Reconstruction of the bust of the Roman leader - Julius Caesar
Researchers managed to recreate perfumes whose recipe can be found in ancient sources, including: Natural History1. They were called “Telinum” and were a mixture of flowers, fruit, olive oil and gladiator sweat. It is possible that Julius Caesar himself could have used such perfumes.
The exact composition of the perfume is a mixture of mint, rose, lemon, bergamot, lavender, jasmine, water lily, violet, cedarwood and amber. Moreover, in ancient times, the famous sweat of gladiators was added to perfumes and sold as an aphrodisiac. In ancient Rome, the sweat of Roman gladiators was mixed with dirt and olive oil, scraped from the skin using a special strigiltool.
A research team from The Scent Culture and Tourism Association (SCTA) recreated sweat using patchouli, a type of herbaceous plant that is popular with health-conscious people. The scent of patchouli is earthy, woody and musky, and its rich bouquet, according to the team, is reminiscent of the scent of gladiators.
The antique perfume is scheduled to go on sale in Turkey, France and Italy in September 2024. The price is still unknown.
- Pliny the Elder, Natural History, XIII.2
