The Smell of Gods: Ancient Greek and Roman Statues Were Once Not Only Painted But Also Perfumed
Ancient artists used perfume to bring their statue to life.
For centuries, the stark white marble statues of ancient Greece and Rome have stood as timeless symbols of classical beauty. But these sculptures, now frozen in monochrome, looked dramatically different in their heyday. Back in antiquity, many sculptures were covered in bright paints and patterns. Some were adorned with jewelry.
New research now reveals these once-vibrant statues did more than delight the eyes. Some were even perfumed, in an attempt to transform them into the lifelike embodiments of gods, goddesses, and rulers.
“A white marble statue was not intended to be perceived as a statue in stone,” said Cecilie Brøns, an archaeologist and curator at the Glyptotek museum in Copenhagen. “It was supposed to resemble a real god or goddess.”
Drawing on ancient texts, temple inscriptions, and archaeological evidence, Brøns learned how these sculptures were not just visual spectacles but olfactory experiences as well.
The Aromatic Art of Antiquity
The practice of perfuming statues was deeply rooted in the religious and cultural rituals of ancient Greece and Rome. Texts from Cicero, Callimachus, and other ancient writers describe how statues were anointed with fragrant oils and ointments. In Sicily, for instance, a statue of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, was ritually treated with perfumed oils. On the Greek island of Delos, inscriptions reveal that statues of Artemis and Hera were maintained with rose-scented perfumes.
“Perfume and perfumed oils are often mentioned as part of the ‘decoration’ that was applied to religious cult statues in antiquity,” Brøns explained.
These scents weren’t merely decorative. They may have played a role in preserving the statues, with mixtures of beeswax, olive oil, and natron helping to maintain their vivid colors (up to a point). The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is said to have been regularly anointed with olive oil to protect its ivory surface.
The perfumes were meant to influence the people who interacted with the statues. In antiquity, a statue was a conduit to the divine. The scent of roses, beeswax, or olive oil would have enveloped worshippers, creating an immersive experience that engaged multiple senses.
A Multisensory Revival
We’re often accustomed to seeing these ancient statues in sterile museum settings. This is not how people admired these works of art when they were made. Ancient statues were not only painted in bright colors but also draped in fabrics, adorned with jewels, and surrounded by flowers. During festivals, they were ritually perfumed and decorated, making them appear even more lifelike.
“Admiring a statue in the ancient world was not just a visual experience,” Brøns said, “but also an olfactory one.”
The bare marble statues we see today are the result of centuries of wear and weathering, their colors and scents long faded. But traces of their former glory remain.
Archaeologists have found residues of beeswax on statues like that of Queen Berenice II of Egypt, described by the poet Callimachus as “moist with perfume.” Ancient perfume workshops, such as those discovered on Delos, used ingredients like rose petals, beeswax, and olive oil — all mixed to create lasting fragrances.
All of this raises an interesting proposition: should museum replicas be scented with perfumes made from ancient recipes? By stripping these statues of their colors and scents, we are likely losing a crucial part of their meaning. So, it’d sure be interesting to walk into such an exhibition.
The findings appeared in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology.
