Perfumed: The Story of Fragrance in the Ancient Mediterranean

Perfumed
invites you to breathe deeply and inhale the incense burning on the altars of
the Greeks, perfumes sprinkled on spectators in Roman amphitheaters or
wafting from the robes of Persian kings, and unguents filling Egyptian tombs.
Though we don't know who first burned a fragrant branch to perfume their
dwelling or rubbed an aromatic petal against their skin, evidence
demonstrates that such practices were ubiquitous by the Bronze Age.

Beginning with an illustrated overview of aromatics in Mesopotamia,
Persia, Egypt, Greece, and Roman Italy, acclaimed author Annette Giesecke
explores the role they played in all aspects of daily life and details their
major ingredients, including balsam, frankincense, rose, myrrh, saffron, and
more. Short, vivid passages from ancient sources offer perfume recipes and
intriguing anecdotes, such as the historian Herodotus's account of winged
serpents guarding frankincense trees in Arabia or Pliny the Elder's claim
that the emperor Nero burned a year's harvest of frankincense for his wife's
funeral (after likely murdering her).

With over 70 images
drawn from a diverse range of ancient sources and archaeological evidence, Perfumed
is essential reading for anyone with an interest in plants, perfumes, as well
as other aromatics, and the rich, interrelated cultures of the
Mediterranean.