Chnp 40.] AMinilYSTOS. 433 



those of a purple colour, or whose tints are derived from purple. 

 To the first rank belongs the amethystos 75 of India; a stone 

 which is also found in the part of Arabia that adjoins Syria 

 and is known as Petra, as also in Lesser Armenia, Egypt, and 

 Galatia ; the very worst of all, and the least valued, being those 

 of Tiiasos and Cyprus. The name which these stones bo:ir, 

 originates, it is said, in tho peculiar tint of their brilliancy, 

 which, after closely approaching the colour of wine, passes oif 

 into a violet without being fully pronounced : or else, accord- 

 ing to some authorities, in the fact that in their purple there 

 is something that falls short of a fiery colour, the tints fading 

 oif and inelining to the colour of wine. 



All these stones are transparent and of an agreeable violet 

 colour, and are easy 78 to engrave. Those of India have in 

 perfection the very richest shades of purple, and it is to attain 

 this colour that the dyers 71 in purple direct all their endeavours ; 

 it presenting a line mellowed appearance to the eye, and not 

 dazzling the sight, as in the case with the colours of the carbun- 

 culus. Another variety approaches more nearly the hyacinth 

 in colour: the people of India call this tint "socon," and the 

 stone itself " socondion." A third stone of this class is of a 

 more diluted colour, and is known us " sapenos," being iden- 

 tical with " pharanitis," so called from a country 7 * on the 

 frontiers of Arabia that produces it. Of a fourth kind, the 

 colour is like that of wine ; and in a fifth it borders very closely 

 upon that of crystal, the purple, gradually passing off into 

 white. This last kind is but little valued ; for a fine amethyst 

 should always have, when viewed sideways 79 and held up to the 

 light, a certain purple refulgence, like that of carbuuculus, 

 slightly inclining to a tint of rose. 



Some prefer giving these stones the name of " pcederos" 80 or 



75 So called, according to some authorities, from , "not," mQvu, M to 

 intoxicate,'' on account of itsbciii^ R supposed preservative against inebriety. 



Ajasson is of opinion that Pliny does not litre *praks of the Quartz Ame- 

 tiiyst of modern mineralogy, hut only the. Oiiriital Amethyst, violet Sap- 

 phire. or vioU-t Corundum. It is not improbable., however.- that h- includes 



-m all, as well as violet Fluor spar, and some other purple stouts; inclusive, 



ssibly, of the (larnct. 



~* lie is probably sneaking here of violet I'luor ?par ; Oriental amethyst, 



violet sapphire, it is next to impossible to engrave. * See B. ix. c. C2. 



' The cit of IMiarnn, mentioned b JSu Jerome and Eusehius. 



~* " In siupcclu." See 15. x\i. c. !2*2. 



* " Lovely youth.'* The O;al has been thus called in Chapter 112. 

 VOL. VI. F i 



