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Perfume in Ancient Rome
ByStefania Sanna
The perfume fashion has crossed the course of history, seducing entire populations. Although the perfume art was far from what we know these days, the Romans were also influenced by it.
Scented ointments in Ancient RomeThe origin of raw materialsThe perfume fashion in the times of Caesar and CleopatraWho created perfumes during the Roman EmpireThe most common raw materials in Ancient RomeThe price for a perfume in Rome in the second century A.D.Differences between ancient and contemporary perfumesWhat happened after the Roman Empire
SCENTED OINTMENTS IN ANCIENT ROME
Rather than perfume, ancient Rome preferred talking aboutscented ointmentsmade of flower petals, spices or other natural ingredients mainly originated from the East and city-states of ancient Greece. Their use was quite different from what we know now.
The scented ointments were conventionally used to cure diseases, ward off epidemics or conduct religious ceremonies. In fact, the Latin term of perfume derives from “per fumum” (“from smoke”).
According to the most ancient customs the priests threw scented ointments on braziers tocreate a scented tongue of smokethat went up to the sky reaching the Gods. That’s how the Romans, as well as other ancient peoples, such as Egyptians and Etruscans, were paying respect to the Gods in order to ask their benevolence.
A Roman priest is engaged in a religious ceremony (painted by John William Waterhouse)
The scented ointments were also usedfrom Egypt to ancient Rome tocleanse the body. In fact, people hadn’t used soap for personal hygiene yet and in order to clean themselves the Patricians, a Roman upper class, had a mixture of clay and oil that they took with astrigil, a metal instrument in the shape of a flat hook.
Roman women in Suburban baths of Pompeii (painted by Lawrence Alma-Tadema)
This type of cleansing could also take place at home or in ancient gyms.The Patricians loved being massaged with ointments and scented oilsright in the thermal baths, inside special areas calledUnctorium. Oils or even wine were often added to the thermal water.
Thescented ointmentswere also playing the leading role during the most convivial atmosphere, for example, on occasion of official banquets. It was common to add some drops of essential oils to water and sprinkle tables and triclinia of the guests. Not to mention that during a meal a few slaves were introducing doves in big water bowls with scented oils. The doves were flying in the way that flapping of their wings would spread perfumed water on the guests.
Among historical anecdotes related to perfumes, the one with Caesar is particularly popular: he used to cover himself with the perfume notes ofTelinum, a greasy ointment made of fenugreek, marjoram and yellow sweet clover.
The emperor Caesar wasn’t the only one to cover his body with perfume. The Roman women, besides spreading it on their bodies,were using the perfume to adorn their hair. This tradition seems to come from Greece and Egypt as well. The Egyptian and Etruscan women kneaded herbs and flowers, especially fragrant ones, with fat or beeswax, making small cones in order to introduce them in their hairstyles. Once exposed to the sun, the cones were melting, giving off intense fragrance.
Roman matron is ready for her hairstyle (painted by Juan Giménez Martín)
Despite the fact that there hadn’t been any perfume at those times in the form that we know it today, we can affirm thatthis product had its long evolutionary way during the Roman Empire. It began making its first steps in medical and religious fields and only afterwards it was introduced as a cosmetic, a tool of beauty and status symbol.
THE ORIGIN OF RAW MATERIALS
All raw materials for ointments came from areas conquered by the Roman troops. For this reason, the first ones to use fragrant substances were the Roman soldiers and merchants who had brought the raw materials and different ways of application.
Over the years the Romans also learnt how to make perfumes, ointments, perfumed waters and perfumed powders. It is to them that we owe the distillation process (blow molding technique) and glass vials for perfumes.
The substances were coming from different corners of the world back then. The merchants were travelling in carriages loaded with everything that could be sold in market. Long caravans from Egypt, Syria, Ethiopia, China, and the Middle East and other regions of the Mediterranean were reaching Rome thanks to cargo ships.
Conviviality among the Patricians (depicted by Gustave Boulanger)
THE PERFUME FASHION IN THE TIMES OF CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA
The perfume fever affected all classes from the Patricians to the commoners. IfCleopatrain Egypt was keeping some sort of a diary with her fragrant creations such asperfumed sails of her shipson occasion of battles, there were also other anecdotes about some Roman emperors.
Cleopatra’s ships in the Battle of Actium (painted by Lorenzo Alberto Castro)
According to the legend Nero spent four million sesterces (equal to 24 million euros) for a private party in his Domus Aurea (in Latin “Golden House”), where ashower of rose petalssoaked in his expensive favorite essence was poured onto the guests. He was not the only one! Plutarch recounted in his writings how Caesar made feast of asparagus seasoned with an aromatic ointment instead of simple oil.
Shower of petals during dinner time (painted by Lawrence Alma-Tadema)
WHO CREATED PERFUMES DURING THE ROMAN EMPIRE
If the emperors, Patrician women and even soldiers were keen on sprinkling their bodies, clothes and hair with fragrant substances, who were those great artisans that had brought the perfume to life?There were no Master Perfumers in ancient Rome,noseslike we know today.
These ointments were a prerogative of those who could afford “playing” with raw materials. Each ointment was produced with available ingredients that were changing according to the Roman victories and the cargo unloaded in the ports of Empire. The type of oil, its refinement and purity varied in accordance with the social class.