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Among the heathens, from the earliest times, jewels were reckoned among the most grateful offerings to the gods, and therefore dedicated in profusion in their temples. "This custom," observes the Rev. C. W. King, "flourished down to the fall of Paganism, but the donations in the shrines of imperial Rome were of a very different class to the tiny jewels extorted from the devotion of the poverty-stricken natives of Attica. Precious stones in their native state, and engraved gems, still continued to pour into the sacred treasuries. Every example of unusual beauty or rarity became a thankoffering to the patron god of its possessor. Pompey consecrated to Jupiter the rarest specimens of minerals found in the Pontic treasury. Caesar, an enthusiastic gem-collector, gave six caskets of his own choicest intagli to his progenetrix, Venus. The largest block of crystal ever seen (says Pliny) was that dedicated in the Capitol by Livia Augusta. In such form, also, did the gems appear, described by Lucian, in his "Dea Syria," as decorating the celebrated statue of that goddess, Astarte:--"Precious rubies colourless (diamonds), water coloured (beryls), fiery (rubies); the sardonyx stones, hyacinths, and emeralds, brought hither by Egyptians, Indians, Ethiopians, Medes, Armenians, and Babylonians."
Other gems, remarkable for their magnitude, were consecrated by engraving upon them the head of some particular deity. The most renowned monument of such a dedication--furnishing us, as it does, with a list of the contents of a wealthy Roman lady's jewel-box--is the inscription given by Montfaucon, cut upon the pedestal formerly supporting a statue of Isis, as is supposed, discovered at Alicante. It records that "by divine command Fabia Fabiana had dedicated in honour of her grand-daughter Avita, deceased, 112 1/2 lbs. of silver plate; also, ornaments in the diadem, one unio (a pearl of spherical shape, and vastly the more valuable) and six pearls, two emeralds, seven beryls, one carbuncle, one hyacinth, two rubies. In her ears, two emeralds, two pearls. On her neck, a quadruple row of thirty-six pearls, eighteen emeralds. In two circlets on her legs, two emeralds and eleven cylindri. In her bracelets, eight emeralds and eight pearls. On her little finger, two rings with diamonds; on the next finger, a little ring with gems, emeralds, and one pearl; on the top joint of the same finger, a ring with an emerald. Upon her shoes, eight cylindri." |
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Precious Stones Vol 11
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