BOOK XIII. I. 3-II. 6 



shrubs * will for the present only be indicated by 

 their names ; however, an account will be given of 

 their nature in their proper places. 



II. Perfumes have received their names in some Piaccsof 

 cases from their countries of origin, in others from the °S!gl^^ 

 juices of which they are made, in others from trees, fashion. 

 and in others from other causes ; and the first thing 

 proper to know about them is that their importance 

 changes, quite often their fame having passed away. 

 The perfume most highly praised in the old days was 

 made on the island of Delos, but later that from the 

 Egyptian town of Mendes ranked the highest. Nor 

 was this only the result of the blending and combi- 

 nation of several scents, but the same juices gained 

 supremacy or degenerated in various ways in difFer- 

 ent places. The iris perfume of Corinth was ex- 

 tremely popular for a long time, but afterwards that 

 of Cyzicus, and similarly the attar of roses made at 

 Phasehs, but this distinction was later taken from it 

 by Naples, Capua and Palestrina. Oil of safFron 

 from SoU in CiHcia was for a long time praised most 

 highly, but subsequently that of Rhodes ; vine- 

 flower scent made in Cyprus was preferred, but after- 

 wards that from Adramytteum, and scent of mar- 

 joram made in Cos, but afterwards quince-blossom 

 unguent from the same place, and cyprus-scent made 

 in Cyprus, but subsequently that made in Egypt ; 

 at this point scent from Mendes and almond-oil 

 suddenly became more popular, but later on Phoeni- 

 cia appropriated these two scents and left the credit 

 for cyprus-scent to Egypt. Athens has persistently 

 maintained the credit of her ' all-Athenian ' perfume. 

 There was also once an unguent called panther- 

 scent at Tarsus, even the recipe for compounding 



lOI 



