Love Silphium!

In ancient times, Cyrenne, a colony in northern Africa, exported large amounts the silphium plant to Greece, Rome, India, and Egypt. It was prized as a contraceptive and abortive herb! Silphium’s heart-shaped seed was pictured on the coins of Cyrenne. It was said to be a “gift from Apollo and worth its weight in silver!” Cyrenne became rich from it’s cultivation. Within 600 years, it was over-harvested and driven to extinction.

Purchase this poster at the Etsy store!