CLASSIC PLEASURE GROUNDS 41 



like basil, sweet marjoram, and thyme were grown for 

 their fragrance, while the acanthus was welcome on 

 account of its beautiful foliage. Numer- 

 ous flowers are mentioned by Pliny in 

 his " Natural History " on account of 

 their curative properties, among them 



the asphodel, nasturtium, and mallow. 



~,, , . . 



Others he praises as especially appro- 

 priate for chaplets and garlands, such as roses, violets, 

 and the never fading amaranth. Ivy covered the walls 

 or was trained to form garlands between trees and 

 columns. 



Trees and shrubs were cultivated in the garden Trees and 



shrubs. 



and park and were often sacred to the gods, especially 

 if happening to have been struck by lightning. In 

 front of these tables or altars were idols placed 

 as shown in the preceding illustration. The first 

 temples, according to Pliny, were trees. Among 

 the favourites were the pine, the emblem of Cybele, 

 the oak of Jupiter, the laurel of Apollo, the myrtle 

 of Venus, the poplar of Hercules, and the olive 

 of Minerva. Groves of sacred trees were often 

 planted, especially in connection with temples. The 

 cypress although an exotic was also grown in many 

 places. Yew, although sufficiently common, was not 

 much esteemed, and instead juniper and rosemary 

 were often employed for topiary work. Box, too, was 



