Fragrance Quote
Pliny the Elder called perfume “the most superfluous” of luxuries, because unguents “die away the very hour they are used.”
In His Own Words
“These perfumes form the objects of a luxury which may be looked upon as being the most superfluous of any, for pearls and jewels, after all, do pass to a man’s representative, and garments have some durability; but unguents lose their odour in an instant, and die away the very hour they are used. The very highest recommendation of them is, that when a female passes by, the odour which proceeds from her may possibly attract the attention of those even who till then are intent upon something else.”
— Pliny the Elder, Natural History, Book XIII (translated by John Bostock and H.T. Riley, 1855)
Essential Details
Pliny the Elder on Perfume and Luxury at a Glance
- Speaker: Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD)
- Source: Natural History, Book XIII, Bostock and Riley translation
- Status: Public domain
- Theme: Ancient perfume and luxury
Why the Quote Resonates
Pliny’s complaint is about money: pearls and clothes last, but unguents are gone within the hour. Yet he names their one real virtue, that a person passing by can draw the attention of someone busy with something else, which is close to what perfumers now call sillage.
What Romans Wore
Book XIII deals with unguents and the trees and resins behind them, including materials like myrrh and frankincense. Pliny’s disapproval did not stop the trade; it grew. For a longer view, read The History of Perfume, and compare his tone with Catullus on a perfume worth begging for.
Why it matters
Two thousand years ago, writers were already arguing over whether perfume was worth its price.