Gell, William: Pompeiana: the topography, edifices and ornaments of Pompeii ; the result of excavations since 1819 ; in two volumes (Band 1) (London, 1832)

98 POMPEIANA.

among the ancients, who seem to have been
far more skilful than was at first imagined.

Not tomention the description of aburning
glass in the Nubes of Aristophanes, v. 764/.,
the collection which Mr. Dodwell first formed
and brought into notice at Rome by repolish-
ing the fragments, is sufficient to prove that
specimens of every known marble, and of
many not now existing in cabinets, as well
as every sort of precious stone, were com-
monly and most successfully imitated by the
ancients, who used these imitations in cups
and vases of every size and shape.

In the time of Martial, about a century
after Christ, glass cups were common, ex-
cept the calices allasontes, which displayed
changeable or prismatic colours, and, as
Vossius says, were procured in Egypt, and
were so rare that Adrian sending some to
Servianus ordered that they should only be
used on great occasions.

The myrrhine vases, however, which were
in such request, seem at last to have been suc-
cessfully traced to China. Propertius calls
them Parthian, and it seems certain that the