XIV INTRODUCTION. 



the priests also appeared crowned with 

 flowers. 



Cato, in his treatise on gardens, directs 

 that they should be planted and enriched 

 with such flowers as are proper for chaplets 

 and garlands. 



The most celebrated Parisian milliner is 

 not more eagerly sought after in modern 

 times than the plaiter of garlands was in the 

 days of antiquity, if we may judge from the 

 account which Pliny has handed down to us. 

 He tells us that the Sicyonians were consi- 

 dered to surpass all other people in the art 

 of arranging the colours of their garlands, 

 and giving them the most agreeable mixture 

 of perfumes. These people, he informs us, 

 derived their taste from Glycera, a woman of 

 such great ingenuity in the art of composing 

 garlands, as to win the affections of Pausias, 

 the most eminent painter of his day, who 

 took delight in copying the wreaths of flowers 

 which his mistress had formed, whilst Glv- 

 cera took equal pains to vary her garlands, 

 so as to put the skill of her lover to the test. 

 Pliny tells us that some of these paintings 



