A heady look at the fascinating world of perfumes, incense, and other aromatics in the ancient Mediterranean and their vibrant and sometimes violent history.

Perfumed invites you to breathe deeply and inhale the incense burning on the altars of the Greeks, perfumes sprinkled on spectators in Roman amphitheaters or wafting from the robes of Persian kings, and unguents filling Egyptian tombs. Though we don’t know who first burned a fragrant branch to perfume their dwelling or rubbed an aromatic petal against their skin, evidence demonstrates that such practices were ubiquitous by the Bronze Age.

Beginning with an illustrated overview of aromatics in Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Greece, and Roman Italy, acclaimed author Annette Giesecke explores the role they played in all aspects of daily life and details their major ingredients, including balsam, frankincense, rose, myrrh, saffron, and more. Short, vivid passages from ancient sources offer perfume recipes and intriguing anecdotes, such as the historian Herodotus’s account of winged serpents guarding frankincense trees in Arabia or Pliny the Elder’s claim that the emperor Nero burned a year’s harvest of frankincense for his wife’s funeral (after likely murdering her).

With over 70 images drawn from a diverse range of ancient sources and archaeological evidence, Perfumed is essential reading for anyone with an interest in plants, perfumes, and other aromatics, as well as the rich, interrelated cultures of the Mediterranean.