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А что, действительно, бриллианты не обтачивали в античном мире? Почему тогда они были настолько дороги?
"There is still extant a long but imperfect catalogue of eastern commodities, which about the time of Alexander Severus were subject to the payment of duties; cinnamon, myrrh, pepper, ginger, and the whole tribe of aromatics a great variety of precious stones, among which the diamond was the most remarkable for its price, and the emerald for its beauty; Parthian and Babylonian leather, cottons, silks, both raw and manufactured, ebony ivory, and eunuchs. [ The ancients were unacquainted with the art of cutting diamonds.]"
(Edward Gibbon, HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE)
"There is still extant a long but imperfect catalogue of eastern commodities, which about the time of Alexander Severus were subject to the payment of duties; cinnamon, myrrh, pepper, ginger, and the whole tribe of aromatics a great variety of precious stones, among which the diamond was the most remarkable for its price, and the emerald for its beauty; Parthian and Babylonian leather, cottons, silks, both raw and manufactured, ebony ivory, and eunuchs. [ The ancients were unacquainted with the art of cutting diamonds.]"
(Edward Gibbon, HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE)
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Что пришлось подучить - это прилагательные. Весь спектр прилагательных для описаний vices and virtues (пороки и добродетели) сейчас почти не используется. Ну, и, разумеется лексика отличается и в других областях, так что в словарь иногда заглядываю. Обычно то значение которое использует Гиббон идет под номером 3 -4 в словарной статье.
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Из американцев, к слову, весьма сложен для меня язык Тома Хогана (Thom Hogan).
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