Talk:Sardonyx/@comment-26204551-20150620150743

Roman soldiers wore sardonyx talismans (objects bearing a sign of astrological influence to guard from evil and bring good fortune) engraved with heroes such as Hercules or Mars, god of war. They believed that the stone would make the wearer as brave and daring as the figured carved on it. During the Renaissance, sardonyx was believed to bring eloquence upon the wearer and was regarded with great value by public speakers and orators.