APPENDIX B.

ANCIENT AUTHORS.

We give the following brief notes on early works containing some reference to miner-alogy, mining, or metallurgy, to indicate the literature available to Agricola and for historicalnotes bearing upon the subject. References to these works in the footnotes may be mosteasily consulted through the personal index.

GREEK AUTHORS.—Only a very limited Greek literature upon subjects allied tomining or natural science survives. The whole of the material of technical interest could bereproduced on less than twenty of these pages. Those of most importance are : Aristotle(384-322 B.c.), Theophrastus (371-288 b.c.), Diodorus Siculus (1st Century B.c.), Strabo(64 B.c.—25 a.d.), and Dioscorides (1st Century a.d.).

Aristotle, apart from occasional mineralogical or metallurgical references in De Mira-bilibus, is mostly of interest as the author of the Peripatetic theory of the elements and therelation of these to the origin of stones and metals. Agricola was, to a considerable measure,a follower of this school, and their views colour much of his writings. We, however, discusselsewhere 1 at what point he departed from them. Especially in De Ortu et Causis does hequote largely from Aristotle’s Meteorologica, Physica, and De Coelo on these subjects. Thereis a spurious work on stones attributed to Aristotle of some interest to mineralogists. It wasprobably the work of some Arab early in the Middle Ages.

Theophrastus, the principal disciple of Aristotle, appears to have written at least twoworks relating to our subject—one “ On Stones”, and the other on metals, mining or metal-lurgy, but the latter is not extant. The work “ On Stones ” was first printed in Venice in1498, and the Greek text, together with a fair English translation by Sir John Hill, waspublished in London in 1746 under the title “ Theophrastus on Stones ” ; the translation is,however, somewhat coloured with Hill’s views on mineralogy. The work comprises 120short paragraphs, and would, if reproduced, cover but about four of these pages. In thefirst paragraphs are the Peripatetic view of the origin of stones and minerals, and upon thefoundation of Aristotle he makes some modifications. The principal interest in Theophrastus’work is the description of minerals ; the information given is, however, such as might be pos-sessed by any ordinary workman, and betrays no particular abilities for natural philosophy.He enumerates various exterior characteristics, such as colour, tenacity, hardness, smooth-ness, density, fusibility, lustre, and transparence, and their quality of reproduction, and thenproceeds to describe various substances, but usually omits his enumerated characteristics.Apart from the then known metals and certain “ earths ” (ochre, marls, clay, etc.), it is possibleto identify from his descriptions the following rocks and minerals :—marble, pumice, onyx,gypsum, pyrites, coal, bitumen, amber, azurite, chrysocolla, realgar, orpiment, cinnabar)quartz in various forms, lapis lazuli, emerald, sapphire, diamond, and ruby. Altogether thereare some sixteen distinct mineral species. He also describes the touchstone and its uses, themaking of white-lead and verdigris, and of quicksilver from cinnabar.

Diodorus Siculus was a Greek native of Sicily. His “ historical library ” consisted ofsome 40 books, of which parts of 15 are extant. The first print was in Latin, 1472, and inGreek in 1539 ; the first translation into English was by Thomas Stocker, London, 1568, andlater by G. Booth, 1700. We have relied upon Booth’s translation, but with some amend-ments by friends, to gain more literal statement. Diodorus, so far as relates to our subject,gives merely the occasional note of a traveller. The most interesting paragraphs are hisquotation from Agatharchides on Egyptian mining and upon British tin.

Strabo was also a geographer. His work consists of 17 books, and practically allsurvive. We have relied upon the most excellent translation of Hamilton and Falconer,London, 1903, the only one in English. Mines and minerals did not escape such an acutegeographer, and the matters of greatest interest are those with relation to Spanish mines.

Dioscorides was a Greek physician who wrote entirely from the standpoint of materiamedica, most of his work being devoted to herbs; but Book V. is devoted to minerals androcks, and their preparation for medicinal purposes. The work has never been translatedinto English, and we have relied upon the Latin translation of Matthioli, Venice, 1565, and notesupon the Greek text prepared for us by Mr. C. Katopodes. In addition to most of the sub-stances known before, he, so far as can be identified, adds schist, cadmia (blende or calamine),chalcitis (copper sulphide), misy, melanteria, sory (copper or iron sulphide oxidation minerals).He describes the making of certain artificial products, such as copper oxides, vitriol, litharge,pompholyx, and spodos (zinc and / or arsenical oxides). His principal interest for us, however,lies in the processes set out for making his medicines.

Occasional scraps of information relating to the metals or mines in some connectionare to be found in many other Greek writers, and in quotations by them from others which arenot now extant, such as Polybius, Posidonius, etc. The poets occasionally throw a gleam

1 See pages 44 and 46.