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TRANSLATION
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like glowing charcoal. And its origin is itself a proof of this; for it would seem that all these substances change under the influence of fire, if it is right to consider that the red ochre made in this process is the same as the one made by nature or very similar to it.
Just as thiere is a natural and an artificial red ochre, so there is a native kyanos and a manufactured kind, such as the one in Egypt. There are three kinds of \yanos, the Egyptian, the Scythian, and the Cyprian. The Egyptian is the best for making pure pigments, the Scythian for those that are more dilute. The Egyptian variety is manufactured, and those who write the history of the kings of Egypt state which king it was who first made fused kyanos in imitation of the natural kind; and they add that hyanos was sent as tribute from Phoenicia and as gifts from other quarters, and some of it was natural and some had been produced by fire. Those who grind coloring materials say that \yanos itself makes four colors; the first is formed of the finest particles and is very pale,45 and the second consists of the largest ones and is very dark. These are prepared artificially, and so is white lead.
Lead about the size of a brick is placed in jars over vinegar, and when this acquires a thick mass, which it generally does in ten days, then the jars are opened and a kind of mold is scraped off the lead, and this is done again until it is all used up. The part that is scraped off is ground in a mortar and decanted frequently, and what is finally left at the bottom is white lead.
Verdigris is made in much the same way. Red copper is placed over grape-residues48 and the matter that collects on it is scraped off; for it is verdigris that appears there.
There is also a natural and a prepared kind of cinnabar. The cinnabar in Iberia, which is very hard and stony, is natural, and so is the kind found in Colchis. They say that this is found on cliffs and is brought down by arrows that are shot at it. The prepared kind comes from one place only, a little above Ephesos. It is a sand that shines brightly and resembles scarlet dye; this is collected and ground in stone vessels until it is as fine as possible; then it is washed in copper ones . . . ," and what remains is taken
45 This translates λ«/κότατοκ, which has been accepted as an emendation in the text.
46 The literal translation of τρύ{ would be "wine-lees," but see Commentary.
47 The words ii> καλοί? (after μικράν) may simply be a repetition of ev χαλκοί?. Schneider thinks they belong above, after ύπίρ Εφέσου μικρόν ("a little above Ephesos") and should really be it dypots Κι\βιανοΐ$ ("in the Cilbian district").
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• 57 '
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