Deipnosophistae

Now, that the ancients were very much addicted to the use of perfumes, is plain from their knowing to which of our limbs each unguent was most suitable. Accordingly, Antiphanes, in his Thoricians, or The Digger, says—

1. A. He really bathes—
2. B. What then?
3. A. In a large gilded tub, and steeps his feet
4. And legs in rich Egyptian unguents;
5. His jaws and breasts he rubs with thick palm-oil,
6. And both his arms with extract sweet of mint;
7. His eyebrows and his hair with marjoram,
8. His knees and neck with essence of ground thyme.

And Cephisodorus, in his Trophonius, says—

1. A. And now that I may well anoint my body,
2. Buy me some unguents, I beseech you, Xanthias,
3. Of roses made and irises. Buy, too,
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4. Some oil of baccaris for my legs and feet.
5. B. You stupid wretch! Shall I buy baccaris,
6. And waste it on your worthless feet?

Anaxandrides, too, in his Protesilaus, says—

1. Unguents from Peron, which but yesterday
2. He sold to Melanopus,—very costly,
3. Fresh come from Egypt; which he uses now
4. To anoint the feet of vile Callistratus.

And Theopompus also mentions this perfumer, Peron, in his Admetus, and in the Hedychares. Antiphanes, too, says in his Antea—

1. I left the man in Peron's shop, just now,
2. Dealing for ointments; when he has agreed,
3. He'll bring you cinnamon and spikenard essence.

Now, there is a sort of ointment called βάκκαρις by many of the comic poets; and Hipponax uses this name in the following line:—

1. I then my nose with baccaris anointed,
2. Redolent of crocus.

And Acheus, in his Aethon, a satyric drama, says—

1. Anointed o'er with baccaris, and dressing
2. All his front hair with cooling fans of feathers.

But Ion, in his Omphale, says—

1. 'Tis better far to know the use of μύρα,
2. And βάκκαρις, and Sardian ornaments,
3. Than all the fashions in the Peloponnesus.

And when he speaks of Sardian ornaments, he means to include perfumes; since the Lydians were very notorious for their luxury. And so Anacreon uses the word λυδοπαθὴς (Lydian-like) as equivalent to ἡδυπαθὴς (luxurious). Sophocles also uses the word βάκκαρις; and Magnes, in his Lydians, says—

1. A man should bathe, and then with baccaris
2. Anoint himself.

Perhaps, however, μύρον and βάκκαρις were not exactly the same thing; for Aeschylus, in his Amymone, makes a distinction between them, and says—

1. Your βακκάρεις and your μύρα.

And Simonides says—

1. And then with μύρον,, and rich spices too,
2. And βάκκαρις, did I anoint myself.

And Aristophanes, in his Thesmophoriazusæ, says—

1. O venerable Jove! with what a scent
2. Did that vile bag, the moment it was open'd,
3. O'erwhelm me, full of βάκκαρις and μύρον.

Pherecrates mentions an unguent, which he calls βρένθιον, in his Trifles, saying—

1. I stood, and order'd him to pour upon us
2. Some brenthian unguent, that he also might
3. Pour it on those departing.

And Crates mentions what he calls royal unguent, in his Neighbours; speaking as follows:—

1. He smelt deliciously of royal unguent.

But Sappho mentions the royal and the brenthian unguent together, as if they were one and the same thing; saying—

1. βρενθεΐῳ βασιληΐῳ,

Aristophanes speaks of an unguent which he calls ψάγδης, in his Daitaleis; saying—

1. Come, let me see what unguent I can give you:
2. Do you like ψάγδησ?

And Eupolis, in his Marica, says—

1. All his breath smells of ψάγδης.

Eubulus, in his Female Garland-sellers, says—

1. She thrice anointed with Egyptian psagdas (ψάγδανι).

Polemo, in his writings addressed to Adæus, says that there is an unguent in use among the Eleans called plangonium, from having been invented by a man named Plangon. And Sosibins says the same in his Similitudes; adding, that the unguent called megallium is so named for a similar reason: for that that was invented by a Sicilian whose name was Megallus. But some say that Megallus was an Athenian: and Aristophanes mentions him in his Telmissians, and so does Pherecrates in his Petale; and Strattis, in his Medea, speaks thus:—

1. And say that you are bringing her such unguents,
2. As old Megallus never did compound,
3. Nor Dinias, that great Egyptian, see,
4. Much less possess.

Amphis also, in his Ulysses, mentions the Megalli unguent in the following passage—

1. A. Adorn the walls all round with hangings rich,
2. Milesian work; and then anoint them o'er
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3. With sweet megallium, and also burn
4. The royal mindax.
5. B. Where did you, O master,
6. E'er hear the name of such a spice as that

Anaxandrides, too, in his Tereus, says—

1. And like the illustrious bride, great Basilis,
2. She rubs her body with megallian unguent.

Menander speaks of an unguent made of spikenard, in his Cecryphalus, and says—

1. A. This unguent, boy, is really excellent.
2. B. Of course it is, 'tis spikenard.

And anointing oneself with an unguent of this description, Alæus calls μυρίσασθαι, in his Palæstræ, speaking thus—

1. Having anointed her (μυρίσασα), she shut her up
2. In her own stead most secretly.

But Aristophanes uses not μυρίσματα, but μυρώματα, in his Ecclesiazusæ, saying—

1. I who 'm anointed (μεμύρισμαι) o'er my head with unguents (μυρώμασι).

Aristoph. Eccl. 1117.

There was also an unguent called sagda, which is mentioned by Eupolis in his Coraliscus, where he writes—

1. And baccaris, and sagda too.

And it is spoken of likewise by Aristophanes, in his Daitaleis; and Eupolis in his Marica says—

1. And all his breath is redolent of sagda:

which expression Nicander of Thyatira understands to be meant as an attack upon a man who is too much devoted to luxury. But Theodorus says, that sagda is a species of spice used in fumigation.

Now a cotyla of unguent used to be sold for a high price at Athens, even, as Hipparchus says in his Nocturnal Festival, for as much as five mine; but as Menander, in his Misogynist, states, for ten. And Antiphanes, in his Phrearrus, where he is speaking of the unguent called stacte, says—

1. The stacte at two minæ's not worth having.

Now the citizens of Sardis were not the only people addicted to the use of unguents, as Alexis says in his Maker of Goblets—

1. The whole Sardian people is of unguents fond;

but the Athenians also, who have always been the leaders of every refinement and luxury in human life, used them very much; so that among them, as has been already mentioned, they used to fetch an enormous price; but, nevertheless, they did not abstain from the use of them on that account; just as we now do not deny ourselves scents which are so expensive and exquisite that those things are mere trifles which are spoken of in the Settler of Alexis—

1. For he did use no alabaster box
2. From which t' anoint himself; for this is but
3. An ordinary, and quite old-fashion'd thing.
4. But he let loose four doves all dipp'd in unguents,
5. Not of one kind, but each in a different sort;
6. And then they flew around, and hovering o'er us,
7. Besprinkled all our clothes and tablecloths.
8. Envy me not, ye noble chiefs of Greece;
9. For thus, while sacrificing, I myself
10. Was sprinkled o'er with unguent of the iris.