A silver pen was found by Dr Waldstein in 1891 in the tomb of the Aristotle family at Chalcis.
There is, of course, no etymological connection between the words miniature and minute; the latter being derived from the Latin minutus, minus.
Further details with regard to these pigments are given below, see pages [239] to [249].
Reproductions of these miniatures were published by Cardinal Mai, Picturae antiquissimae bellum Iliacum repraesentantes, Milan, 1819. Far more accurate copies of some of the miniatures, but without colour, are given by Palaeo. Soc., Plates 39, 40, 50 and 51.
Some fairly accurate reproductions of these miniatures were published by Bartoli, Antiquissimi Virgiliani Codicis fragmenta Bibl. Vat., Roma, 1741 and 1782. Examples from this and two other ancient but un-illuminated codices of Virgil in the Vatican library are given by the Palaeo. Soc., Plates 113 to 117.