Cleopatra's Perfume

Known for her matchless beauty and powers of seduction, Cleopatra remains a symbol of elegance and luxury even today.

Now, thanks to a recent archaeological find, researchers have successfully recreated a perfume she may have worn.

rProfessor Robert Littman and Dr. Jay Silverstein of the University of Hawaii made the exciting discovery while excavation in the ancient Egyptian city of Thumis.

There, they found a number of ancient perfume bottles and jars in what they believed to have been a perfume production facility.

The jars still had some residue inside, so Littman and Silverstein took the residue to Dora Goldsmith and Sean Coughlin, two ancient perfume specialists, to get their expert opinion.

The pair conducted an analysis of the sample and found traces of ingredients matching descriptions from ancient Greek texts.

With this information, they were able to synthesize two of the most famous scents of the era, Mendelian and Metopian.

The recipe for the scents was made using olive oil, cardamom, and cinnamon for a strong, spicy aroma.

To top it all off, the final and most important addition was myrrh, a waxy tree resin that was a highly valued commodity in ancient times.

This ingredient gives the perfume its pleasant incense-like smell.

While there is no definitive proof that Cleopatra actually wore these perfumes, it is almost certain that she used Mendesian.

According to ancient Greek sources, the perfume was a favorite of royals and wealthy citizens alike.

This fact, along with her wealth and status, may explain why Cleopatra was so irresistible to powerful men.

During her short yet eventful life, she was romantically involved with the famous Roman generals, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

 

• matchless  ˈmætʃləs   비할 데 없는, 독보적인 (=incomparable)

• seduction  sɪˈdʌkʃn    (성관계를 하자는) 유혹 /  유혹[매력](적인 점·요소), (=enticement)

• archaeological  ɑ̀:rkiəlɑ́dƷikəl 고고학의   archaeology  |ɑːrki│ɑːlədʒi  고고학 (→industrial archaeology)

• jar  dʒɑː(r)  (특히 잼꿀 등을 담아 두는) 병 (→jam jar)  병(에 든 양)  /  부딪치다, 충격을 주다[받다]

• residue  |rezɪduː  잔여[잔류]물 /  잔여 유산(遺産)

• ingredient  ɪnˈɡriːdiənt  (특히 요리 등의) 재료[성분] /   (…을 이루는 데 중요한) 구성 요소

• description  dɪˈskrɪpʃn  (~이 어떠한지에 대한) 서술[기술/묘사/표현]

• synthesize ˈsɪnθəsaɪz  (화학 물질을) 합성하다

• era  ˈɪrə    (특정한 성격·사건에 의해 다른 시대들과 구별되는) 시대

• aroma əˈroʊmə   (기분 좋은) 향기, 방향

• To top it all off  게다가, 그 외에도

• myrrh  mɜː(r)  몰약(감람과 미르나무속 나무에서 나오는 수지. 향수·향료의 원료로 사용됨)

• resin  ˈrezn  수지(樹脂), 송진

• commodity  kə|mɑːdəti  상품, 물품, 원자재 /   (유용한) 것

• incense  ínsens  향(香), 향료, 향 냄새[연기], 방향(芳香)

• along with sb / sth   ~에 덧붙여, ~와 마찬가지로     along with  ...와 함께...에 따라

• irresistible ˌɪrɪˈzɪstəbl  억누를[저항할] 수 없는 (↔resistible) ,   (너무 매력적이어서) 거부할 수가 없는, 너무 유혹적인

• eventful  ɪˈventfl   다사다난한, 파란만장한

• romantically  공상적[낭만적]으로  

• get involved with …에 휘감기다, …와 (깊은) 관계를 갖다   involved  ɪnˈvɑːlvd  관여하는, 관련된, 연루된 /   (개인적으로) 가까운 사이인[관계에 있는