By Nikolas Zois

A study published in a recent issue of the peer-reviewed scientific publication Oxford Journal of Archaeology proposes a more complex, multisensory perception of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture, based on the documented practice of perfuming statues in antiquity.

Drawing on literary sources and epigraphic texts that confirm ancient Greek and Roman statues were not only painted in vibrant colors and adorned with clothing and jewelry but also anointed with aromatic substances, the study argues that Greco-Roman sculpture possessed a significant olfactory dimension as well as a visual component.

Archaeologist Cecilie Brøns, a researcher at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen and the author of the article, references sources such as Cicero, who mentions the custom of anointing the statue of Artemis in Egesta, Sicily, with perfumes. Similarly, the poet Callimachus of Cyrene refers in an epigram to the statue of Queen Berenice II of Egypt, which was “moist” with aromatic substances – an assertion seemingly confirmed by Brøns’ research.

The Danish archaeologist focuses in particular on the Sanctuary of Delos, where inscriptions detailing the composition and costs of perfumes used to anoint the statues of Artemis and Hera have been found. The ingredients of these perfumes included varieties of olive oil, beeswax, rose oil, sodium carbonate, and more. According to Brøns, the discovery of ancient perfumeries on Delos suggests that the scenting of statues was likely carried out using locally produced materials, possibly for ritual purposes.

Practices employed on ancient statues included applying waxes and oils to their surfaces, which not only helped to preserve colors but also enhanced their glossy appearance. Pausanias describes the use of olive oil on the statue of Zeus at Olympia to protect it from humidity.

In other cases, the olfactory experience appears to have been reinforced by the ritual decoration of statues with garlands of flowers, as seen in the Roman Floralia festival and other religious celebrations. 

This article was previously published in Greek at kathimerini.gr.