Orichalcum

The English word orichalcum derives from Greek , ' (from , ', mountain and , '''', copper), literally meaning "mountain copper". Orichalcum has been vaguely identified by ancient Greek authors to be either a gold–copper alloy—akin to rose gold, a form of pure copper, or a copper ore or various chemicals based on copper, but also copper–tin and copper–zinc alloys, or a metal or metallic alloy supposedly no longer known. issued under Nero, perhaps depicting the equestrian Troy Game, a kind of cavalry parade (decursio) The Romans, in transliterating ὀρείχαλκος as orichalcum or alternatively as aurichalcum, took it to mean "gold copper", deriving the root or- from aurum, "gold," rather than the Greek oros, mountain. The comic playwright Plautus makes a few unclear jokes about orichalcum that were once interpreted to mean that the metal was regarded as something like "fool's gold" but may simply be about its value relative to gold. A mention by Cicero indicates that the metal they called orichalcum resembled gold in color but had a lower value. In Virgil's Aeneid, the breastplate of Turnus is described as "stiff with gold and white orichalc" (auro squalentem alboque orichalco, 12.87). Nero issued sestertii made of "orichalcum" that were brass, made of four parts copper to one part zinc. Pliny seems to have believed orichalcum was a naturally occurring ore, not an alloy. In later years, "orichalcum" was used to describe the sulfide mineral chalcopyrite and also brass. These usages are difficult to reconcile with the claims of Plato's Critias, who states that the metal was "only a name" by his time, == Discovery of ingots==

In 2015, 39 orichalcum ingots were discovered in a sunken vessel on the coast of Gela in Sicily which have tentatively been dated at 2,100 years old. They were analyzed with X-ray fluorescence and found to be an alloy consisting of 75–80% copper, 15–20% zinc, and smaller percentages of nickel, lead, and iron. Another cache of 47 ingots was recovered in February 2016 and found to have similar composition as measured with ICP-OES and ICP-MS: around 65–80% copper, 15–25% zinc, 4–7% lead, 0.5–1% nickel, and trace amounts of silver, antimony, arsenic, bismuth, and other elements. This composition corresponds to high quality brass. == In ancient literature ==

Orichalcum is first mentioned in the 7th century BC by Hesiod, and in the Homeric hymn dedicated to Aphrodite, dated to the 630s BC. According to the Critias of Plato, the inner wall surrounding the citadel of Atlantis with the Temple of Poseidon "flashed with the red light of orichalcum". The interior walls, pillars, and floors of the temple were completely covered in orichalcum, and the roof was variegated with gold, silver, and orichalcum. In the center of the temple stood a pillar of orichalcum, on which the laws of Poseidon and records of the first son princes of Poseidon were inscribed. Pliny the Elder points out that orichalcum had lost currency due to the mines being exhausted. Pseudo-Aristotle in De mirabilibus auscultationibus (62) describes a type of copper that is "very shiny and white, not because there is tin mixed with it, but because some earth is combined and molten with it." This might be a reference to orichalcum obtained during the smelting of copper with the addition of "cadmia", a kind of earth formerly found on the shores of the Black Sea, which is attributed to be zinc oxide. == Numismatics ==

In numismatics, the term "orichalcum" is used to refer exclusively to a type of brass alloy used for minting Roman as, sestertius, dupondius, and semis coins. It is considered more valuable than copper, of which the as coin was previously made. == In media ==

• Orichalc was an Atlantean resource in the city builder computer game Poseidon: Master of Atlantis. • Orichalcum is prominent in the RPG video game series Dragon Quest starting with Dragon Quest III. It is a mythical metal used to forge powerful weapons and armors. It also appears in the manga and anime series Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai. • In Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, a number of beads presumably made from orichalcum was found on a slumbering Gamera. These beads bond with a human to make them a priest or priestess and allow a psychic link with the monster. While a number was confiscated, one was gifted to Mayumi Nagamine, who became Gamera's new priestess. Her bead was destroyed in the sequel as a way to revive a seemingly dead Gamera. A taller, slimmer bead was used in the third sequel by Ayana Hirasaka when she found an infant monster she named Iris. This one was lost during Gamera's battle with Iris in the film's climax. • Orichalcum is featured in the video game series Kingdom Hearts. It serves as a rare material, found in hidden treasure chests or rewarded by defeating enemies, that can be used to craft more powerful items and weapons. • Orichalcum is featured in the Story of Seasons video game series, as a high quality ore for upgrading your tools. However, it is often depicted as a blue or bluish-silver color ore. • The Pokémon Koraidon's ability is named after orichalcum in English. • Orichalcum is featured in the game Terraria, as an ore material that can potentially generate in a world upon destroying altars after the defeat of the Wall of Flesh boss. • In the 1992 LucasArts adventure game Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, orichalcum beads are recurring Atlantean artifacts that play a central role in the story and are used as key items in multiple puzzles throughout the game. • Orichalcum is featured in the game Slay the Spire and it's sequel Slay the Spire II as a common relic. • Orichalcum is mentioned in the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons as the "ultimate metal" that metallurgical alchemists strive to discover or create. Orichalcum is said to be yellow, light as air, and so strong that is cannot be bent or scratched. == See also ==