Foliatum: The Luxury of Scent
Exploring the rich history of perfumes and their role in health, beauty, and daily life in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome
The Foliatum Perfume
Foliatum, likely named for its use of cinnamon leaf (folium is Latin for “leaf”), was one of the most luxurious and sought-after perfumes of the ancient world. Made with rare ingredients like black cardamom, labdanum, nard, and myrrh, it symbolized wealth and beauty and was admired for its rich, exotic scent. Known and used for centuries, foliatum remained popular from the beginning of the Roman Empire until at least 600 CE.
The version you are experiencing is inspired by descriptions from Pliny the Elder and was crafted by Berlin olfactory artist Klara Ravat in collaboration with Alchemies of Scent.
The People
Foliatum was primarily used by wealthy women, though it wasn’t exclusive to them. Ancient Greek and Roman writers, often critical of wealthy women, dismissed the perfume too—but their complaints suggest it was highly popular among those who could afford it. Men wore perfumes as well, preferring lighter, floral scents, while women favored deep, resinous, and woody aromas.
Doctors also recommended fine fragrances for everyone, believing they protected against illnesses, including plague.
Galen, writing in the late 100s CE, described perfumes like foliatum: “Not least among the remedies are the luxurious perfumes prepared for the indulgence of delicate women. These are useful for conditions of the belly and seem to have been invented by the extravagance in Rome, bearing Roman names: indeed, they are called spicata and foliata.”
The Recipe
Pliny the Elder described foliatum as a type of nard perfume made with spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi), cinnamon leaf, and other exotic ingredients such as aromatic rush, costus, myrrh, and balsam.
The earliest complete recipe we have comes from the 6th century CE, attributed to Oribasius. His version includes cassia, cinnamon leaf, labdanum, myrrh, and nard. He writes: “Grind the ingredients finely, sift through a sieve, and mix with nard perfume. Add hazelnut shells for a darker color, and finish with opobalsamum for a luxurious scent.”
For the Curious
Galen (c.130 – 210 CE), Method of Healing, Book 8, Chapter 5
“Not least among the remedies are the luxurious perfumes prepared for the sake of the indulgence of delicate women. These are useful for such conditions of the stomach and seem to have been invented by the extravagance in Rome, bearing Roman names: indeed, they are called spicata and foliata.”
οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ καὶ τὰ τῆς τρυφῆς ἕνεκα τῶν διατεθρυμμένων γυναικῶν σκευαζόμενα μύρα ταυτὶ τὰ πολυτελῆ, χρήσιμα πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας διαθέσεις τῆς γαστρὸς, ἅπερ ἔοικεν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν Ῥώμῃ τρυφῆς εὑρεθέντα καὶ τὰς προσηγορίας ἔχειν Ῥωμαϊκάς· ὀνομάζεταί γέ τοι σπικάτα γε καὶ φουλιάτα.
Theophrastus (c. 370 – 287 BCE), On Scents, Sections 42-43
“The lightest perfumes are those made from rose (rhodinon) and henna (kypros), which are considered most suitable for men, and, in addition to these, from lily (krinon). For women, preferred are liquid myrrh, Megaleion, the Egyptian, marjoram (amarakinon), and spikenard (nardinon). Because they are strong and heavy, they are not easily evaporated or removed; for women it is important to look for perfumes that are long-lasting.”
Ἐλαφρότατα δὲ τὸ ῥόδινον καὶ ἡ κύπρος, ἃ καὶ τοῖς ἀνδράσι μάλιστα ἁρμόττειν δοκεῖ, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τὸ κρίνον· ταῖς δὲ γυναιξὶν ἡ στακτὴ καὶ τὸ μεγαλεῖον καὶ τὸ αἰγύπτιον καὶ τὸ ἀμαράκινον καὶ τὸ νάρδινον· διὰ γὰρ τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ τὸ πάχος οὐκ εὐαπόπνοα οὐδ' εὐαφαίρετα· ζητοῦσι (γὰρ) τὰ χρόνια.
Herodian (c. 170 – 240 CE), Events after the Death of Marcus Aurelius, Book 1, Chapter 12
“At their doctors’ urging, those in the city filled their nostrils and ears with very fragrant perfumes and continuously used incense and aromata, since some of the doctors said the fragrance, entering first, filled the pores of the senses and prevented them from receiving the corrupting power of the air, or, if any should get in, it would be overpowered by [the fragrance’s] stronger power.”
ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν κελευόντων τῶν ἰατρῶν μύρου εὐωδεστάτου τάς τε ὀσφρήσεις καὶ τὰ ὦτα ἐνεπίμπλασαν, θυμιάμασί τε καὶ ἀρώμασι συνεχῶς ἐχρῶντο, φασκόντων τινῶν τὴν εὐωδίαν φθάσασαν ἐμπιπλάναι τοὺς πόρους τῶν αἰσθήσεων καὶ κωλύειν δέχεσθαι τὸ φθορῶδες τοῦ ἀέρος, ἢ εἰ καί τι προεμπέσοι, κατεργάζεσθαι δυνάμει κρείττονι.
Pliny the Elder (c.23 – 79 CE), Natural History, Book 13, section 15
“Nard perfume or foliatum consists of oil of unripe olives or balanos oil, aromatic rush (camel grass), costus, nard, amomum, myrrh and balsam.”
Nardinum sive foliatum constat omphacio aut balanino, iunco, costo, nardo, amomo, murra, balsamo.
Aetius Amidenus (500s CE), Medical Books, Book 16
“Preparation of Foliatum, from the works of Oribasius. Cassia, 6 ounces. Cinnamon leaf, 3 ounces. Amomum and labdanum, each 1 ounce. Peppercorns, 40 grains. Troglodytic myrrh, 1 ounce. Nard perfume, 1 pound. After cutting and sifting with a very fine sieve, grind it again in another sieve carefully. Then add the nard perfume and grind it carefully again. To make the medicine darker, burn the shells of hazelnuts, grind them in a mortar, and combine. Additionally, mix in 3 spoonfuls of opobalsamum. Use as a luxurious perfume and for paresis.”
ἐκ τῶν ὀρειβασίου φουλιάτου σκευασία. Κασίας γοστ. φύλλου γογ. ἀμώμου, λαδάνου ἀνὰ γοα. πεπέρεως κόκκους μ. σμύρνης τρωγλίτιδος γοα. νάρδου μύρου λίτ. α. κόψας καὶ σήσας λεπτοτάτῳ κοσκίνῳ λείου πάλιν ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἐπιμελῶς, καὶ ἐπίβαλλε τὴν νάρδον καὶ πάλιν λείου ἐπιμελῶς. πρὸς δὲ τὸ μελάντερον γενέσθαι τὸ φάρμακον, καρύων βασιλικῶν λέπη καύσας καὶ τρίψας ἐν θυίᾳ ἕνωσον, πρόσμιγε δὲ καὶ ὀποβαλσάμου κοχλιάρια γ. καὶ χρῶ πολυτελεστάτῳ μύρῳ καὶ πρὸς παρέσεις.
Dive Deeper
(Text S. Coughlin, D. Míčková, J. Říhová)
(Česky)