NATURAL

HISTORIES OF CAIUS PLINIUS SECUNDUS

BOOK XIII.

PROEM.

HITHERTO forests have held value for their scents, and individual things were wonderful in themselves; it was a pleasure for luxury to mix all these together and to make one scent from everything: thus, ointments were discovered.

Who first discovered them is not recorded: in the time of the Iliad they did not exist, nor were sacrifices made with frankincense; they knew of only cedar and citrus, the smoke of their own fruits wrapped in sacred rites, smelling more of smoke than of fragrance, though the juice of roses had already been found. For this is also named in the praise of oil. The ointment ought to belong to the Persian race. They are steeped in it, and by an acquired reputation, they extinguish the stench born of gluttony. The first, as far as I can discover, that Alexander captured was a cabinet of ointments among the rest of the equipment of King Darius after his camp was taken. Afterward, the pleasure of it was admitted by our own people also among the most praised and even the most honorable goods of life. And this honor began to pertain to the deceased as well. Wherefore we shall speak more of it. Those which are not from fruits will be indicated by name only for the present; their nature will be returned to its own places.