, in reality, he only held the third rank among the 

 musicians of that day. Nicomachus, too, it is said, was the 

 possessor of great numbers of precious stones, though selected 

 with but little taste. In mentioning these illustrations, by way 

 of prelude to this Book, it is by no means improbable that they 

 may have the appearance of being addressed to those, who, 

 piquing themselves upon a similar display, become puffed up 

 with a vanity which is evidently much more appropriate to a 

 performer on the flute. 



^ "Achates." A variegated chalcedony. It was probably what is 

 called, from its radiated streaks, o. fortification agate. See Chapter 54 of 

 this Book. 



' Ajasson remarks that there can be little doubt that Nature had at 

 least been very extensively seconded by Art. 



8 *' Choraules." One who accompanies the chorus on the pipe or flute. 



* "Smaragdus." '^ One of the Danaides. 



