The Ancients’ drinking

[guy]

Here’s a good article on ancient Greeks’ and Romans’ drinking:

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Spirits, or hard liquors, seem to have been unknown to the Greeks and Romans – for better or worse; as for beer, it was dismissed as the drink of madmen, barbarians, or both. And what of cocktails? Er, yes… of a kind. The Greeks often turned to kukeōn, a drink of wine curiously mixed with grated goat’s cheese, barley meal and a splash of honey. If perhaps you’ll pass on having a glass, the Romans can offer you the much more potable mulsum: wine mixed with honey, spices and iced water (or snow), an apres-skiclassic avant-ski.
 

Since heavy drinking had heavy consequences, the Greeks were seriously invested in hangover cures. But only one really won their heart: cabbage. Just boil it up and chow it down. An odd choice, but experimentation reveals its wisdom, however unappealing the plate proffered. On the Roman side, many spoke passionately of a morning fry-up – of canaries and other songbirds, that is. More challenging is the hairiest-of-dogs advice from know-it-all medic Hippocrates (c.460–375 BC): give those folk who are grimly hanging a frothy kotulē (half-pint) of neat wine to quaff. We can only guess how well that stayed down.Since heavy drinking had heavy consequences, the Greeks were seriously invested in hangover cures. But only one really won their heart: cabbage. Just boil it up and chow it down. An odd choice, but experimentation reveals its wisdom, however unappealing the plate proffered. On the Roman side, many spoke passionately of a morning fry-up – of canaries and other songbirds, that is. More challenging is the hairiest-of-dogs advice from know-it-all medic Hippocrates (c.460–375 BC): give those folk who are grimly hanging a frothy kotulē (half-pint) of neat wine to quaff. We can only guess how well that stayed down.

 

 

https://antigonejournal.com/2022/07/ancient-drinking/

 

 

Edited July 25, 2022 by guy