Silphium

One of the most famous contraceptives from the ancient world, the silphium plant, was sought after for its contraceptive abilities.[6] Silphium is a part of the plant genus Ferula, which contains specific flowering plants that grow in the Mediterranean region.[2] The plant grew near the Greek city-state of Cyrene in North Africa. Silphium, in a way, made the city-state famous and was a key part of its economy.[5]

Description: Image of Ferula communis or giant fennel. A possible relative of Silphium.

Source: Wikipedia Commons [8]

Coins were engraved with the image of the plant, which shows how important the plant was.[4] Because it was so sought after, silphium could be sold for a high price, but that didn’t deter buyers. Eventually, demand caught up with the supply, and silphium was used up to extinction.[2] Silphium did have other uses besides as a contraceptive. Perfumes, food, and medicines were other products that the plant was used for, but its use as a contraceptive is still what silphium is best known for.[1]

Description: Silphium depicted on an ancient silver coin from Cyrene

Source: Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com [6]

Both Soranus and Dioscorides wrote contraceptive prescriptions involving silphium.[2] Dioscorides specifically prescribed silphium to be taken with pepper and myrrh to induce menstruation.[3] Both physicians have many recipes that contain either silphium itself or another product of silphium, such as Cyrenaic juice.[2]

Sources:

[1] Adams, Cecil. "Ancient Roman Secret." Colorado Springs Independent Oct. 2006: 8. ProQuest. 13 May 2025.

[2] Riddle, John M. “Chapter 3 - Soranus on Antifertility Agents.” Contraception and Abortion from the Ancient

World to the Renaissance. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1994, pp. 25-30,

hdl.handle.net/2027/heb01463.0001.001. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

[3] Riddle, John M. “Chapter 4 - Terminology in Dioscorides’ De materia medica.” Contraception and Abortion

from the Ancient World to the Renaissance. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1994, pp. 31-44,

hdl.handle.net/2027/heb01463.0001.001. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

[4] Riddle, John M., et al. “Ever Since Eve... Birth Control in the Ancient World.” Archaeology, vol. 47, no. 2, 1994,

pp. 29–35. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41770706. Accessed 1 May 2025.

[5] Riddle, John M., and J. Worth Estes. “Oral Contraceptives in Ancient and Medieval Times.” American Scientist,

vol. 80, no. 3, 1992, pp. 226–33. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/29774642. Accessed 1 May 2025.

[6] Planned Parenthood. “Pill History Fact Sheet.” Birth Control – History of the Pill 1Birth Control – History of the

Pill 1 (June 2015). https://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/1514/3518/7100/Pill_History_FactSheet.pdf.

Image Sources:

[7] “CNG-Ancient Greek, Roman, British Coins.” www.cngcoins.com, www.cngcoins.com/.

[8] Wikipedia Contributors. “Ferula Communis.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Feb. 2025,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferula_communis.