PLANTAS MITICAS

Plants in ancient Greece—and in its myths—served as weapons, intoxicants, food, medicine, and magical agents. When Prometheus stole fire from Olympus to give it to humans, he hid it in a fennel stalk; a simple quince triggered the Trojan War; Demeter's grief over the abduction of her daughter Persephone caused the first winter, which withered all vegetation, and Achilles used yarrow (now named Achillea in his honor) to stop his soldiers' bleeding. The ancient Greeks, who prepared to consult the oracles, used cannabis as part of their cleansing rituals, infused wine with mandrake to intensify the frenzy at their festivals in honor of Dionysus, and ancient Greek women controlled their reproductive health using pennyroyal and mugwort. Skillfully and ingeniously, Ellen Zachos, a passionate horticulturist, weaves together these stories and ancient traditions and presents both real plants that you can grow in your garden today and legendary species with unimaginable powers. With this beautiful herbarium, the author sheds light on the fascinating relationship between humans, plants, and the gods...