420 Diamonds. [July, 
the comparative paucity of direct references to the diamond may 
lead to the supposition that some one of the corundum minerals 
_was thereby meant. Ifa diamond was really spoken of, then this 
is one of the oldest reliable mentions made (600 B. C.). 
~ Among the Greeks, Homer (1000 B. C.) uses the word 
“ Adduas,’ but in his writings it signifies steel. There is no evi- 
dence that the precious stone known 600 years later, under the 
name of adamas, was among those with which Homer was ac- 
quainted. 
Hesiodus, living about an hundred years later than Homer, 
uses the same word, but it merely designates some—to his mind 
—indestructible metal. Thus the sickle of Chronos, the helmet 
of Heracles, the chains binding Prometheus, and other similar in- 
struments were composed of adamas. Roman poets and other 
writers have copied the idea and have constructed the gates to 
Hades and other durable objects from the same material. An in- 
teresting analogy, although a purely poetical one, may be found 
in the fact that the first seal rings, Sphragides of the Greeks, 
were manufactured from the chains confining Prometheus. The 
stones set into them were obtained from the rock to which the 
unfortunate thief was bound. Thus did man honor him who con- 
ferred a lasting boon by stealing fire from the irate Jupiter. 
Later on, the term adamas was applied to the diamond. There 
is evidence extant showing that the cutting qualities of diamonds 
were utilized in Greece and Asia Minor about 400 years before 
Christ. Owing to the fact that no mineral or metal could pro- 
duce any graven impression upon the diamond, it took the name 
above given, which literally means “not conquerable.” Pliny 
adopted it, as did others of the more recent Roman writers. The 
former furnishes a learned description of the gem and its peculiar 
qualities, while the latter use the word to express a very high 
degree of hardness. 
Pliny (born A. D. 23), states that six species of adamas are 
known. Of these five are probably only minute flakes of gold 
contained in some other mineral. The last one, however, he men- 
tions as not occurring with gold, but found in India, in the form of 
crystals. From his description of the crystalline forms, the speci- 
mens he had under consideration might as well have been quartz 
as diamond. As he was acquainted with rock-crystal, however, 
_ and describes it elsewhere, we may conclude that he meant the 
