October 1, 1891.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



Id? 



bestowed on guests. Ai-omatics were likewise burned 

 during their entertainments, and perfumes in a dry form 

 were used to impart a sweet odour to their garments 

 (perfumes which were probably necessary, as they did not 

 eat with forks, and soap was yet undiscovered). Odori- 

 ferous substances were U3ed for preserving the bodies 

 of the dead ; myrrh and aloss wood were in this mixture, 

 which was very likely an unguent. The Spikenard oint- 

 ment is said to have been of many ingredients ; the word 

 nard is derived from the Tamul word nar, which is used 

 in India to designate many odoriferous substances, such 

 as ndrtuin piUu, Indian verveine ; ndriim panel, jasmine ; 

 narta nianiiin, wild orange, &c. 



The " Nardinum " which was so very fashionable in 

 Rome, both as an oil and as a pommade, was made from 

 the blossoms of the Indian and Arabian nard-grass 

 (according to Briker's opinion and researches). This 

 would seem to refer to the Androjinr/on Innfiier above 

 mentioned, and not to Nanl iKtiivlnjn Jatamtinsi, as genei'ally 

 believed. The flowers of this latter are white and odour- 

 less, the rank perfume being only developed in the root. 



As is the caie generally in hot climates, oil was used by 

 the .Jews for anointing the body after the bath, and giving 

 to the skin and hair a smooth and comely appearance 

 before an entertainment (Ruth iii. 8, Prov. xx\'ii. 9, 16, 

 Cant. i. 3, iv. 10). Strabo says the inhabitants of 

 Mesopotamia use oil of sesame, also castor oil. At 

 Egyptian entertainments it was usual for a slave to 

 anoint the head of each guest as he took his place, 

 castor oil being sometimes used ; Egyptian paintings 

 represent this custom. The Greek and Roman usage 

 will be found mentioned frequently by Homer, Horace 

 and Pliny. Athenseus speaks of the extravagance of 

 Antiochu-i Epiphanes in the matter of ointments for 

 guests (Wilkinson, "Ancient Egypt," 78). 



Creech, in his annotations on Lucretius (Lib. IV. 1123), 

 says: "Moreover they arrived at length to an excess of 

 curiosity in regard to their ointments that was indeed 

 wonderful ; for Athenreus (Lib. XV. cap. II.) reports 

 that ' they grew so nice as to require several sorts of 

 ointments for one single unction, viz., Egyptian for the 

 feet and thighs, Phoenician for the cheeks and breasts, 

 Sisymbrian for the arms, Amaratine for the eye-brows and 

 hair, and Serpylline for the neckband knees.' " But above 

 all the rest, we may observe that the ancients made use 

 of one sort of oil or ointment of great value and singular 

 excellency ; it was called Oleum SusivHiii, and made of lilies 

 which in the Phrygian tongue were called a-ia-a, but chiefly 

 of that sort of lily which the Greeks call ydi-ov, and to 

 which it is believed allusion is made in Canticles v. 18, 

 where the Church says of Christ, " His lips are like lilies." 



Pliny describes the lily that is called yjlyov to be of a 

 ruddy colour (Nat. Hist., lib. XXI. cap. 5). Elsewhere, 

 Pliny (Hist. Nat. XIII. 2) says, " Oleum Susinuw was 

 made of oil of JJen " (or l^eheu, a colourless, tasteless and 

 inodorous oil expressed from the seeds of Morimja 

 ptenispeniia, now naturalized in the West Indies — an oil 

 which never becomes rancid and docs not corrode steel, 

 for which reason it is used in modern days by watch- 

 makers as a lubricant), " roses, honey, safl'rcn, cinnamon 

 and myrrh." The amount of perfume used in the palmy 

 days of Rome was enormous ; the wealthy patricians were 

 most prodigal in this respect. The perfumers were called 

 I'liiineittiirii, as they principally compounded unguents, 

 and must have done an immense business. In Rome they 

 congregated in a quarter called the " I7ri(\ 'rininirinix." 

 The most celebrated perfumer in the time of Martial was a 

 certain individual named Cosmus, whom Martial fre- 

 quently mentions. 



At Capua there were such a number of perfumers, that 

 the principal street of the city, named Seplasia, was almost 

 entirely occupied by them. For the most part, these 

 tradesmen were Greeks, and, as at Athens, their shops 

 (taberna) were the rendezvous of the rich idlers of those 

 days. The perfumed oils and ointments were made in 

 great variety. The basis of the oils was generally the oil 

 of Ben above-mentioned, and that of the unguents was a 

 bleached and partly purified tallow. They were used not 

 only for the hair, but to anoint all parts of the body, 

 especially after the bath, which was quite a complicated 

 process. It was also customary at banquets to honour the 

 guests by pouring costly perfumed oils over their feet. 

 Some of these were simple oils, such as Rhodium, made 

 from roses ; Melinum, made from quinces ; Metopium, from 

 bitter almonds ; Xurcissimum, from the narcissus. Perhaps 

 the most fashionable oil after the Oleum Siisinum above- 

 meationed was that called Crocinum, made from saffron 

 (Cyi/cKA), which communicated both a fine colour and odour 

 to the person ; Heliogabalus never bathed without it. 

 Butter is noticed by Pliny as used by the negroes and 

 lower classes of Arabs for anointing their bodies. The 

 natives of India prefer strong perfumes for this purpose, 

 and use oil of santal and oil of patchouh. Savages also 

 grease their bodies, but probably with the idea of being 

 enabled to escape more easily from the grip of an 

 enemy. 



In the words of a classical writer on the manners and 

 customs of the Romans, " The bath was a most important 

 event in erery-day life . . . Bodily health and cleanliness, 

 although its original object, bad long ceased being the 

 only one ; for the baths, decorated with prodigal magnifi- 

 cence and supplied with all the comforts and conveniences 

 that a voluptuary could desire, had become places of 

 amusement, whither people repaired for pastime and 

 enjoyment." 



Comparing the ruins of ancient baths with each other, 

 and with the accounts of Vitruvius and Pliny, we find the 

 essential parts of a Roman bath to bo; — I. The Spnlhitorium, 

 a place where the clothes were left and consigned to 

 caprarii, which were probably pegs, so called from their 

 likeness to horns. II. The Friiiiihirliim or cold bath room. 

 III. The Tepidarium or tepid bath i-oom. IV. The CaUla- 

 rium or hot bath room, which was probably connected 

 with the UncUirium or anointing room. The Sudatimi or 

 sweating room was connected with the Cahlurium. Those 

 who desired to use the bath through all degrees of tempera- 

 ture, sought first to give their bodies the preparation 

 which was considered necessary, by some sort of light 

 gymnastics, ball-play and the like. The baths were 

 always provided with rooms suitable for this purpose. 

 Persons would then probably enter first the Tepidarium, 

 in order not to be expo.sed suddenly to the heat of the 

 Caldarium, where they were anointed with oil (Celsus I. 3), 

 and it is probable that this was the place generally assigned 

 to that operation, although we read of special I'luturiu. 

 The anointing with oil took place both before and after the 

 bath ; and even after they had already stepped into the 

 bath, they sometimes left it again to be anointed a second 

 time, aiter which they again betook themselves to the bath. 

 The bathers took the oil with them to the bath (or rather 

 the slave carried it) in phials of alabaster, gold and glass, 

 as well as the .itrii/ilis or scrapers, and the linten, linen 

 cloths, to- dry themselves. In the early days people were 

 content with a simple pure oil, but at a later period costly 

 salves as above described were the fashion. No doubt 

 people anointed themseh'es at other times besides the bath, 

 in order to reek of perfume the whole day through. 

 (Geueca. Ephist. 80.) 



