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An amethyst stone from South Africa. Amethyste or Amethystos (Ancient Greek: Ἀμέθυστη, romanized: Améthustē, lit. 'non-drunk') is supposedly a nymph in Greek mythology who was turned into a precious stone by the goddess Diana/Artemis in order to avoid a worse fate at the hands of the god Dionysus, thus explaining the origin of the semi-precious stone amethyst.
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz.The name comes from the Koine Greek αμέθυστος amethystos from α - a-, "not" and μεθύσκω (Ancient Greek) methysko / μεθώ metho (Modern Greek), "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness. [1]
The Greek name amethystos alludes to the popular belief that amethyst prevented intoxication; as such, drinking vessels were made of amethyst for festivities, and carousers wore amulets made of it to counteract the action of wine. [6] The amethyst is a brilliant transparent stone of a purple color and varies in shade from violet purple to rose.
The Ancient Greeks believed that clear quartz crystals were a water that had frozen to the point where it would remain in its solid form. [12] The word "amethyst" in Ancient Greek language means "not intoxicate." Amethyst was worn as an amulet that they believed would aid hangovers or prevent intoxication. [9]
The Greek tradition emerged in Ancient Greek art under Minoan influence on mainland Helladic culture, and reached an apogee of subtlety and refinement in the Hellenistic period. Pre- Hellenic Ancient Egyptian seals tend to have inscriptions in hieroglyphs rather than images.
The name is Greek (Ἀνδρομέδα, Androméda), perhaps meaning 'mindful of her husband': from the noun ἀνήρ, ἀνδρός, anḗr, andrós 'man'; and either the verb μέδεσθαι, medesthai 'to be mindful of', from μέδω, médō, 'to protect, rule over', or the verb μήδομαι, mḗdomai 'to deliberate, contrive, decide'.
Amber, an ancient organic gemstone, is composed of tree resin that has hardened over time. The stone must be at least one million years old to be classified as amber, and some amber can be up to 120 million years old. Amethyst Amethyst has historically been the most prized gemstone in the quartz family.
Ancient Greek taboos and prohibitions could also find a place in mythological narrative, as some provided cautionary tales in the form of a fable. [6] Myths about nature, and the transformation into it, attempted to provide a coherent history and tell the origins of the world, the nature, animals, humans and the gods themselves. [ 7 ]