Essential oils have been around for more than 3,500 years BC. in all the great cultures. Before modern science came along, their properties were discovered through trial and error by observing animals about which plants they ate when they were sick. This knowledge traveled from generation to generation through oral tradition.
Ancient Egypt:
In ancient Egypt, the gardens of the pharaohs were a paradise for growing medicinal herbs with a huge variety from all over the world. The priests and doctors of the time prepared medicines from aromatic oils. The use of perfumes was very important and was inextricably linked to religion. In fact, each Egyptian god was assigned a perfume and their statues were decorated with it.
Medicinal texts are primarily based on the rich variety of plants produced by the earth for medicinal applications, perfumes, cosmetics, household items, food, ornaments and for funerals. The ancient Egyptians were experts in using plant resins and various essences to embalm and also to perfume the temples. In Tutankhamun's tomb were found many containers and jars of incense, kyphuses and more, which were sealed for over 3,000 years.
One of the most favorite perfumes for the Egyptians was "kyphi". Plutarch had mentioned that this perfume "put the man to sleep, calmed the anxieties and enlightened the dreams". So this was a mixture of 23 ingredients. Some of these were cinnamon, peppermint, citronella, pistachio, juniper, acacia, cedar, frankincense, myrrh, and raisins. This perfume continued to be used by Greeks and Romans as well. This is the first example of recognizing the effects of aromatherapy. In addition, they burned aromatic woods, herbs and spices in honor of their gods, as they believed that when the smoke ascended into the sky it carried their prayers along.
Ancient Greece:
In ancient Greece, the father of medicine Hippocrates (460-370 BC) believed in the miraculous healing power of nature without embracing superstition. He used as medicines many Mediterranean aromatic plants such as sage, lavender, oregano, mint and others. During the Athenian plague that broke out during the Peloponnesian War, he recommended decoctions of aromatic plants as well as burning aromatic plants to combat the devastating epidemic. For this, the city honored him.
However, Theophrastus (372-287 BC), who was a student of Aristotle, is considered the father of botany. Theophrastus wrote the valuable work "On Plants of History" in which he recorded and classified 550 Greek and imported plants. It was he who recorded one of the most fundamental principles of aromatherapy - that aromatic oils when applied externally can still affect the inner workings of the body.
Claudius Galen (129-199 AD), who is considered the second most important ancient Greek physician after Hippocrates and a continuation of his work, mentions in his writings 440 medicinal plants and 250 medicinal substances, as well as descriptions of with their preparation, maintenance and use.
Through Alexander the Great's conquests in the East, many spices, incenses and new perfume ingredients became available from China, India, Africa and Arabia. These were as valuable as gold and were in very high demand.
Aromatic mixtures entered everyday life. They were worn by poets to athletes. Many perfume shops opened in Athens which became centers of gossip, scandals and political intrigue.
Romans:
Greek doctors brought their knowledge to Rome. The Romans also used aromatic plants for hygiene and beauty preparations. Aromatic and essential oils were used in public baths and in massage mixtures. As the Roman Empire grew, they had access to a huge variety of herbs.
They used three types of perfumes, the "ladysmata" which were solid perfumes, "stymma", aromatic oils and "fragments" which were powdered perfumes. The word "aroma" has its roots in the Latin word "per fumum", meaning "through the smoke" and is related to the burning of incense.
It was the Romans who introduced perfumery to the British Isles. They collected seeds and plants from all over and some reached British shores such as fennel, parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage.
During the fall of the Roman Empire, many doctors fled to Constantinople, where valuable medical books were translated into many foreign languages.
