434 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XXXYII. 



of " anteros,"®^ while to many they are known as " Yenus'®' 

 eyelid," a name which would seem to be particularly appro- 

 priate to the colour and general appearance of the gem. The 

 falsehoods of the magicians would persuade us that these stones 

 are preventive of inebriety, and that it is from this that they 

 have derived^^ their name. They tell us also, that if we in- 

 scribe the names of the sun and moon upon this stone, and then 

 Avear it suspended from the neck, with some hair of the cynoce- 

 phalus^* and feathers of the swallow, it will act as a preservative 

 against all noxious spells. It is said too, that worn in any 

 manner, this stone will ensure access to the presence of kings ; 

 and that it will avert hail and the attacks of locusts, if a certain 

 prayer is also repeated which they mention. They make similar 

 promises, too, in reference to the smaragdus, if graven with the 

 figure of an eagle or of a scarabaeus : statements which, in my 

 opinion, they cannot have committed to writing without a feel- 

 ing of contempt and derision for the rest of mankind. 



CHAP. 41. HYACINXHOS. 



Very different from this stone is hyacinthos,®^ though par- 

 taking of a colour that closely borders upon it. The great 

 difference between them is, that the brilliant violet which is 

 so refulgent in the amethystos, is diluted in the other stone. 

 Though pleasing at first sight, its beauty fades before the eye 

 is satiated ; indeed, so far is it from satisfying the sight, that 

 it almost wholly fails to attract the eye, its lustre disappearing 

 more rapidly than the tints of the flower®^ known by the same 

 name. 



CHAP. 42. — CnRYSOLTTHOS I SEVEN VARIETIES OF IT. 



-3iithiopia, which produces hyacinthos, produces chrysolithos^^ 



^^ "Avenger of slighted love." 



**- " Veneris gena ;" called in Greek " Aphrodites blepharon." 



®3 Wluch is most probable ; however untrue the story itself may be. 

 See Note 75 above. 



^^ A kind of Baboon. See B. vi. c. 35, B. vii. c. 2, and B. viii. c. 80. 



^■^ It is considered very doubtful whether the modern Hyacinth or Zir- 

 con is one of the number of stones that were called " Hyacinthus" by the 

 p.ncients. Jameson appears to have thought that they gave this name to 

 the_oriental amethyst or violet sapphire. ^-^ See B. xxi. c. 38. 



^" Generally supposed to be the Oriental topaz, yellow Sapphire or 

 yello\v Corundum. Wc have already seen, in Chapter 32, that the •' To- 

 pazes" of the ancients was in all probability the modem Chrysolite. 



