The ancient Greeks and Romans did not know the modern pipe and mainly smoked aromatic herbs or resins burned on glowing coals. They used devices such as braziers or rudimentary tubes to inhale the smoke, but tobacco and the pipe as we know it were not yet widespread in Europe.
How did the ancient Greeks and Romans smoke before the modern pipe? Deep dive
Before the introduction of the modern pipe, the ancient Greeks and Romans practiced forms of smoking very different from those of today. They were unaware of tobacco, which arrived in Europe only after the discovery of the Americas. Instead, they burned aromatic herbs, resins, or incense on braziers or small fires, inhaling the smoke through rudimentary tubes or simply breathing it in the environment. These methods were more connected to religious rituals or therapeutic practices than to recreational use as associated with the modern pipe. The pipe, as a specific object for smoking tobacco, developed much later, in the 16th century, and spread in Europe only after American colonization. Therefore, smoking in classical antiquity was a different phenomenon, linked to materials and practices different from the slow-smoking culture we know today.
