| Perfume has been a desired commodity since ancient | | | | was central to cult worship as it was seen as pleasing |
| times and many of the techniques used are still used | | | | to the gods and able to win their favour. It covered |
| to some degree today. When looking at ancient | | | | the scent of sacrifices during ceremonies, and was |
| attitudes towards perfume it is surprising to discover | | | | used as a good omen for marriage and childbirth. |
| how much it actually reflects the expectations of it in | | | | Babies were anointed with it for good health. It was |
| the modern day. To understand the nature of it in | | | | also central to death. Perfumed libations were carried |
| Ancient Greece, historians rely upon written sources, | | | | at the front of the funeral procession. Bodies were |
| excavated mosaics and other pictorial representations | | | | burned wrapped in perfumed shrouds which were |
| and artifacts such as perfume bottles. From these | | | | thought to help secure a happy afterlife. Other |
| items, lots can be determined about the function, | | | | bodies were buried with containers of it, again as |
| importance and production of it in ancient Greece. | | | | offerings to the gods. |
| The art of perfume making began in the island such | | | | Perfume was also integral to cleanliness, and used in |
| as Crete and other Greek colonies. It was brought to | | | | elaborate bathing rituals by both men and women. It |
| the agora or marketplace and sold from stalls. The | | | | was used so widespread that the philosopher |
| ancient Greeks quickly began to experiment with | | | | Socrates openly disliked and dismissed its usage |
| them, and created their own extraction techniques | | | | claiming it made a free man indistinguishable from a |
| which incorporated boiling herbs and flower petals. | | | | slave. Athletes used perfume after exercise for |
| These methods isolated the required plant ingredients | | | | medicinal purposes in the form of balms and unguent |
| and then perfumes were made by infusing the | | | | oils. This is an early recognition of the possible |
| extracted scents in oils. The process was a simple | | | | therapeutic and healing properties that are |
| version of modern techniques but could create as | | | | reminiscent of attitudes towards aromatherapy and |
| wide a variety of them as can be enjoyed today. | | | | aromacology in modern times. Hospitality also required |
| The ingredients were mainly homegrown flowers | | | | an abundance of perfume as guest`s feet were |
| such as iris and marjoram, roses, lilies, and violets. | | | | washed and anointed on being seated. Some wines |
| Herbs and spices such as sage and cumin were also | | | | were also perfumed according to works by Appicius, |
| used. Incense and myrrh were seen as decadent and | | | | in the hope that they had medicinal properties. |
| were perfume ingredients reserved for gods until the | | | | With the importance of perfume so apparent, it is no |
| 4th century when there was a shift in tastes, | | | | surprise that it was stored in bottles shaped as birds |
| ideology and availability. Like other ancient civilization, | | | | an animals, sometimes only a few inches in size. Many |
| the ancient Greeks imported oriental essences to | | | | are found from around the 6th century BC and are |
| create more exotic perfumes. However, unlike other | | | | known as plastics. In fact, the perfume bottles are |
| civilizations, they kept them mainly for their own use, | | | | spun ceramics and they commonly adopted a shape |
| rather than for export. | | | | which reflected the type of perfume to be contained. |
| Perfume was central to ancient Greek life. It was so | | | | Lekuthos were used for liquid perfume and were slim |
| popular that the politician Solon temporarily banned | | | | elegant glass bottles. Aryballes were used for oils and |
| the use of it to prevent an economic crisis. It was at | | | | unguents. Alabastron perfume bottles were highly |
| the centre of hospitality, wealth, status, daily life and | | | | prized, mainly amongst women and it was common |
| even philosophy. It was seen as erotic, mystical and | | | | for the craftsmen to brand the bottles to mark their |
| spiritual. It was linked to beauty which was | | | | craftsmanship, making them even more collectable. |
| inextricably linked with divinity. The origins of perfume | | | | As you can see, there are many similarities to |
| and perfumery are interwoven with Greek | | | | modern day attitudes towards perfume. |
| mythology. In Homeric tradition, the Olympian gods | | | | This article is under GNU FDL license and can be |
| taught perfumery to people. The colour and scent of | | | | distributed without any previous authorization from |
| the rose is attributed to events surrounding Venus | | | | the author. However the author's name and all the |
| and Cupid. | | | | URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography |
| Perfume was worn by both men and women and | | | | must be kept. |