Dr. Ally Louks recently took Twitter by storm because of her “unusual” take on scent—olfactory ethics—and how smell affects culture. Some took her thesis way off the page and accused her of being ‘too woke’. But here’s the thing, she’s right.
In hindsight, smell has always been a cultural marker.
Let’s take Ancient Egypt, for example. Fragrance wasn’t merely used for vanity; it was a symbol for status and spirituality. It threaded through trade, rituals, and burials. To them, wearing the right scent means announcing your wealth, your devotion, maybe even your divinity.
It’s an overlooked sense, sure, but it’s not to be discounted all the same.
Even in Ancient Egypt, scent had been embedded in daily life and reflected more of society and its culture. It was woven into every part of life—from daily grooming to temple rituals, from trade wealth to burial practices.
So today, join me on a sensory trip back to Ancient Egypt.
And who better to lead this aromatic journey than the legendary queen herself, Cleopatra VII?
Table of Contents
- Cleopatra’s Perfume as a Political Strategy
- The Egyptian Obsession with Scents
- Perfume as a Marker of Class and Status
- The Legacy of Egyptian Perfumery
- Scents That Transcend Time
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Cleopatra’s Perfume as a Political Strategy
Cleopatra, ever the clever queen, turned perfume into a political weapon. One of the most famous accounts of this comes from her first meeting with Mark Antony. According to legends, when she sailed to meet him, the sails of her ship were literally soaked in perfume.[1]
Her alluring scent reached Antony before Cleopatra herself even came into view. Talk about making an entrance.
Why Mark Antony, though? After Caesar’s infamous assassination, Cleopatra knew Egypt’s survival depended on staying close to Rome’s power players. Antony, one of Rome’s top generals, was the obvious ally.
And here’s where the perfume mattered.
Her use of scents was symbolic. By surrounding herself with fragrance, Cleopatra linked her image to Isis, the goddess of love and magic, presenting herself as both irresistible and untouchable.[2] Antony wasn’t just meeting a queen—he was meeting a living goddess, and he smelled her power before he even saw her.
The Egyptian Obsession with Scents
Let’s zoom out for a second. In ancient Egypt, scents were an essential part of survival. Living in a desert meant battling relentless heat and dryness, so people rubbed their bodies with scented oils to keep their skin healthy and to ward off disease.
Religion, of course, took it to the next level.
Temples burned kyphi, a sacred incense blend of resins, herbs, honey, and wine. Egyptians believed kyphi could heal and calm the body and spirit. In other words, scent is used as a spiritual prescription, a bridge between humans and the divine.
And the obsession didn’t end with life. Archaeologists have found alabaster jars and delicately carved vessels filled with traces of oils tucked into tombs, proving that perfume was carried into the afterlife.
Ancient Egyptians took the metaphor ‘to smell divine’ quite literally, it seems.
Perfume as a Marker of Class and Status
While fragrance touched all classes of Egyptian life, there was a clear distinction in what scents were available. Common people used simple local ingredients like the blue lotus flower and other plant roots.[3] These perfumes were pleasant but accessible.
For the elites, perfume became a true marker of wealth.
Ingredients include spices like cinnamon, cardamom, frankincense, and myrrh, which had to be imported through vast trade networks spanning Arabia, India, and beyond.[4] To wear such scents was to carry the world on your skin, signaling luxury and global reach.
Cleopatra stood at the pinnacle of this fragrant hierarchy. As queen, she had access to the rarest and most expensive ingredients.
Through her interest in alchemy, it is widely believed that she has her own perfume factory and created signature scents instead of wearing what would be considered “store-bought brands” today.
Her personal fragrances would have blended the exotic and the divine, crafted not just for beauty but for political symbolism. To smell Cleopatra was to be reminded of Egypt’s wealth, power, and global connections.
The Legacy of Egyptian Perfumery
Centuries after Queen Cleopatra’s death, the allure of Egyptian perfume still lingers. Archaeologists have uncovered workshops at Mendes, a prosperous settlement near the Nile River.
There, they found recipes and equipment that suggest large-scale production of luxurious scents. Some of these recipes, preserved in Greek texts, have even been reconstructed by modern researchers.[5]
One such recreation claimed to reproduce Cleopatra’s own perfume. Thick, spicy, and musky, it carried notes of myrrh and cinnamon. Researchers are now calling this recreation the “Chanel No.5” of Ancient Egypt.[6]
Far from today’s light floral perfumes, it was bold and commanding—a scent meant to announce power. Even today, “Cleopatra fragrance” is marketed as a blend of mystery, seduction, and strength, proof that her legend continues to perfume history.
Her beauty secrets were never about vanity alone. They were about leaving a mark that time itself could not erase.
Scents That Transcend Time
Cleopatra’s perfume was a statement of power, culture, and divinity. In every drop, she carried Egypt’s gods, its wealth, and its sovereignty. Cleopatra knew this better than anyone. By turning scent into strategy, she didn’t just captivate Rome’s most powerful men; she secured her place in history.
And while archaeologists today scramble to recreate her signature fragrance, maybe that’s the real legacy here: perfume as a means to evoke memory.
It’s no wonder that, two thousand years later, we’re still trying to catch a whiff of her legend.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Did Cleopatra have a perfume factory?
Yes. Archaeological evidence suggests the Ptolemaic royals, including Cleopatra, oversaw perfume workshops in Alexandria. Researchers even recreated one of her blends, “Mendesian,” based on ancient recipes.
What skincare did Cleopatra use?
Cleopatra’s skincare was legendary, with milk baths being her most famous beauty ritual. She also used honey and aloe for their soothing and hydrating effects.
Did Cleopatra use rosewater?
Yes, rosewater was a staple in ancient Egyptian beauty practices. Cleopatra likely used it as both a skin toner and a subtle fragrance.
References:
[1] Cleopatra May Have Once Smelled Like This Recreated Perfume
[2] Cleopatra the Great: Last Power of the Ptolemaic Dynasty – ARCE
[3] Megan Freeman: The Lotus Flower in Ancient Egyptian Art — Google Arts & Culture
[4] Cosmetics, Perfume, & Hygiene in Ancient Egypt – World History Encyclopedia
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