Theophrastus on Mercury (element)

“The factitious cinnabar is from the country a little above Ephesus; it is but in small quantities, and is had only from one place. It is only a sand, shining like scarlet, which they collect, and rub to a very fine powder, in vessels of stone only, and afterwards wash in other vessels of brass, or sometimes of wood: What subsides they go to work on again, rubbing it and washing it as before.”

“One Callius, an Athenian, who belonged to the silver mines, invented and taught the making of this artificial Cinnabar. He had carefully got together a great Quantity of this sand, imagining from its shining appearance that it contained gold: But when he had found that it did not, and had had an opportunity, in his trials, admiring the beauty of its colour, he invented and brought into use this preparation of it. And this is no old thing, the invention being only of about ninety years date; Praxibulus being at this time in the Government of Athens.”