The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

330 XVI.xviii.14–xx.8 Isidore of Seville
poured out streams of melted ore in some form. 14.This
was either bronze or gold. When the metal flowed into
the depressions in the ground, it took on the shape in
which either the flowing stream or the collecting hollow
had formed it. Captivated by the splendor of these
objects, people picked up these lumps that had been
held fast and saw in them the imprints molded from the
ground, and from this realized that metals, when melted,
could be made into any shape.
xix. Silver (De argento) 1.Theword‘silver’ (argentum)
is not very different from its Greek name, for the Greeks
call it .Itpossesses this marvelous quality, that,
although it is white, when it is rubbed against a body it
leaves black lines. 2. Quicksilver (argentum vivum) isso
called because it etches out the materials onto which it is
thrown. This is also classified as a liquid because it flows.
It is particularly found in mines or in silver-working
furnaces, clinging to the roof in condensed drops, and
often even in the oldest excrement of sewers or the slime
of wells. It is also made from cinnabar placed on an
iron crucible covered with an earthenware lid. When
the vessel is sealed, coals are placed around it and thus
quicksilver is distilled from cinnabar. Without it neither
silver nor bronze can be gilded. 3.Ithassuchgreat power
that if you place a one hundred pound rock on top of a
sextarium (i.e. about a pint) of quicksilver, it steadfastly
sustains the rock. But if, on the other hand, you place a
mere gram of gold on top of it, it quickly yields to the
gold’s light weight by forming a hollow. From this we
may understand that it is not the weight of a substance,
but rather its nature, to which quicksilver yields. It is best
kept in glass vessels, for it eats through other materials.
When given in a drink, it causes death due to its weight.
4.Thedross of silver is called ,andwecallit
the ‘froth of silver’ (i.e. lead monoxide or litharge). It is
made in this way from silver and lead.
xx. Bronze(Deaere) 1.Bronze(aes,gen.aeris)isnamed
from its gleaming in the ‘air’ (aer,gen.aeris), just as gold
(aurum) andsilver (argentum) are. 12 The ancients used
bronze before they used iron. Indeed, at first they would
plow the earth with bronze; with bronze weapons they
would wage war; and bronze was more prized, while gold
and silver were rejected as useless. Now it is the opposite
(Lucretius, On the Nature of Things 5.1275):
Bronze is despised and gold has attained the highest
honor: thus time in its turning changes the positions of
things, and what was prized becomes finally without
value.
The use of bronze later spread to statues, vessels, and the
construction of buildings. Public proclamations in particular
were written on bronze plaques for a permanent
record.
2.Cyprian bronze (i.e. copper) was first found on the
island of Cyprus, whence it was named. It is made from
abronze-like stone that they call cadmia, and it is malleable.
If lead is added to it, it turns purple. 3. Aurichalcum
is so called because it possesses the splendor of gold
(aurum) and the hardness of bronze. Its name is composed
from both the Latin and Greek languages, for the
Greeks call bronze . Moreoveritismadefrom
bronze and a great deal of fire, and it is brought to a
gold color by means of additives. 4. Corinthian bronze
is a mixture of all metals, which was first mixed accidentally
when Corinth was burned after being captured.
When Hannibal had captured this city, he gathered all
the bronze and gold and silver statues into a single pyre
and burned them. Workmen carried this mixture off and
made plates. Thus Corinthian vessels were created from
all the metals (i.e. gold, silver, and bronze) combined to
make a single alloy that was neither one particular metal
nor another. Hence even up to the present day things
made either of this substance or of an imitation of it
are called ‘Corinthian bronze’ or ‘Corinthian vessels.”
There are three kinds: the first is white and approaches
the luster of silver; the second has by nature the yellow
of gold itself; the third has an equal mixture of all.
5. Coronarium is drawn out from malleable bronze
into sheets. Tinted by the bile of bulls, it looks like gold
in the garlands (corona) ofstage-actors, whence it is
named. 6. Pyropus is named from its fiery color (cf. ,
“fire”). When six grams of gold are added to each ounce
of bronze, the thin metal leaf becomes fiery and gives an
imitation of flame; for this reason also it is called pyropus.
7.Bronze that is called regularis (lit. “in ingots”) is called
‘ductile’ (ductilis)byotherpeople–allCyprianbronzeis
of this kind. 8.Bronze that is drawn out with a hammer
is called ‘ductile’ (ductilis) just as, on the other hand,
bronze that can only be poured out (fundere,ppl. fusus)
12 The word aes means either “bronze” or “copper.”