orichalkos

Orichalcum is a historical term used in ancient Greek and later Latin to refer to a metallic substance described as precious and copper-based. The etymology is debated: in Greek, the word is thought to mean something like “mountain copper” or “copper-bronze,” while the Latin form aurichalcum is used in later sources and in coinage. The precise composition of orichalcum in antiquity remains uncertain.

In classical literature, orichalcum is best known from Plato’s dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, where Atlantis is said to have walls and buildings clad in orichalcum and the metal is described as second in value to gold. Because these accounts come from mythic or semi-mythic sources, many scholars treat orichalcum as a legendary or symbolic material rather than a precisely defined alloy.

Modern scholarship offers several theories about its empirical makeup. Some identify orichalcum with brass (a copper-zinc alloy), others with electrum (a gold-silver alloy), and some propose that the term described a mythic substance whose exact chemistry cannot be confirmed. The Latin term aurichalcum is associated with bright bronze or brass in Roman contexts, which contributes to the ambiguity when translating ancient references.

Archaeological evidence for a distinct, verifiably identified orichalcum is scarce. Most references derive from literary texts rather than surviving artifacts, limiting firm conclusions about its production or use in the ancient world. The concept nevertheless continues to interest classical scholars and has permeated popular culture as a symbol of legendary wealth and ancient mystery.