De lapidibus

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

De lapidibus (German: "About the stones") is a small text by the Greek philosopher and naturalist Theophrastus von Eresos in the field of meteorology and mineralogy. Theophrastus was a pupil and successor of Aristotle , and this book is also in the tradition of the teacher.

Position in the complete works and tradition

De lapidibus is one of the author's fragments or opuscula . When Friedrich Wimmer , the text as a fragment II. Will Diogenes Laertius into the list of the books of Theophrastus, a font About gems I to.

content

In §§ 1 - 3 an idea of ​​the origin of the stones is developed. Similar to Aristotle's meteorology , one speaks of one flowing together , filtering , solidifying through heat and / or cold .

In §§ 3 (end) - 47 Theophrast introduces stones, in §§ 48 - 69 earths. He mentions common stones such as pumice stone and millstone, but devotes a large space to precious stones such as emerald, sard , haemaritis , anthrax (= carbuncle). Pearl, coral and ivory are also counted among the precious stones. It is reported where the stones are found, the properties are described, e.g. B. about the lyngurium (= hyacinth or a special kind of amber): “the lyngurium ... attracts other objects just as amber does”. It is also stated at the same point that the stone arises from the urine of the lynx.

The text about the earths (e.g. ocher, gold glue, cyanus ) has a strong practical relevance. The fabrics are used for painting and dyeing clothes. The excavation is not without danger: “The miners, however, are said to be hampered by the danger of suffocation”. Some dyes can be produced, for example, from the reaction of lead with vinegar, white lead is produced , from that of copper with wine dregs, verdigris is produced. A large space is devoted to plaster of paris. The reaction of the plaster of paris with water is described, that it sets quickly, its durability. Its proximity to the alabastrides is also known.

Reception by Roman authors

Theophrast's works were read and used by the Roman authors of the Republic and the Imperial Era. Marcus Terentius Varro gives it as a source in his book Res rusticae . Marcus Tullius Cicero often mentions him, even writes in a letter from Atticus : cum Theophrasto, amico meo Pliny the Elder wrote a book about stones: gemstones, gems, amber in his great work Naturalis historia . He cites several Roman and numerous Greek authors as a source. Theophrastus stands out among these. Several times he mentions him directly in the text as his informant. There are even more frequent payments in kind to the Greek author. So it is called z. B. in Theophrastus: "... completely incombustible, called anthrax, ... it looks like glowing coal" Pliny adopts: "... carbuncle, so called because of their resemblance to fire, while they are insensitive to fire themselves ".

Text editing and translation

  • Theophrast: About the stones . Ancient Greek / German in revision and edition by Mag.Markus W. BENES, Vienna 2020 ISBN 979-8636809425 .
  • Theophrastus: De lapidibus . Edited with introduction, translation and commentary by DE Eichholz, Oxford 1965.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Walter Pötscher : Theophrastus. In: The Little Pauly (KlP). Volume 5, Stuttgart 1975, Col. 720-724.
  2. ^ Theophrastus . In: Diogenes Laertios: life and teaching of the philosophers.
  3. ^ Summary of the work. In: Eichholz: Introduction.
  4. ↑ Carbuncle. In: Hans Lüschen: The names of the stones.
  5. ↑ Lynkurer. In: Hans Lüschen: The names of the stones.
  6. ^ Theophrastus, De lapidibus , § 28.
  7. ^ Theophrastus, De lapidibus , § 52.
  8. ^ Theophrastus, De lapidibus , § 56, § 57.
  9. ^ Theophrastus, De lapidibus , § 64 - § 67.
  10. ^ Marcus Tullius Cicero: Atticus letters , II, 16, 9.
  11. ^ List of benefits in kind. In: Roderich König (ed.): C. Plinius Secundus d. Ä .: Natural history , book XXXVII.
  12. ↑ Carbuncle. In: Hans Lüscher: The names of the stones.
  13. ^ Pliny: Natural History , Book XXXVII, § 92.