Behold the Lycurgus cup, from the 4th c. Late Roman Empire. It is the most exquisite example of a glass-making technique used the the Romans to produce a color-changing effect. Viewed straight-on, the cup is green, but viewed with backlighting it appears red – the technique involved blending the glass with extremely fine-ground particles of gold and silver. This is early nanotechnology! The cup depicts the mythical King Lycurgus getting strangled by vines for having offended Dionysus, the God of wine.
Source: This 1,600-Year-Old Goblet Shows that the Romans Were Nanotechnology Pioneers | History | Smithsonian
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-1600-year-old-goblet-shows-that-the-romans-were-nanotechnology-pioneers-787224/
