CONCERNING ODOURS, 30-32 



to make, since no others involve the mixture of so 

 many and such costly ingredients. To make megaleion, 

 they say, the oil is boiled for ten days and nights, 

 and not till then do they put in the resin and the 

 other things, since the oil is more receptive when it 

 has been thoroughly boiled. The superior kind of 

 sweet marjoram-perfume, 1 they say, is made of all 

 the best spices except sweet marjoram : in fact this 

 is the only spice which perfumers do not use for any 

 perfume, and the name is a misnomer. 



Some perfumes are made up colourless, some are 

 given a colour. They give a colour to s\veet mar- 

 joram-perfume, rose-perfume, and megaleion, while 

 among expensive kinds the Egyptian, quince-perfume 

 and kypros are colourless, as well as all the cheaper 

 kinds. The reason why these are made without 

 colour is that it is desired that the Egyptian and 

 kypros should look white and that quince-perfume 

 should have the colour of quinces, while it is not 

 worth while to add colour to the cheaper sorts. 

 The dye used for colouring red perfumes is alkanet ; 

 the sweet marjoram-perfume is dyed with the sub- 

 stance called khroma (dye), which is a root imported 

 from Syria. 



Of the properties of various spices. 



VII. It is thought that riot only the smells of 

 perfumes contribute to a pleasant taste, but also the 

 qualities of pungency and heat which are found in 

 some of them : accordingly some of these perfumes 

 are also mixed with certain wines to give, as it were, 

 ' point' to them. Thus myrrh is hot and has a 

 biting quality as well as being astringent, and it also 



1 Clearly distinct from that mentioned in 28. 



355 



A A '2 



