The Mysterious Silphium Plant

It seems unlikely that a few ancient coins could untangle the mystery of a long-forgotten plant that once existed and was thought to be the miracle drug of the day. But that is what happened when a record of its existence appears as the design on several coins made from the 5th to the 2nd century B.C.

The plant, known as silphium, was native to a region along the northern coast of Africa and had a reputation for being almost magical in the benefits it could bestow on anyone ingesting it. Contemporary accounts describe it as being so in demand that it was valued higher than silver or gold. As such, the ruling monarch held strict control over the sacred plant.

An Effective Cure-All

Various descriptions of silphium attribute its origin to somewhere in Cyrene (modern Libya) and later extending across the ancient Mediterranean world and Asia. The plant was very popular in ancient Rome. Legend has it that the emperor Nero had the last known stalk, which he quickly ate. Despite numerous accounts, rumors, and legends, very little is known about the plant, whether it still exists today or why and how it may have met its demise.

Various sources describe the plant as a cure for pains of all kinds. It has been claimed that its root is a purgative, it can be used as fodder to fatten cattle, it puts pigs to sleep, it causes carp to sneeze, and its flowers exude a delightful perfume. However, to camels, the plant was said to be a deadly poison.

Silphium, or silphion, as it is sometimes called, seems similar to today’s celery plant. It was generally believed to be a gift from the god Apollo and was valued in ancient times as a food source, a seasoning, and a medicine that could cure all sorts of ills. The plant’s users valued it as an effective birth-control option or abortion medication.

It was initially cultivated in Cyrenaica as a source of revenue. Still, overuse and greed led to its extinction around the 1st century A.D. Similar plants grew in other locations but were considered inferior and generally ignored for their commercial value. The possibility of such a plant still existing today has intrigued researchers throughout the ages and spurred on by the images seen on contemporary coins, many have attempted to identify the species.

Origins

Knowledge of the plant was first described by Theophrastus, a student of Aristotle who wrote extensively about botany and biology in the 4th century B.C. He described it as belonging to the Umbelliferon family (of the carrot family). The earliest work of art identifying the plant is a magnificent black-figured Greek vase depicting King Arcesilas seated on his throne with slaves who are loading a vessel with a cargo of silphium.

This treasure still exists and is on display in the Bibliothéque National in Paris, where I made sure to visit and admire it on one of my trips to the city. It inspires my continuing interest in attempting to unravel the mysteries of this incredible nostrum.

There is no question about the craving for the silphium plant in ancient times, even if some of its attributes have been grossly exaggerated. It is unlikely that such a remedy would ever be purposely driven to extinction by resentment and frustration over taxation and monopoly ownership. Surely, a close relative of the plant must still exist today and may be helpful to humanity in one form or another.

Conclusion

Will the ancient cure-all be revived through experimentation and discovery based on numismatic evidence? Or will it remain intriguing to consider what could lie ahead for the future of novel medicines? It’s hard to say. In the meantime, collectors can explore the rich lore and enduring mystique of silphium through the striking imagery preserved on this ancient tetradrachm.