One of the most fascinating Roman artifacts is the Lycurgus cup. First of all, it looks stunning. Not only the vine leaf ornaments, but also the various scenes representing the death of King Lycurgus / the triumph of Dionysus over Lycurgus from Homer's sixth book of the Ilias. However, the extraordinary feature is the glass itself, or rather the dichroic effect it has. Depending on where the light is shining, it's either a jade tone (when the light falls onto it from the front) or a ruby colour (when the light shines through the glass from behind). These cups are pretty rare, there are about 50 - 100 left, and date to the fourth century A.D, although none of them are as well preserved as the Lycurgus cup. It's currently on display in the British Museum 1958,1202.1
