BOOK XXI. XXII. 46-x\v. 49 



the murex tints. At the present day Nature and 

 luxury are matched together and are fighting out a 

 duel. I read that yellow was the earliest colour to be 

 highly esteemed, but was granted as an exclusive 

 privilege to women for their bridal veils, and that for 

 this reason perhaps it is not ineluded among the 

 principal colours, that is, those common to men and 

 wonien, since it is joint use that has given the 

 principal colours their dignity. 



XXIII. Without a doubt no effort of ours can Amarmth. 

 compete with the amaranth. Yet it is more truly a 

 purple ear than a flower, and is itself without scent. 



A wonderful thing about it is that it hkes to be 

 phicked, growing again more hixuriant" than ever. 

 It comes out in August, and lasts into the autumn. 

 The prize goes to the amaranth grown at Alexandria, 

 which is gathered for keeping ; in a wonderful way, 

 after ah fiowers are over, the amaranth, if moistened 

 with water, revives and makes winter chaplets. Its 

 special characteristic is impHed in its name, given to 

 it because it will not wither.^ 



XXIV. The cyanus also declares its colour by its cyanus and 

 name,'' and so does the holochrysus.'' All these '"''"'^^'■s'*'"- 

 flowers however were not in use at the time of 

 Alexander the Great, for writers immediately after 



his death were silent about them. This silence is 

 clear proof that it was subsequently that they became 

 popular. However, who could doubt that they were 

 discovered by the Greeks, when Italy uses exclusively 

 the Greek names in referring to them ? 



XXV. But — by heaven ! — Italy herself has given peteinum. 

 the petelHum its name, an autumn flower growing 



near brambles and esteemed only for its colour, 

 which is that of the wikl rose. It has five small 



195 



