Roses in Antiquity

One of the many pitfalls encountered in the search for evidence of roses in ancient times is the use of the word ‘rose’ in connexion with flowers having no association whatever with roses, e.g. the Rose of Jericho and the Rose of Sharon. This is particularly true of references in the Old Testament, although some of them, notably in Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom of Solomon and Esdras, undoubtedly refer to the rose and rose bushes. Wild roses flourish in Palestine, an attractive type being Rosa phoenicea, whose clusters of creamy-white bloom are sufficiently striking to invite attention. This rose would be known to the ancients, for it is found scattered in numerous localities in the Troad and Syria. It is, of course, impossible to record with reasonable certainty the full tale of roses with which the ancient world was familiar, but sufficient sources of information remain to enable a fair appraisal to be made. Some of the roses have stayed in cultivation down the centuries, and are still grown in gardens. Others, such as the ‘.twice-blooming’ roses of Paestum, have vanished, and an exact description is impossible.