Perfume, from Egyptian temples to the temples of consumption
Annick Le Guérer —
For centuries, perfume was seen as a sacred and magic product, endowed with extraordinary powers. There is a legend, told by Ovid in the first century that illustrates this perfectly. To save the King Aeson from death, the magician Medea prepares a perfume with a very strong scent. Then she grabs a sword, opens the old man’s throat and replaces his anaemic blood with the perfume she has made. The old man’s beard and hair immediately go black, his body is vigorous once more, and the lines on his face disappear. Aeson is stunned to find he is a young man again.