Perfume in ancient Greece

Perfume in ancient Greece

Perfume has been a sought-after commodity since ancient times and many of the techniques used are still used to some extent today. When one looks at the ancient attitude towards perfume, it is surprising to discover how much it actually reflects the expectations of today. To understand nature in ancient Greece, historians rely on written sources, excavated mosaics, and other pictorial representations and artifacts such as perfume bottles. These objects can be used to determine the function, meaning and production in ancient Greece.

The art of making perfume began on islands such as Crete and other Greek colonies. It was brought to the agora or market place and sold at stalls. The ancient Greeks quickly began experimenting with it, developing their own extraction techniques using boiling herbs and flower petals. These processes isolated the required plant ingredients and then perfumes were made by infusing the extracted scents into oils. The process was a simple version of modern techniques, but was able to produce as wide a variety of them as can be enjoyed today.

The ingredients were mainly home-grown flowers such as irises and marjoram, roses, lilies and violets. Herbs and spices such as sage and cumin were also used. Frankincense and myrrh were considered decadent and were reserved for the gods until the 4th century, when tastes, ideology and availability changed. Like other ancient civilizations, the ancient Greeks imported oriental essences to create more exotic perfumes. However, unlike other civilizations, they kept them primarily for their own use rather than for export.

Perfume was central to ancient Greek life. It was so popular that politician Solon temporarily banned its use to prevent an economic crisis. It was the center of hospitality, wealth, status, daily life and even philosophy. It was considered erotic, mystical and spiritual. It was associated with beauty, which was inseparable from divinity. The origins of perfume and perfumery are intertwined with Greek mythology. In the Homeric tradition, the Olympian gods taught people perfumery. The color and scent of the rose are attributed to events involving Venus and Cupid.

Perfume was worn by both men and women and was central to cult worship as it was pleasing to the gods and could gain their favor. It masked the smell of sacrifices during ceremonies and was used as a good omen for marriage and birth. Babies were anointed with it for good health. It was also central to death. Perfumed libations were carried at the front of the funeral procession. Bodies were burned, wrapped in perfumed shrouds that were believed to ensure a happy afterlife. Other bodies were buried with containers of it, again as offerings to the gods.

Perfume was also an essential part of cleanliness and was used by both men and women in elaborate bathing rituals. It became so widespread that the philosopher Socrates openly opposed and rejected its use, claiming that it made a free man indistinguishable from a slave. Athletes used perfume after training for medicinal purposes in the form of balms and ointment oils. This is an early recognition of its possible therapeutic and healing properties, reminiscent of attitudes toward aromatherapy and aromacology in modern times. Hospitality also required an abundance of perfume as guests' feet were washed and anointed as they sat. Some wines were also perfumed based on the works of Appicius in the hope that they would have medicinal properties.

Given the obvious importance of the perfume, it is not surprising that it was stored in bird and animal shaped bottles, sometimes just a few centimeters in size. Many were made around the 6th century B.C. 4000 BC and are known as plastic. In fact, the perfume bottles are spun ceramics and they usually took a shape that reflected the type of perfume they contained.

Lekuthos were used for liquid perfume and were slim elegant glass bottles. Aryballes were used for oils and ointments. Alabastron perfume bottles were highly prized, especially by women, and it was common for artisans to brand the bottles to signify their craftsmanship, making them even more collectible. As you can see, there are many similarities with the modern attitude towards perfume.