They were not only almighty – they smelled and nice. They were also adorned with flowers and garlands. A Denmark historian made a shocking discovery!

The statues of the gods In ancient Greece and Rome they were … parroted and adorned with fragrant wreaths of flowers and garlands. This is at least written by Danish historian Cecilia Broons in an article published online in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology.

Cecilia Broons, curator of the Copenhagen sculpture, found after analysis of sources that people in antiquity were not only flavoring themselves, but often the statues of the gods in the temples.

Unlike today’s fragrances, according to Brones, the aromas of that time were based on fat or oil to spread like cream. In the Mediterranean countries, for example, rose was a common material in perfumery.

Divine fragrances and colored statues

The wreaths of flowers and the garlands that adorned the statues of the gods thus offered another experiential experience. Although these fragrances, of course, cannot be identified today, the historian says, illustrations have been found and copies of metals, terracotta and gold, while the whole process was known as “world”. It also included the decoration of the statues with fabrics and jewelry.

The statues of the gods also received care with olive oil or beeswax. This made them shine, of course, but also protected their color.

It is now known that the white marble sculptures that one can see today in museums do not in any way represent ancient art, the historian also emphasizes. On the contrary, it has been shown that ancient sculptures, whether made of wood, terracotta or stone, were always painted.

Curated by: Chryssa Vachcevanou