
Early printed book contains rare evidence of medieval spectacles (2012) - never-the-bride
http://sites.utexas.edu/ransomcentermagazine/2012/04/17/medieval-spectacles/
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rgrieselhuber
“During the early period of the production of eyeglasses, they were referred
to as vitreos ab oculis ad legendum (eyeglasses for eyes for reading)...”

Guess they wanted to make sure nothing was left to chance.

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SomeHacker44
It has been a long time since high school Latin, but a better translation
might be "glasses for eyes for reading."

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brownbat
Or even "thing made of glass for eyes for reading."

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schoen
Why "ab oculis" instead of "ad oculos", though?

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mirimir
Literally, "without eyes". Without working eyes, anyway.

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schoen
Shouldn't that be "absque oculis" instead in that interpretation?

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mirimir
> From an earlier orbus ab oculīs ("deprived of eyes").

> (Late Latin) blind

[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ab_oculis](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ab_oculis)

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bloak
I don't think that link to "ab oculis" is relevant. I suspect that "ab" just
means something like "on, in front of" in this case: "glasses in front of the
eyes for reading".

If you have time, check this article for the various possible meanings of
"ab":
[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:19...](http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:entry=ab)
(It's a bit more detailed than wiktionary!)

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robertbaruch
I love how there are so many Latinists here :)

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mirimir
Hey, Latin was my third language :)

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ironjunkie
Amazing that glasses was invented almost thousand years ago, and today it is
still that overly expensive item.

I only need glasses since the last year or so and I have been amazed by how
monopolistic and bad this whole industry is.

The prescriptions are fairly standard, but still, making a pair of glasses
cost more or less 200$ and require a 1:1 appointment. The price of the lens
mounts is just ridiculous for a piece of metal.

Even looking at an alternative like Warby Parker, the price is still about the
same for something, that let's be honest must not cost more than 20$ to make!

I since then bought 4 pair of glasses directly on Amazon from a Chinese vendor
for 10$ (I have a small standard prescription) and they do a perfect job. I
can barely tell the difference from my Warby Parker ones.

It's crazy to me that cheap glasses are still that difficult to get.

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jcelerier
> The prescriptions are fairly standard, but still, making a pair of glasses
> cost more or less 200$ and require a 1:1 appointment.

Depends on the country. I went to Japan for vacation a few months ago ; my
girlfriend wanted a new pair of glasses. She just went to a mall in an optical
center, they took her eye measurements on the spot, we went back two hours
after and the glasses were ready.

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lokedhs
I did the same when I had to travel to Moscow the day after I had lost my
glasses in the ocean from a boat.

Going into a shop in Stockholm I was told it'd take 2 weeks, which obviously
wasn't acceptable.

When I arrived in Moscow, just like you I went into a shop, took the
measurement, went for lunch and it was ready when I came back. What was
fascinating was that they had the actual machines to grind the lens at the
back of the shop. It was pretty cool.

Those glasses lasted me for years, and they worked really well.

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Tepix
Want to help people in 3rd world countries get affordable glasses? Support the
One dollar glasses non-profit (i did).
[https://www.onedollarglasses.org](https://www.onedollarglasses.org)

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amelius
Did they know about the law of diffraction, or did they just grind the glass
until it had the desired effect?

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booleandilemma
Eyes of glass in twin hoops!

