© 2021-2025
Filosofický Ústav Akademie věd České Republiky | Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences
3 080 g
9 pounds 5 ounces
1 910 g
5 pounds 10 ounces
σμύρνα
140 g + 20 g
5 ounces + 6 drachmas for sprinkling on at end
enough to soak the calamus and myrrh
enough to soak the calamus and myrrh
1 150 g + 270 g
3 pounds 6 ounces + 80 weights
enough to soak the cardamom
enough to soak the cardamom
τὸ λείριον
unknown
3 000 flowers
τὸ μέλι
for coating hands and vessels
for coating hands and vessels
ὁ ἅλς
for purifying oil
for purifying oil
20 g
6 drachmas
ὁ κρόκος
100 g
30 drachmas
Preparation of sousinon perfume, which some call leirinon. Take nine pounds and five ounces of oil, five pounds and ten ounces of calamus, and five ounces of myrrh. Mix them with fragrant wine and boil.
σουσίνου σκευασία, ὃ ἔνιοι λείρινον καλοῦσιν· ἐλαίου λίτρας ἐννέα οὐγγίας πέντε, καλάμου λίτρας πέντε οὐγγίας δέκα, σμύρνης οὐγγίας πέντε φυράσας οἴνῳ εὐώδει ἕψε. (47,15 - 16 Wellmann)
Strain the oil and then pour it over three pounds and six ounces of ground cardamom that has been soaked in rainwater. Let it become soaked then press.
εἶτα ἀπηθήσας τὸ ἔλαιον ἀπόχει κατὰ καρδαμώμου κεκομμένου καὶ βεβρεγμένου ὕδατι ὀμβρίῳ λιτρῶν τριῶν οὐγγιῶν ἓξ καὶ ἐάσας βραχῆναι ἀπόθλιβε. (47,16 - 20 Wellmann)
Take three and a half pounds of the treated oil, pluck the petals from a thousand lilies, and place them in a wide but shallow basin. Pour the oil over them and mix with your hands, which have been smeared with honey. Let it sit for one day and one night. In the morning, transfer it to a strainer and press it out.
καὶ λαβὼν ἐκ τοῦ ἐστυμμένου ἐλαίου τρεῖς ἥμισυ λίτρας, κρίνα ἀριθμῷ χίλια ἀποφυλλίσας θὲς ἐν λουτῆρι πλατεῖ, μὴ βαθεῖ, ἐπιχέας τε τὸ ἔλαιον ἀνακίνει ταῖς χερσὶ μέλιτι κεχρισμέναις. ἐάσας δὲ ἡμέραν μίαν καὶ νύκτα, πρωὶ δὲ ἀνελόμενος εἰς κυρτίδα ἐξίπου. (47,20 - 48,4 Wellmann)
Immediately strain what you obtain from the water pressed out with the oil, because like rose perfume it will not hold up but bubble up and spoil. Decant multiple times into other vessels that have been smeared with honey, adding fine salt and carefully removing any impurities that collect.
τὸ δὲ φερόμενον ἀπήθει εὐθέως ἀπὸ τοῦ συνεκθλιβέντος ὕδατος τῷ ἐλαίῳ· οὐ γὰρ ὑπομένει ὡς τὸ ῥόδινον, συνθερμαινόμενον δὲ ἀναζεῖ καὶ σήπεται. μετάγγιζε δὲ πλεονάκις εἰς ἕτερα ἀγγεῖα μέλιτι κατακεχρισμένα, προσπάσσων ἅλας λεπτοὺς καὶ τὴν συλλεγομένην ἀκαθαρσίαν ἐπιμελῶς ἀφαιρῶν. (48,4 - 9 Wellmann)
Then transfer the pressed aroma from the strainer to the basin, and again pour over the same amount of aromatized oil as before, and mix in ten holkai of ground cardamom. Stir it appropriately with your hands, let it sit for a while, and strain out the liquid, purifying what runs off.
μετεράσας δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κυρτιδίου τὸ ἐξιπωθὲν ἄρωμα εἰς τὸν λουτῆρα πάλιν ἐπίχει τοῦ ἠρωματισμένου ἐλαίου τὸ ἴσον πλῆθος τῷ προτέρῳ καὶ καρδαμώμου κεκομμένου συνέμβαλε ὁλκὰς δέκα, καὶ ἀνακινήσας χρησίμως ταῖς χερσὶ καὶ ἐπισχὼν μικρὸν ἐξίπου, τὸ ἀπορρέον ἀποκαθαίρων. (48,9 - 13 Wellmann)
For a third time, repeat the same process, adding cardamom and salt as before, anointing your hands with honey, and pressing. The first extraction will be the best, the second next in quality, and the third the least.
καὶ τρίτον ἐπιχέας πάλιν τὸ αὐτὸ ποίει, προσεπεμβάλλων καὶ τὸ καρδάμωμον καὶ τοὺς ἅλας ὁμοίως καὶ τὰς χεῖρας μέλιτι χρίων καὶ θλίβων. καὶ ἔσται τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἐκπιεσθὲν ἄριστον, ἐχόμενον /5 δὲ τὸ ἑξῆς, τρίτον δὲ τὸ τελευταῖον. (48,13 - 17 Wellmann)
Again, take a thousand lilies, pluck their petals, and place them [in the basin.] Pour the first strained perfume over them and repeat the same process as before, always adding cardamom. Then strain it, and do the same for the second and third pressings, as mentioned, also adding cardamom. The more often you steep fresh lilies, the stronger the perfume will become.
καὶ πάλιν λαβὼν χίλια κρίνα καὶ ἀποφυλλίσας διάθες καὶ ἐπιχέας τὸ πρῶτον ἐξιπωθὲν μεθόδευε, τὰ αὐτὰ ποιῶν ὥσπερ ἐποίεις ἐπὶ τοῦ πρώτου, καρδάμωμον παραμίσγων, εἶτα ἐξίπου καὶ ποίει τὰ αὐτὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ δευτέρου καὶ τρίτου, ὡς εἴρηται, προσεμβάλλων καὶ τὸ καρδάμωμον, καὶ ὁσάκις ἂν ἀποβρέξῃς νεαρὰ κρίνα, δυναμικώτερον ἕξεις τὸ μύρον. (48,17 - 23 Wellmann)
At the end, when you think you have enough, mix into each preparation two drachmas of good myrrh, two drachmas of cinnamon, and ten drachmas of saffron.
ἐπὶ τέλει δὲ ὅταν αὐτάρκως ἔχειν σοι δοκῇ, μίσγε ἑκάστῃ σκευασίᾳ σμύρνης χρηστῆς δραχμὰς δύο, κιναμώμου δραχμὰς δύο, κρόκου δραχμὰς δέκα. (48,23 - 25 Wellmann)
However, some say: chop equal amounts of saffron and cinnamon, sift them, and add them to the basin with water. Pour over them the first [batch] of strained perfume. Let it sit for a while, and then transfer it to dry vessels that have been pre-anointed with gum, myrrh, saffron, and honey diluted with water. Do the same for the second and third pressings.
οἱ δέ· κρόκου καὶ κιναμώμου τὸ ἴσον κόψας σήσας ἔμβαλε εἰς τὸν λουτῆρα μεθ' ὕδατος καὶ ἐπίχει τὸ πρῶτον ἐκπιεσθὲν μύρον, εἶτα ἐάσας μικρὸν ἀναλάμβανε εἰς ἀγγεῖα ξηρά, προκεχρισμένα κόμμει καὶ σμύρνῃ καὶ κρόκῳ καὶ μέλιτι μεθ' ὕδατος διειμένοις· τὸ δ' αὐτὸ ποίει καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ δευτέρου ἐκπιέσματος καὶ τοῦ τρίτου. (48,25 - 49,4 Wellmann)
Some however prepare a simple version with oil of balanos or some other oil and lilies. The one produced in Phoenicia and Egypt is considered to be excellent, with the best being that which smells of lilies.
ἔνιοι δὲ τὸ ἁπλοῦν ἐξ ἐλαίου βαλανίνου ἢ ἄλλου καὶ κρίνου σκευάζουσι. δοκεῖ δὲ διαφέρειν τὸ ἐν Φοινίκῃ καὶ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ γινόμενον· ἄριστον δέ ἐστιν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄζον κρίνων. (49,4 - 6 Wellmann)
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