A new revelation by Danish historian Cecilie Brøns could reshape our understanding of how the gods were worshipped in ancient Greece and Rome. According to Brøns, statues of the gods were not only revered—they were perfumed and adorned with fragrant flower crowns and garlands.
Writing in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology, Brøns—curator at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen—explains that evidence from ancient sources reveals people didn’t just perfume themselves, but also the statues of their deities housed in temples. These sacred scents were typically made with fat or oil as a base, creating a cream-like texture. Rose was a particularly popular fragrance across the Mediterranean.
According to dw.com, decorating the statues with floral wreaths and garlands created a multisensory, immersive experience for ancient worshippers. While the original scents have long faded, depictions and replicas made from metal, terracotta, and gold offer valuable clues about this ancient practice, known as "kosmesis"—a term referring to the ritual adornment of statues. This process also included dressing the figures in textiles and jewelry.
Brøns also notes that the statues were often treated with olive oil or beeswax to give them a luminous finish and to preserve their painted surfaces.
Importantly, the pure white marble statues we see in museums today are a far cry from how they originally appeared. Ancient sculptures were frequently made of wood, terracotta, or stone, and were almost always painted in vivid colors—challenging our modern perceptions of classical art.
