Page:The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous substances 2.djvu/122



As yet figured cloths did not exist: gold was not woven, it was not even extracted from the ground.—Epist. 91. LUCIAN describes the tragic actors, when they performed the part of kings, as wearing a chlamys interwoven with gold. APULEIUS. They carefully spread over the couches, cloths figured with gold and Tyrian purple.—Met.

PHILOSTRATUS

depicts Midas wearing a golden robe.

NEMESIANUS.

In thy scarf's woof much sportive gold display.—Cyneg. 91.

The poet is addressing Diana and describing her attire.

AUSONIUS.

Weave flexile gold within thy shawls, O Greece.

This is the first passage since the time of Homer, which mentions Greece as concerned in weaving with gold. But Ausonius probably alluded to the Greeks of Asia Minor, as, besides the evidence produced from Basil, we have seen that Pergamus was one of the most noted places for these productions, which were on that account called "Attalicæ vestes ."*