Editing Saffron (section)

===South East Mediterranean===
Minoan depictions of saffron are now considered to be ''[[Crocus cartwrightianus]]''.<ref name="Ancient Saffron"/> The [[Minoan civilization|Minoans]] portrayed saffron in their palace frescoes by 1600–1500 BC; they hint at its possible use as a therapeutic drug.<ref name=Honan2004/>{{Sfn|Ferrence|Bendersky|2004|p=1}} Ancient Greek legends told of sea voyages to [[Cilicia]], where adventurers sought what they believed were the world's most valuable threads.{{Sfn|Willard|2002|pp=2–3}} Another legend tells of Crocus and Smilax, whereby Crocus is bewitched and transformed into the first saffron crocus.{{Sfn|Willard|2002|p=2}} Ancient perfumers in Egypt, physicians in [[Gaza City|Gaza]], townspeople in [[Rhodes]],{{Sfn|Willard|2002|p=58}} and the Greek ''[[hetaerae]]'' courtesans used saffron in their [[scented water]]s, perfumes and potpourris, mascaras and ointments, divine offerings, and medical treatments.{{Sfn|Willard|2002|p=41}}

In late [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic Egypt]], [[Cleopatra VII of Egypt|Cleopatra]] used saffron in her baths so that lovemaking would be more pleasurable.{{Sfn|Willard|2002|p=55}} Egyptian healers used saffron as a treatment for all varieties of gastrointestinal ailments.{{Sfn|Willard|2002|pp=34–35}} Saffron was also used as a fabric dye in such [[Levant]]ine cities as [[Sidon]] and [[Tyre (Lebanon)|Tyre]] in Lebanon.{{Sfn|Willard|2002|p=59}} [[Aulus Cornelius Celsus]] prescribes saffron in medicines for wounds, cough, colic, and scabies, and in the [[mithridatium]].{{Sfn|Celsus|1989}}