Recipe
Cyprinon or Henna Flower Perfume
Ingredients
ἐλαίου ὀμφακίνου πεπλυμένου
- Rain water oil
- Camel’s thorn
- Calamus
- Myrrh
- Cardamom
- Henna flowers
- κινάμωμον (optional)
Recipe
1
One part clarified oil of unripe olives and one and one-half parts rainwater. Pour some water over the oil and mix the balance with the aromatics that will be added. Then taking five and one-half litrai camel’s-thorn, six and one-half litrai sweet flag, one litra myrrh, three litrai nine oungiai cardamom, and nine litrai five oungiai oil, and after chopping the camel ’s-thorn and soaking it by placing it in water, cook it with the oil until they boil together. Then soaking the myrrh in aromatic old wine, mix the sweet flag chopped up with the myrrh, and, removing the camel’s-thorn, add the mixture of sweet flag.
κυπρίνου στύψις καὶ σκευασία· ἐλαίου ὀμφακίνου πεπλυμένου μέρος ἕν, ὕδατος ὀμβρίου μέρος ἓν ἥμισυ, τὸ μὲν ἐπίχει τῷ ἐλαίῳ τὸ δὲ φύρα ἐν τοῖς ἐμβληθησομένοις ἀρώμασιν. εἶτα λαβὼν ἀσπαλάθου λίτρας πέντε ἥμισυ, καλάμου λίτρας ἓξ ἥμισυ, σμύρνης λίτραν μίαν, καρδαμώμου λίτρας τρεῖς οὐγγίας ἐννέα, ἐλαίου λίτρας ἐννέα οὐγγίας πέντε, τὸν ἀσπάλαθον κόψας καὶ βρέξας ἐν ὕδατι ἐμβαλὼν ἕψε μετὰ τοῦ ἐλαίου, ἕως ἂν συναναζέσῃ, τὴν δὲ σμύρναν διεὶς οἴνῳ παλαιῷ εὐώδει, τὸν κάλαμον κεκομμένον συναναφύρα μετὰ τῆς σμύρνης καὶ ἐξελὼν τὸν ἀσπάλαθον ἔμβαλε τὸ φύραμα τοῦ καλάμου.
2
After it has boiled also with it, take it off the heat; strain the oil from the cauldron, pour it over the cardamom which was chopped and mixed with the remaining water, and stir non-stop with a spatula until it cools. Then after straining the oil, cast into every 28 litrai of oil, 46 litrai eight oungiai henna flowers, and letting them become well steeped, strain through a basket. But should you wish more, adding the same quantity of new flowers, express them the same way; also if you wish to prepare it with a double or triple infusion. For it does grow stronger.
ὅταν δὲ καὶ μετὰ τούτου ζέσῃ, καθελὼν ἀπήθησον τοῦ χαλκοῦ τὸ ἔλαιον καὶ κατάχει κατὰ τοῦ καρδαμώμου κεκομμένου καὶ πεφυραμένου τῷ λοιπῷ ὕδατι καὶ κίνει σπάθῃ, ἕως ἂν ψυγῇ, μὴ διαλείπων. εἶτα ἀπηθήσας τὸ ἔλαιον ἔμβαλε εἰς τὰς εἴκοσιν ὀκτὼ τοῦ ἐλαίου λίτρας ἄνθους κύπρου λίτρας τεσσαράκοντα ἓξ οὐγγίας ὀκτώ, ἐάσας τε ἀποβραχῆναι ἐξίπωσον διὰ σφυρίδος. ἐὰν δὲ πλείω θέλῃς, τοῦ νεαροῦ ἄνθους τὸ ἴσον ἐμβαλὼν πλῆθος ὁμοίως ἐξίπου, ἐάν τε δίβροχον ἐάν τε τρίβροχον βούλῃ ποιεῖν·δυναμικώτερον γὰρ γίνεται.
3
You should choose one that is good quality and that strikes the senses with fragrance. Some people also mix in cinnamon.
Source
Dioscorides De materia medica 1.55
