tian embalmers used assorted oils, plants, and spices in preparing the body for the after life. "Traces of resins like galbanum, and spices such as clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg, have been isolated from the bandages of mummies." (Ryman 6) When King Tutankhamen's tomb was opened in 1922, pots were found containing remnants of frankincense and myrrh, their scent still noticeable in the air.
             One has only to think of the great Queen Cleopatra to see how extensively that scent was used. Legend says that in order to help her seduce Mark Anthony, Cleopatra had rose petals strewn in the entranceways of her palace. When he walked over them, the crushed petals released their smell. The smell of a rose is a natural aphrodisiac for many people and has proven calming abilities. The sails of Cleopatra's ships were soaked in essential oils, so that the winds would carry her scent to him.
             The love of scent carried on into Greek and Roman civilizations. From 400 BC, Tehphrastus, a Greek physician, wrote "Concerning Odors" one of the first books dealing with the use of essential oils. A more famous contemporary of his, Hippocrates, was a vocal advocate of Aromatherapy. Hippocrates believed in the health benefits of daily aromatic baths and scented massages. His belief in the health benefits of Aromatherapy is evident in Daniele Ryman observation, "when an epidemic of plague broke out in Athens, he urged the people to burn aromatic plants at the corners of the streets to protect themselves and prevent the plaque spreading." (7) The knowledge and uses he advocated were brought to Rome several hundred years later. Dioscorides', a Greek physician in Nero's army, wrote detailed records of when plants and their scents were at their strongest that are still used today. His book, "De Materia Medica" has been referred to as "a comprehensive textbook" (7) by Daniel Ryman and...