Silphium

Silphium Temporary Tattoo

Beautiful things are not meant to last.

Ancient silphium [Sil-fee-um] was traded at the same rate as silver in the ancient Mediterranean. It was grown only around the North African city of Cyrene, making it exceptionally rare. The plant's most prized product was its fragrant resin, known as laserpicium. Ancient physicians prescribed it for ailments ranging from sore throats to hernias. It also seasoned food, scented perfumes, and was prized in ancient medicine. Some sources attribute far more remarkable qualities to the plant, suggesting it served as both an aphrodisiac and a contraceptive. Some historians speculate that its heart-shaped seed inspired the modern heart symbol. However, its rarity could not preserve it, as this ancient beauty is recorded going extinct in antiquity. By the time of Pliny the Elder, a respected Roman author, the plant was already scarce. He wrote, “Within the memory of the present generation, a single stalk is all that has ever been found there, and that was sent as a curiosity to the Emperor Nero.” All that remains of this plant are passages in ancient books, gold coins stamped with its likeness, and the memory of something the world could not keep. Like silphium, some beautiful things are not meant to last.

This tattoo lasts 4-5 days.