The history of Fragrance in Ancient Greece

March 13, 2025|Estefania Fuente

Fragrance accompanies humans throughout their history. After Fragrance in Egypt, today we will discover the history of Fragrance in Ancient Greece to learn how they used fragrances and how they influenced their manufacture and distribution throughout Europe.

Fragrances in Greece

In Greece, there were many gods, and everything had an associated myth, a link to the divine. Fragrance was no exception. The inhabitants of Olympus were the first to use aromas for grooming and taught men and women the use of Fragrances. It is said that Aphrodite pricked herself with the thorn of a rose, which was white and scentless. She stained it with her blood, turning it red, and Eros, captivated by her beauty, kissed it, giving it that intoxicating fragrance.

The development of perfumery in Greece originated in Crete and other colonies. The perfumers from these countries settled in Greek cities, and the inhabitants soon learned this art, becoming great masters in the making of Fragrances and ointments, exporting them to Europe. It is believed they were the first to create liquid Fragrances, packaging them in beautiful containers made of lead, silver, gold, and more commonly alabaster, all decorated with their culture's own designs.

The Hellenes used a different fragrance for each part of their body. Marjoram for the hair, palm oil for the chest, mint for the arms, thyme for the knees, oregano oil for the feet, etc. They fragranced themselves after bathing or before attending a special event, just like now. Greek gyms had an area dedicated to personal hygiene where they had multiple fragrances to scent themselves before going out.

They thought that a good scent drove away evil spirits; in fact, the deceased were buried well fragranced and accompanied by a bottle of Fragrance. They also considered that Fragrances had healing properties.

The most used aromas by the Greeks are: myrrh, mint, marjoram, thyme, oregano, myrtle, and almond blossom. Each and every one of these aromas has, of course, a divine origin.

We leave you some fragrances from our catalog that contain some of these ingredients.