Naturalis historia 37.58

37.58

post hos Cyprius vocatur in Cypro repertus, vergens ad aereum colorem, sed medica vi, de qua dicemus, efficacissimus. post hunc siderites ferrei splendoris, pondere ante ceteros , sed natura dissimilis. namque et ictibus frangi et alio adamante perforari potest, quod et Cyprio evenit, breviterque ut degeneres nominis tantum auctoritatem habent.

One kind, about as large as a grain of millet in size, has been called "cenchros," and another, that is found in the gold mines at Philippi, is known as the "Macedonian" adamas: this last is about as large as a cucumber-seed in size. We next come to the Cyprian adamas, so called from its being found in the Isle of Cyprus: it is of a colour somewhat inclining to that of copper, but, in reference to its medicinal virtues, of which we shall have to make further mention, it is the most efficacious of them all. Next in succession to this we have siderites, a stone which shines like iron, and is more ponderous than any of the others, but differs in its properties from them all. For it breaks when struck by the hammer, and admits of being perforated by other kinds of adamas; a thing which is the case, also, with that of Cyprus: in short, these two are degenerate stones, and only bear the name of "adamas" for the purpose of enhancing their value.