Silphium, also known as silphion, laserwort, or laser, is an unidentified plant that was used in classical antiquity as a seasoning, perfume, aphrodisiac, medicine, and contraceptive by ancient Greeks and Romans. It was the essential item of trade from the ancient North African city of Cyrene and was so critical to the Cyrenian economy that most of their coins bore a picture of the plant. The plant was once the most sought-after product in the Mediterranean even before the rise of Athens and the Roman Empire. It oozed with an odiferous sap that was so delicious and useful, the plant was eventually worth its weight in gold.
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