Silphium – Remarkable Ancient Herb That Mysteriously Vanished

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - Once, a long time ago, there was a very precious herb in the ancient city of Cyrene, a Greek city on the North African coast near present-day Shahhat, a town located in northeastern Libya.

According to one legend, Silphium was first discovered after a “black” rain swept across the east coast of Libya over two and a half millennia ago. The herb spread its broad roots ever further from then onwards, growing luxuriantly on lush hillsides and forest meadows.

In time, ancient people discovered that the herb known as silphium was amazing in several ways. Silphium was so delicious and useful that the plant became very valuable.

Ancient cultures used silphium for medical applications, and the plant could help with several health problems.

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