keratia; the keration three grains. The Athenian dry measures were the medimnos, equal to six hecteis; the hecteus, equal to two hemihecteis; the hemihecton, equal to four choenices; the choenix, equal to two xesta; the xestes, equal to two cotylæ; the cotyla, equal to four oxybapha; the oxybaphon, equal to one cyathos and a half; the cyathos, equal to ten cochlearia.

Of the other measures that occur in ancient authors, it may be worth while to mention the Persian artabe, (hodie ardeb,) which exceeded the Attic medimnos by about three chonices; the akanè, likewise a Persian measure, equal to forty-five Attic medimnoi or a Boeotian measure equal to two bushels; the addix equal to four chonices; the dadix' to six; the capithe to two; the maris to six cotyle, the cophinos, a Boeotian measure, to three choes.?

6

1 Eisenschmid. De Pond. et Mens. Vet. p. 156.

2 Schol. Aristoph. Nub. 633. Eq. 95.

3 Eisenschmid. p. 168.

4 Athen. xii. 73.

5 Schol. Aristoph. Acharn. 108.

6

Etym. Mag. 16. 53.-17.45.

7 Poll. iv. 168.

8 Id. x. 184.

9 Id. iv. 168.

8

131

CHAPTER III.

INDUSTRY: PERFUMERS, BARBERS, GOLDSMITHS,

LAPIDARIES, ETC.

IT has been already observed that the shops of the perfumers were, for the most part, situated in the Agora or its neighbourhood, and much frequented by newsmongers and young men of distinction. From this it follows, that they must have been of spacious dimensions; and it is extremely probable that they were fitted up with every attention to show and elegance. They necessarily contained a number of seats and chairs for the accommodation of customers, and there can scarcely be a doubt, that the various unguents, perfumes, oils, and essences, were ranged on shelves, along the walls, in fine jars, vases of Cyprian marble, and boxes of alabaster, sometimes of one piece, with vessels of glass and silver,3 or fine earthenware, or porcelain, or beautiful seashells.' The counters were probably of marble or polished stone, as at Pompeii; and the shopman was supplied with the usual paraphernalia of scales and weights, and measures, and ladles, and spoons, and spatulæ, as in modern times. Peron, an Egyptian, the owner of one of these shops, has been

5

1 Demosth. in Olymp. § 3. Athen. i. 33. Poll. vii. 177.

2 Herod. iii. 20. Pignor. De Serv. 192. Schol. Aristoph. Acharn. 1015. 1027. Athen. xv. 39. Poll. x. 119.

3 Lucian. Amor. 39.

4 Horat. Carm. ii. 723. Doring, however, supposes vessels in the shape of shells to be meant.

5 Poll. x. 126.

thought of sufficient consequence to have his name transmitted to posterity.1

6

From the richness and variety of odours made use of by the ancients we may infer, that the fragrance of such an establishment at Athens, exceeded that of Araby the Blest. For every land and every sweet flower that grew supplied some ingredient to the endless stock of the perfumer." There was incense, and frankincense, and spikenard,' and myrrh, and oils of saffron and cinnamon,* and sweet marjoram," and fenugreek, and roses, and hyoscyamos, and maiden's hair,9 and iris,1o and lilies,11 and watermint, and rosemary, and eastern privet,12 and baccharis, 13 and thyme. In truth the Athenians, who were esteemed the inventors of all good and useful things, delighted exceedingly in the luxury of sweet smells, and therefore culled from Sicily, and Egypt, and Phoenicia, and Lydia, and Babylonia, and India, and Arabia, whatever could communicate a pleasing scent to their garments, 15 their apartments,

8

14

1 From the way in which this perfumer is mentioned by the comic poets, it may be inferred, that he demanded exceedingly high prices for his commodities. For, in order apparently to tax a person with excessive extravagance, he is said to have purchased unguents of Peron wherewith to anoint the feet of some friend or patron. Athen. xv. 40. xii. 78.

2 Athen. i. 33. xii. 78. xiv. 50. Bochart. Geog. Sac. i. 272, seq. Max. Tyr. p. 10.

3 Athen. xv. 42. Dioscor. 1.75. 4 Dioscor. 1. 74. 5'Aμapakoç. Dioscor. i. 68. Poll. vi. 104.

6 Dioscor. i. 57. 7 Id. i. 53. 8 Id. i. 42.

9'Adiávrov. Theoph. Hist. Αδιάντον. Plant. vii. 14. 1.

13 Poll. vi. 104. Dioscor. iii. 51. Παρὰ πολλοῖς δὲ τῶν κωμῳδιοποιῶν ὀνομάζεταί τι μύρον βάκκαρις· οὗ μνημονεύει καὶ Ιππώ ναξ διὰ τούτων

—Βακκάρει δὲ τὰς ῥῖνας Ηλειφον ἔστι δ' οἵη περ κρόκος. Athen. Deipnosoph. xv. 41.

14 See on the various inventions of the Athenians, Frid. Creuzer, Orat. de Civit. Athen. Omn. Human. Parent. Francfurt. 1826.

15 This we are told the person itself of Alexander did, being by nature scented like a nosegay. Plut. Alexand. § 4. The same thing is related of Catherine de

or their beards. Even the doves and swallows that flew tame about the house had their feathers drenched with odoriferous essences, which they scattered with their waving wings through the air. This excessive passion for perfumes rendered the favourite articles of it dear, so that of some kinds a cotyla sold for two or five minæ; of others, for ten; while the balm of Gilead, even in the country where it was collected, was valued at double its weight in silver. There were, however, inferior kinds of perfume, some of which were cheap enough, since we find that an alabaster boxful, brought from the East, sometimes sold for two drachmas.*

Great use was made of saffron as a perfume. Halls, courts, and theatres were saturated with its odour," and statues were made to flow, like common fountains, with saffron-water. From a great number of other flowers, essences and unguents were likewise prepared; such as our lady's rose, southernwood, vineflowers, the narcissus,10 anis-flower," high taper, betelleaf, and the jasmine, which, in Persia, was used at banquets and in the baths.12

In the preparation of unguents, numerous articles were made use of, either to give them consistency or to modify the scent: among these were the root of the anchusa,13 palm spatha,1 butter,15 sweet-scented moss,16 and the odoriferous reed.17

9 Οινάνθαι. Dioscor. i. 56. Theoph. de Caus. Plant. iii. 14. 8. 10 Dioscor. i. 63.

11"Avn0ov. Dioscor. i. 61. Theoph. Hist. Plant. vii. 1. 2.

12 Dioscor. Noth. p. 442. d. 13 Dioscor. iv. 23. Cf. Plin. xiii. 1.

14 Dioscor. i. 55. 150.

15 From which the unguent obtained the name of βουτύρινον. Dioscor. i. 64.

16 Bρúov. Dioscor. i. 20.
17 Dioscor. i. 17.

Several unguents received their names from the persons who invented them, or from the places whence they were imported, though others were distinguished by appellations which are no longer intelligible: thus, the Megalion or Megalesian derived its name from Megallos, a Sicilian perfumer;1 the Plangonian from Plango, a female perfumer of Elis.* The black ointment, doubtless, received its name from its colour; but wherefore the Sagdas is so called is not known: both these were of Egyptian manufacture. From Lydia was imported the Brenthion, and from Babylonia the Nardon, which disputed the prize with the royal unguent. There was among the Egyptians a perfume called Cyphi, entirely appropriated to the use of the gods, into the composition of which entered the following ingredients; the cyperus, a quantity of juniper-berries, raisins, odoriferous reeds and rushes, the aspalathos, myrrh, wine, resin, and honey, mixed in certain proportions, and reduced to a fine paste. Unguent of roses was preserved by an admixture of salt.

But the perfumers dealt not in odours and essences only, their stock containing every variety of cosmetic for the use of the ladies, who made a complete business of beautifying their faces, which at