PLINY: NATURAL HISTORY BOOK XXXIII

1 I. We shall now discuss metals, and the actual resources and values of things, as our investigation diligently searches the earth in many ways. For in some places, the earth is excavated for wealth, as life demands gold, silver, electrum a natural alloy of gold and silver, and copper. In other places, it is excavated for luxury, as gems and pigments for tinting walls and wood are demanded. In other places, it is for rash valour that iron is sought, which is prized even more than gold amid wars and slaughter. We trace out all the earth's fibres and live above the hollows we have made, marvelling that she occasionally gapes open or trembles, as if this could not be an expression of the indignation of our holy
2 parent! We go into her vitals and seek wealth in the abode of the spirits of the dead, as though the place where we tread upon her were not sufficiently bounteous and fertile. Among all these things, we search for the least of remedies; for with what fraction of mankind is medicine the cause of digging? Although earth bestows even this upon us on her surface, just as she bestows crops: she is bountiful and easy in

Metals. I. Our topic now will be metals, and the actual resources employed to pay for commodities—resources diligently sought for in the bowels of the earth in a variety of ways. For in some places the earth is dug into for riches, when life demands gold, silver, electrum gold-silver alloy original: "electrum", and copper, and in other places for luxury, when gems and colours for tinting walls and beams are demanded, and in other places for rash valour, when the demand is for iron, which amid warfare and slaughter is even more prized than gold. We trace out all the fibres of the earth, and live above the hollows we have made in her, marvelling that occasionally she gapes open or begins to tremble—as if forsooth it were not possible that this may be an expression of the indignation of our holy parent! We penetrate her inner parts and seek for riches in the abode of the spirits of the departed, as though the part where we tread upon her were not sufficiently bounteous and fertile. And amid all this the smallest object of our searching is for the sake of remedies for illness, for with what fraction of mankind is medicine the object of this delving? Although medicines also earth bestows upon us on her surface, as she bestows corn, bountiful and generous as she is in all things for our benefit!