Smaragdus (a Graeco σμάραγδος) est gemma viridis generis berylli, quae beryllium, chromium, et vanadium continet, e quibus virentem habet colorem. Plures smaragdi in Columbia et Brasilia inveniuntur.

De smaragdi apud antiquos usu et aestimatione

Antiquis temporibus smaragdus in monte Smaragdo in Desertis orientalibus Aegypti sito effodiebatur, sicut Wali Sikait in regione Sikait Zabara.^[1] Deinde smaragdi effossi ad emporium vicinum Berenicen portati navibus onerariis Alexandriam vehebantur.

Smaragdi apud antiquos permagni aestimabantur, ut apparet ex eo quod de Polycratis anulo narratur.^[2] Polycrates, tyrannus Samius, cui omnia prospere evenerant, arbitratus secundam fortunam sibi non patere, nisi aliquam abiciat rem, cuius abiectio quam maxime animum offendat. Cum nihil haberet carius smaragdo anulario, in mare vectus anulum illum in profundum abiecit.

Etiam torques smaragdinae in picturis Pompeianis inveniuntur. Smaragdo etiam vis sanativa adscribebatur. Praeterea symbolum erat fidei et Christi.^[3]

Notae

↑ Schneider & Arzruni 1892; El Shazly & Hassan 1972; Grundmann & Morteani 1993; Shaw & al. 1999: Younis & al. 1999-2000; Giuliani 2001; Grundmann 2001
↑ Hdt. Hist. 3.41; Fronto, De bello Parthico 4.
↑ Šedinová 1997.

Nexus interni

Tabula smaragdina

Bibliographia

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El Shazly, E.M. & Hassan, M.A. (1972): Geology and radioactive mineralisation at Wadi Sikait-Wadi El Gemal area, Eastern Desert. Egyptian Journal of Geology 16: 201-234.
Giuliani, G. (2001): L’exploitation des mines d’emeraude d’Autriche et de la Haute Egypte à l’Epoque Gallo-Romaine; mythe ou réalité? Revue de Gemmologie 143: 20-24.
Grundmann, G. (2001) Die Smaragd-Vorkommen der Welt. ExtraLapis 21: 26-37.
Grundmann, G. & Morteani, G. (1993) Smaragdminen der Cleopatra: Zabara, Sikait und Umm Kabo in Ägypten. Lapis 18: 27-39.
Meadows J. W. (1945) Pliny on the smaragdus. Classical Review 59: 50-51.
Šedinová, Hana (1997) Smaragd. Listy filologické 120: 225-250.
Schneider, O. & Arzruni, A. (1892) Der Aegyptische Smaragd. Zeitschrift für Ethnologie 24: 41-91.
Shaw, Ian & Bunbury, Judith & Jameson, Robert (1999) Emerald mining in Roman and Byzantine Egypt. Journal of Roman Archeology 12: 203-215.
Woods, David (2006) Pliny, Nero, and the « emerald » (NH 37, 64). Arctos 40: 189-196.
Younis, Sobhy A. & al. (1999-2000) Wadi Sikait, the ancient emerald mine sites, Egypt : a geo-archaeological investigation. ASAE 75 : 229-244.