Chrysocolla was a green-coloured paint, and from Pliny’s description of it, could have been nothing else than carbonate of copper or malachite.
Purpurissum was a lake, as is obvious from the account of its formation given by Pliny. The colouring matter is not specified, but from the term used there can be little doubt that it was the liquor from the shellfish that yielded the celebrated purple dye of the Tyrians.
Indicum purpurissum was probably indigo. This might be implied from the account of it given by Pliny.
The austere colours used by the ancient painters were of two kinds, native and artificial. The native were sinopis, rubrica, parætonium, melinum, eretria, auripigmentum. The artificial were, ochra, cerussa usta, sandaracha, sandyx, syricum, atramentum.
Sinopis is the red substance now known by the name of reddle, and used for marking. On that account it is sometimes called red chalk. It was found in Pontus, in the Balearian islands, and in Egypt. The price was three denarii, or 1s. 11¼d. the pound weight. The most famous variety of sinopis was from the isle of Lemnos; it was sold sealed and stamped: hence it was called sphragis. It was employed to adulterate minium. In medicine it was used to appease inflammation, and as an antidote to poison.
Ochre is merely sinopis heated in a covered vessel. The higher the temperature to which it has been exposed the better it is.
Leucophorum is a compound of 6 lbs. sinopis of Pontus, 10 lbs. siris, 2 lbs. melinum, triturated together for thirty days. It was used to make gold adhere to wood.
Rubrica from the name, was probably a red ochre.
Parætonium was a white colour, so called from a place in Egypt, where it was found. It was obtained also in the island of Crete, and in Cyrene. It was said to be a combination of the froth of the sea consolidated with mud. It consisted probably of carbonate of lime. Six pounds of it cost only one denarius.
Melinum was also a white-coloured powder found in Melos and Samos in veins. It was most probably a carbonate of lime.