Alexander the Great, Aristotle and Pamphili from Kos
Interesting information from the Museum Guide
The comments of PLINY the Elder:
“The women weave webs, like spiders, making a luxurious material for women’s dresses, called silk. The process of breathing and weaving the thread was first invented in KOS, by a woman named PAMPHILI, daughter of PLATAEUS. She had the undoubted glory of inventing the way to lighten women’s clothing to the point of nudity.”
In this way PLINY the Elder, a writer of the 1st century, comments on the property of silk to “reveal” the human body (Naturalis Historia XI, xxvi-xxvii). We obtained the information from the Silk Museum guide written by Alexandra Tranta (published by PIOP), where one can find many interesting facts about the history of silk.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT, ARISTOTELES AND PAMPHILI
We also READ: “SILK CLOTH WAS INTRODUCED TO ANCIENT GREECE WITH THE CAMPAIGNS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (334-323). WISHING TO UNRAVEL THE SECRET OF SILK PRODUCTION ALEXANDER SENDS COCOONS TO HIS TEACHER, ARISTOTLE, WHO, THE FIRST OFTHE ANCIENT GREEK WRITERS, MENTIONS THE SILKWORM, DESCRIBING IT, AS A kind OF “LARGE WORM” (ARISTOTLE, ON ANIMAL STORIES, V.XIX, 551 b):
“From the large worm, which has one horn and differs from the others, it becomes first a variable of the tapeworm, then a bombylus, and then a necydalus; and in six months it changes all these forms. And from this life also the cobs are analyzed by the women’s clothes, being rubbed
, and then they woven; and the first is said to be woven in K. Pamphili Plato’s daughter”. Hist. Anim.V.19.6. Aristotle, “The Histories about Animals”.
Here ARISTOTLE mentions as the first silk weaver PAMPHILI from KOS in even earlier times (the first one is not called ὑφῆναι ἐν Kῷ Pamphili) and describes the process of converting the cocoon into silk.
He speaks, in fact, of its transformations, as well as of the process of pulling the thread from the cocoon: “therefore the animal and the analyzable buds of the women’s tennis shoes are woven together”.
Aristotle mentions that Pamphili from Kos wove silk cloth, but we don’t know if silk-making was later forgotten. Thus, we do not know if silk was imported or reused because it had fallen into oblivion when Alexander “discovered” it in his campaigns.
Image: Detail of a black-figure lekyth by the AMASIS Painter depicting women in domestic work: weaving on the standing loom and grinding. Metropolitan Museum, New York.
https://anihneftes.wordpress.com/, https://www.archaiologia.gr/
https://euphoriatric.com/living-arts-bird-of-paradise…/
The oldest silk was found in Cyprus
In Pyrgos, Cyprus, the archaeologist Christos Dumas found a fossilized cocoon of a lepidopteran species similar to the silkworm (!) and connected it to the many figures in Cretan art showing women collecting cocoons in forests.
Nevertheless, there is a reference to the introduction of silk into Greece as early as Alexander the Great, who, wishing to discover the secret of silk production, sent cocoons to his teacher, Aristotle, who was the first of the ancient Greek authors in his work “The Life Stories” refers to the silkworm and its transformation process.
A little later, a small piece of 4,000-year-old silk fabric (the oldest silk found in the Mediterranean), was unearthed by Italian researchers. In the container where the cloth was found, there were also wool and cotton fibers, as well as weights and a small spool.
(K.M.): At least for me, the event caused sensation, admiration and curiosity… We know that in other countries, when a …shovel that is at least 200 years old is discovered, a Museum is built to …show it off!
The ancient Greeks did have knowledge of sea silk, referring to it as “sea wool” continuing in the 2nd century CE, indicating its use as a luxury item. Archaeological finds of *Pinna nobilis shells in ancient Greek sites suggest a potential for the material, though the fibers may have been used for other purposes, such as food, as they were in Southern Italy. The earliest saved written records for sea silk date to the 2nd century CE, and while the Greeks may have been among the cultures that worked with this rare fiber, the Magna Graecia connection remains less clear compared to later production centers.
SILK IN ANCIENT GREEK CONTEXT
Term for Sea Silk:
By the 2nd century CE, the Greek term for sea silk was tà ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης (thalassis eria), or “sea wool,” which still denoted a luxury textile material,
Use as a Luxury Item:
Sea silk was already considered a luxury item in the ancient world, and the Greeks were likely continuing used this precious, naturally golden-brown fiber.
Magna Graecia Connection
Pinna nobilis Distribution:
The noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis), the source of sea silk, is endemic to the Mediterranean and was always present in the waters of Magna Graecia, as the main land of Greece
Shell Remains:
Remains of the noble pen shell have been found in ancient Greek sites in locations like Thessaly and Santorini, suggesting that the material was available in the region.
This luxurious textile made from the byssus(=Βυσσος=filaments) of the Mediterranean pen shell, known for its naturally iridescent, golden-brown color. While silk production from silkworms in ancient Magna Graecia was limited, Greek maritime networks and the trade.
in luxury Marine Silk and goods did connect the region to Greece, especially in Thessaly and Santorini commerce. Sea-silk remained a luxury product, during the Roman era was, as before, appreciated by the elite, and its production was a dying art, with ancient sources mentioning its existence and appreciation in the classical period..
The fiber was mentioned in various Greek, Egyptian, and Roman sources later (and an analog seems to have existed in ancient China) but differentiating sea silk made from mollusk fibers from similar luxury fibers like cocoon silk, or fine linen seems to be more a matter of context rather than of terminology. Sea silk is finer than the true silk produced from silkworm cocoons. It was said that a pair of ladies’ gloves made of sea-silk could be folded into one half of a walnut shell because the fiber was so profoundly delicate. Sea silk was warm and durable but it was infamous for attracting clothing moths. A few pieces have survived in museums including the extraordinary medieval chasuble of St. Yves pictured below.
Unfortunately the Pinna nobilis clams which are the source of byssus fibers have declined rapidly in number thanks to overfishing, pollution, and the general decline of the Mediterranean sea-grass beds. Other fibers like seaweed based cellulose or watered silk have adopted the “sea silk” name further confusing the issue. Today the sea silk industry only barely survives in Sardinia where a handful of aging practitioners keep it alive–more for tradition’s sake than economic reward.
A few pieces have survived in museums including the extraordinary mediaeval chasuble of St. Yves pictured below
Unfortunately the Pinna nobilis clams which are the source of byssus fibers have declined rapidly in number thanks to overfishing, pollution, and the general decline of the Mediterranean sea-grass beds. Other fibers like seaweed based cellulose or watered silk have adopted the “sea silk” name further confusing the issue. Today the sea silk industry only barely survives in Sardinia where a handful of aging practitioners keep it alive–more for tradition’s sake than economic reward.
Luxury fiber is a strange thing. Linen comes from flax (which has some legitimate claims to being the first domesticated plant). Silk is derived from the cocoons of lepidoterans. Qiviut comes from the undercoats of musk-oxen. One of the rarest of all luxury fibers comes from an even more peculiar source. “Sea silk” is produced by collecting and spinning the long micro filaments or “byssus” secreted by several kinds of bivalve mollusks–expecially Pinna nobilis (a large saltwater clam once widespread in the Mediterranean ocean). Pinna nobilis can grow up to a meter (3 feet) in size and anchors itself to the ocean floor with an extremely fine fiber it excretes from a land in its foot.
NO V I O L E N T SILK:
Peace Silk, or Ahimsa silk, is made without hurting silkworms. Rather than boiling the cocoons, small incisions are made to allow the month to exit the cocoon once the metamorphosis is complete.
Unlike conventional silk production, which involves boiling silkworms alive in their cocoons to extract the silk fibers, Peace Silk is produced by allowing the silkworms to complete their metamorphosis into moths before harvesting their cocoons. Ahimsa is a Sanskrit term meaning ‘non-violence’ or ‘non-harm.General Information, Caring For & Breeding Silkworms
Background
Silkworms are the larva of a moth (Bombyx mori) native to Asia that spins a cocoon of fine, strong, lustrous fiber that is the source of commercial silk. The culture of silkworms is called sericulture. The various species raised today are distinguished by the quality of the silk they produce. Silkworms feed on the leaves of the mulberries (genus Morus) and sometimes on the Osage orange (Maclura pomifera).
Bombyx Mori will not bite, making it an ideal worm for feeding most reptiles, amphibians and other animals. And they offer great nutritional value as a live feeder. mulberry leaves
Mulberry Leaves
Newborns are small enough for most baby reptiles to eat and young silkworms can even be fed so they will grow to a desired size. Silkworms are soft-bodied, slow moving and can grow to 3 inches in length. They are also relatively fast growing, reaching about 3 inches in length and ready to cocoon in as little as 25 – 28 days.
Silkworms go through four stages of development, as do most insects: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Click here to see a life cycle chart. The adult (imago) stage is the silkworm moth. The larva is the caterpillar (not really a “worm” at all). The pupa is what the silkworm changes into after spinning its cocoon before emerging as a moth. Since the silkworm grows so much, it must shed its skin four times while it is growing. These stages-within-a-stage are called instars.
Today, the silkworm moth lives only in captivity. Silkworms have been domesticated so that they can no longer survive independently in nature,
particularly since they have lost the ability to fly. All wild populations are extinct. Also contributing to their extinction is the extraordinary fact that they only eat mulberry leaves.
Silkworms have been used by researchers to study pheromones or sexual attractant substances. The pheromones are released by female moths and the males detect the chemicals with olfactory hairs on their antennae. This allows the male to find the female for mating. The male antennae are made of many small hairs to increase the chances of picking up small amounts of the pheromones over long distances.
How to Grow Your Worms to the Perfect Size
silkworm eggs
Silkworm Eggs and Moth The great thing about silkworms is that they only grow as much as you feed them, and they can go for up to a week without food. Keep in mind, however, that they will become dehydrated and begin to die off after a few days without food, and should be fed at least once daily in order to remain healthy. But, in general, if you have too many you can feed them a few times per week and they’ll stay alive until you need them without growing too much larger.
Wash hands thoroughly before handling the worms or the food or they may develop bacterial problems. Using a cheese grater, grate a small amount of food onto the them and repeat until the caterpillars reach the desired size. For best results, maintain temperatures between 78° and 88° F.
Excessive condensation forming in the container after feeding is the leading cause of failure. If this condensation does form, take the lid off your container and allow the container and old food to completely dry out. In the future, make sure the previous food is dry before feeding again. Old damp food is a breeding ground for mold and other problems, dry food is not. A fan can help for quicker dry outs.
As the silkworms grow, you may need to transfer your worms to a larger plastic container. The lid needs to have ventilation holes. If not, you need to vent the lid so the silkworms won’t suffocate and to allow condensation to dissipate. You can also use a shoebox. The old food and waste matter can be removed, but does not have to be if it remains thoroughly dry.
Under ideal conditions (78° to 88° F and allowed to feed nearly continuously) silkworms can go from egg to 1 inch in length in about 12 days, and 3 inches in under 30 days. The worms will begin to spin cocoons at about 28 – 30 days old or when they are between 2 1/2 and 3 inches long.
From Cocoon to MOTH silkworm
Silkworm moths emerge from their cocoons after spending about two to three weeks metamorphosing. As moths, they do not eat or fly. They will usually mate, lay eggs and die within a week. Fertile eggs turn from yellow to gray or purple in a week or so. If the eggs don’t hatch within 3 weeks, they usually will not hatch until the following year (see above—from egg to larva).
Proper Handling Procedures
Again, in order for your worms to stay healthy for many weeks, you’ll need to keep the silkworms as dry as possible. If condensation builds up during feeding, vent the container lid to prevent excess humidity.
Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before handling the worms or their food. Silkworms can be susceptible to bacteria if you don’t properly handle them. As long as the container environment remains dry, your worms will be fine.
Mold develops from high temperatures and high humidity. If the worms are covered with droppings, silk and old food for too long, mold may develop and kill the worms. If mold does develop, grate about 1/4 inch of food (sold separately) all over the worms with a cheese grater. As the worms crawl to the top of the new food pile you can transfer them off the moldy food and place them into a new container.
Silkworms are susceptible to bruising and dying if not handled with care, especially as they grow larger.
When handling and transferring the worms, be very gentle.