Chnp. 2.] UNGUENTS. 



161 



repute of which was afterwards eclipsed by those of jSTeapolis, 

 Capua, and Praeneste. Oil of saffron, 13 from Soli in Cilicia, 

 was for a long time held in repute beyond any other, and then 

 that from Rhodes ; after which perfume of oenanthe, 14 from Cy- 

 prus, came into fashion, and then that of Egypt was preferred. 

 At a later period that of Adramytteum came into vogue, and 

 then was supplanted by unguent of marjoram, 15 from Cos, 

 which in its turn was superseded by quince blossom 16 unguent 

 from the same place. As to perfume of Cyprus, 17 that from 

 the island of Cyprus was at first preferred, and then that of 

 Egypt ; when all on a sudden the unguents of Mendes^ and 

 metopium 18 rose into esteem. In later times Phoenicia eclipsed 

 Egypt in the manufacture of these last two, but left to that 

 country the repute of producing the best unguent of Cyprus. 



Athens has perseveringly maintained the repute of her 

 panathenaicon. 19 There was formerly a famous unguent, 

 known as "pardaliuro," 20 and made at Tarsus; at the present 

 day its very composition and the mode of mixing it are quite 

 unknown there : they have left off, too, making unguent of 

 narcissus 21 from the flowers of that plant. 



There are two elements which enter into the composition of 

 unguents, the juices and the solid parts. The former generally 

 consist of various kinds of oils, the latter of odoriferous sub- 

 stances. These last are known as hedysmata, while the oils 

 are called stymmata. 22 There is a third element, which occu- 



13 Crocinum ; made from the Crocus sativus of naturalists. 



14 See B. xii. c. 62. It was made from the flowers of the vine, mixed 

 with omphaciam. . 



13 Amaracinum. The amaracus is supposed to have been the Origanum 

 majoranoides of the moderns. Dioscorides, B. i. c. 59, says that the best 

 was made at Cyzicus. 



16 Melinum. See B. xxiii. c. 54. 



" Cyprinum. See B. xii. c. 51. The Cyprus was -the modern Law- 

 sonia inermis. 



18 Made from the oil of hitter almonds. See B. xv. c. 7. 



19 Or " all Athenian." Wo find in Athenaeus, B. xv. c. 15, the com- 

 position of this unguent. 



20 From what is said by Apollonius in the passage of Athenaeus last 

 quoted, it has been thought that this was the same as the unguent called nar- 

 dinum. It is very doubtful, however. 



21 Narcissinum. See B. xxi. c. 75. Dioscorides gives the composition 

 of this unguent, B. i. c. 54. 



2- Among the stymmata, Dioscorides ranges the sweet-rush, the sweet- 



VOL. III. 



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