PERFUMES.
O venerable Jove! with what a scent
Did that vile bag, the moment it was open'd,
O'erwhelm me, full of [Greek: bakkaris] and [Greek: myron]![1]
42. Pherecrates mentions an unguent, which he calls [Greek: brenthion], in his Trifles, saying—
I stood, and order'd him to pour upon us
Some brenthian unguent, that he also might
Pour it on those departing.
And Crates mentions what he calls royal unguent, in his Neighbours; speaking as follows:—
He smelt deliciously of royal unguent.
But Sappho mentions the royal and the brenthian unguent together, as if they were one and the same thing; saying—
[Greek: brentheiô basilêiô],
Aristophanes speaks of an unguent which he calls [Greek: psagdês], in his Daitaleis; saying—
Come, let me see what unguent I can give you:
Do you like [Greek: psagdês]?
And Eupolis, in his Marica, says—
All his breath smells of [Greek: psagdês].
Eubulus, in his Female Garland-seller's, says—
She thrice anointed with Egyptian psagdas ([Greek: psagdani]).
Polemo, in his writings addressed to Adæus, says that there is an unguent in use among the Eleans called plangonium, from having been invented by a man named Plangon. And Sosibius says the same in his Similitudes; adding, that the unguent called megallium is so named for a similar reason: for that that was invented by a Sicilian whose name was Megallus. But some say that Megallus was an Athenian: and Aristophanes mentions him in his Telmissians, and so does Pherecrates in his Petale; and Strattis, in his Medea, speaks thus:—
And say that you are bringing her such unguents,
As old Megallus never did compound,
Nor Dinias, that great Egyptian, see,
Much less possess.
Amphis also, in his Ulysses, mentions the Megallian unguent in the following passage—
A. Adorn the walls all round with hangings rich,
Milesian work; and then anoint them o'er
- ↑ In the Thesmophoriazusæ Secundæ that is, which has not come
down to us.
