Silphium
Silphium was used in classical antiquity as a seasoning, perfume, aphrodisiac, and medicine. It also was used as a contraceptive by ancient Greeks and Romans. It is commonly believed to be a now-extinct plant of the genus Ferula, perhaps a variety of fennel.
About Silphium in brief
Silphium was used in classical antiquity as a seasoning, perfume, aphrodisiac, and medicine. It also was used as a contraceptive by ancient Greeks and Romans. The exact identity of silphium is unclear. It is commonly believed to be a now-extinct plant of the genus Ferula, perhaps a variety of \”giant fennel\”. It was used widely by most ancient Mediterranean cultures; the Romans who mentioned the plant in poems or songs, considered it \”worth its weight in denarii\”, or even gold. Legend said that it was a gift from the god Apollo.
The cause of its supposed extinction is not entirely known. Overgrazing combined with overharvesting may have led to its extinction. The climate of the Maghreb has been drying over the millennia, and desertification may also have been a factor. Many parsley species in the parsley family have estrogenic properties, and some, such as wild carrot, are known to act as abortifacients in some recipes. Long after its extinction, Silphium continued to be mentioned in Greco-Roman cooking, notably in recipes by Apicius.
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This page is based on the article Silphium published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 04, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
