The Silphium plant: analysis of ancient sources

Abstract

This paper is born as an extension of previous research for the thesis of my first degree. Since that time my studies have been addressed to the analysis of the ancient sources that mention the silphium plant. This name was used m the past by the Greeks to designate a sapling that grew only in Libya. By combining this paper and the thesis of my first degree, we obtain a monography whose main subject are silphium and its various applications. The sapling was particularly used in medicine and appreciated in cuisine. In this paper I intend to analyse the Greek texts where the plant is mentioned, and to single out the properties of it. I also suggest reading some passages of well-known Latin works as implicit allusions to silphium. Finally, I intend to show the massive presence of the shrub in ancient iconography. This section is not original since I have already analysed the iconographical sources with the image of the plant; however, I think it is worth reporting them to have a complete overview of the sapling.